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Lincoln Trail College students got a firsthand lesson in leadership, citizenship and college governance when members of First Year Experience classes taught by Tona Ambrose, Connor York, Amie Mayhall, Austin Alexander and Monte Newlin attended the September meeting of the Illinois Eastern Community Colleges Board of Trustees.
For Ambrose, who serves as both LTC President and an FYE instructor, attending a board meeting has become an annual part of the course. She said the experience helps students understand that their education extends beyond what happens in their classrooms.
“I invite my First Year Experience students to attend an IECC Board of Trustees meeting every year because I want them to understand that their college experience is part of something much bigger than what happens inside the classroom,” Ambrose said.
The FYE course is designed to help students develop skills they can use both in college and beyond. Among the topics Ambrose explores with her students are leadership, citizenship and the importance of becoming informed and engaged members of their communities.
Attending a Board of Trustees meeting provides a real-world connection to those lessons.
“Our Board makes decisions that directly impact them — our students, faculty, staff and communities — and I want students to be exposed to that process in person,” Ambrose said. “Encouraging participation in a Board meeting is one relevant way we can connect what students are learning in the classroom to the real world.”
During the meeting, students also had an opportunity to introduce themselves to trustees and share where they were from. The class included students from the local area as well as other states and countries.
Ambrose said those introductions were meaningful for both the students and the trustees.
“I also know that the trustees appreciate being able to see and meet the students who they work hard to serve,” she said.
Beyond simply observing the meeting, Ambrose wanted students to see what goes into the decisions that affect their college experience.
“I wanted students to see that decisions at a community college don't just happen, they involve discussion, questions, research, collaboration and ultimately a vote by the Board,” she said.
The meeting also gave students a closer look at the roles trustees play in representing IECC's colleges and communities, including the district's student trustee.
That connection is particularly timely for Lincoln Trail College. LTC students will elect the next student trustee, who will begin serving on the IECC Board in April.
Ambrose said seeing a student seated alongside the other trustees can help students better understand both the opportunity and responsibility associated with the position.
“The student trustee isn't simply a representative who attends meetings, the position provides an important student perspective at the highest level of our college district,” she said.
She hopes the experience may even encourage some students to consider seeking the position themselves.
“Because the trustee for next year will be an LTC student, this will make more sense now when or if they consider running for this seat,” Ambrose said.
Ultimately, Ambrose hopes her students left the meeting with a broader understanding of what it means to participate in their college and community, and the realization that they do not have to wait until sometime in the future to become involved.
“I hope they walked away understanding that they can have a voice and that being engaged matters,” Ambrose said. “Being informed, asking questions, showing up and understanding how decisions are made are all important parts of being an engaged citizen.”
For Ambrose, that may be the most important lesson of all.
“I also hope they realized that they don't have to wait until they graduate to make a difference,” she said. “They can be involved and have an impact right now.”
