Student trustee?

One Austin Community College student has a chance of sitting on the Board of Trustees come May if he announces his candidacy.  Student Government Association Senate Chair Robert Daley has not formally announced, but has expressed interest in filing for a position on the ballot. 

While the Student Government Association provides input into Board of Trustees decision-making through monthly reports, the 37-year-old ACC student hopes to gain greater influence that represents first-hand student interests. 

"I would want to be an asset, not a detriment [to the Board]," said Daley, and he appreciates the dedication of other board members who have served ACC.   

Three seats are opening up on the nine-person panel before a May 10 election when trustees Nan McRaven, Lilian Davis and Chairman John Hernandez's six-year terms expire.

A seat on the Board of Trustees is an elected, unpaid position responsible for selecting the ACC president and adopting the college budget and policies. To become a member, the candidate must first win elections in all school districts covered by ACC. 

After representing SGA in several board meetings, Daley began to think seriously about how the administration's decisions affect students.

Time, finances, family and low-paying jobs are all concerns affecting the big questions the Board faces; questions such as how to increase access to higher education and create better quality education.  These are also factors Daley experienced and worked through to arrive where he is today.   

While his student government position grants him excellent access to ACC's administration, it does not provide the decision-making power the Board has to potentially influence Texas legislation on behalf of community colleges. 

At this point, Daley is weighing the challenges faced by a six-year term and the practical issues such a role would present. 

For now, Daley is working with various organizations, including Active 08 and the new Center for Public Policy & Political Studies, to promote voter registration among students.  With tens of thousands of eligible voters enrolled at ACC, students could represent a strong voice if all who were able to vote participated. 

Whatever the final outcome of Daley's decisions may be, in the end he "want[s] to leave this institution better than I found it.  I feel it a civic duty.  That's why I'm in student government … I want to do everything possible to make my world better."