Elections are now in motion for students at Coast Mountain College (CMTN) to join the Board of Governors, Education Council and the First Nations Council.  
 
Current Chairman of the Education Council Dave McKeever, who is also a business instructor at CMTN, says having student representation on the Boards is very important when making policy decisions.   

“We appreciate the perspective of the students,” McKeever says.  
 
“[They] need to have an input in order to have a well-run education system.”  

Adelle Jonker, a former CMTN student who served on the Board of Governors and Education Council during the 2017-2018 term, says it is crucial to have students’ voices heard.  

“Faculty have the same [educational] environment, but they don’t necessarily have the same perspective because they’re sitting at the opposite end of things,” Jonker says.  

For Jonker, who completed a social services diploma at CMTN and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Public Administration at the University of Victoria, says the position enriched her community involvement experience.  
 
Following her term, she was able to join a board for non-profits in Terrace as well as make her application for graduate school stand out.  

“There’s the immediate satisfaction of making a change, making an impact and receiving honorariums, but there’s also long-term impacts that I’m seeing years later,” says Jonker.  

Being a part of a Board can also open many doors and help in finding a job following graduation as workplaces are looking for candidates that put in the extra effort, she explains. 
 
“At the end of the day, everyone finishes with the same piece of paper. What did you do beyond that?” says Jonker. 

McKeever, who is also leading the current by-election for student representatives, says a barrier for many students is they may feel intimidated or overwhelmed if they have no former experience.  

“[Sometimes], it’s a pretty heavy-duty body [in attendance],” says McKeever. “But we try to be as inclusive as we can.” 

Jonker says she understands why joining the board may appear scary for students.  

“A lot of people just don’t know what to expect and I can see why it would be intimidating, but it’s not — it’s actually a lot of fun,” she says. 

By being a member of the Education Council, students can provide input in setting policies and procedures to do with student evaluations and examinations, withdrawal from courses, programs and criteria for awards, to name a few examples.  

There are two seats for students on the Board of Governors, four seats on the Education Council and one seat on the First Nations Council.  

Election Day at CMTN will be held on Feb. 22. Polling stations will be set up at all campuses. 
 
To learn more about each Board and how to submit a nomination form in the upcoming term, visit the “About CMTN” tab on our website or click on this link: coastmountaincollege.ca/about-cmtn/board-of-governors/election