Key student advocate role hangs in the balance
The ASWCC Student Government is urging students to pack an upcoming meeting with Whatcom Community College (WCC) President Dr. Justin Guillory as the college moves forward with a merger of the Vice President for Instruction and the Vice President of Student Services positions – a change student leaders say could reshape how student needs are represented.
WCC Administration says the decision appears set to take place, which makes it even more important for students to show up and ask what will change now that the merger is happening.
During the Jan.26 meeting, which will begin at 3 p.m. in the Syre Auditorium, WCC President Guillory will focus on how the combination of the two roles will function, and what responsibilities the new role will carry. Student leaders worry that folding a dedicated advocate, the Vice President for Student Services, into a broader administrative job could stretch that person thin and reduce the time and attention spent on student concerns.
ASWCC Vice President for Student Engagement, Sam Scheiber said the meeting is an opportunity for students to show they are paying attention and expect to be included in conversations about changes that affect them. Students can press for clear, concrete examples of what will look different for them next quarter and next year.
“Every student voice matters,” Scheiber said, urging classmates to attend the meeting, listen closely to how the merger is explained, and ask direct questions about what will change for students now that it is moving forward.
Scheiber and other ASWCC Student Government members encourage students to ask who will now be directly responsible for student advocacy, how often that person will meet with student government and what mechanisms will exist to make sure student feedback is heard and acted on. Students are also being urged to ask whether any reporting lines, offices or services will be restructured under the merger and how that might affect access to help when issues come up.
Questions about the budget remain another major focus. Scheiber pointed out that this is a key moment to ask how the merger fits into the college’s budget plans, whether it is tied to cost-cutting or reorganization, and what that means for course availability, advising, mental health resources and other support services.
Scheiber also mentioned that the ASWCC Student Government door is always open for anyone who wants help preparing questions or processing what they hear at the meeting.
While the decision to merge the two VP roles may be going ahead regardless of feedback, students will still have power to oversee how it is implemented — if they show up, speak up and keep pushing for transparency.
