The 2024-2025 Associated Students of Grossmont College elections have ended and the current position holders are preparing to pass the torch. Positions for election included: President and Vice President, Vice President of Finance, Director of Campus Activities, Director of Student Legislation, Director of Publicity, Director of Board Affairs, Director of Website Development and Grossmont Student Trustee.
Voting was held online for one day only and closed on April 26. During the upcoming year, the newly elected officials will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of events, meetings and other activities that benefit both the campus and their fellow students. Current Student Trustee and ASGC President Cesar Nuñez detailed some of his accomplishments during this past year.
“It’s a lot of work,” Nuñez said. “There’s a lot of meetings, a lot of people you have to know and you have to know how to talk .”
As Student Trustee, a large portion of your responsibility lies in attending the district’s monthly Governing Board meetings. Serving as “the district’s eyes within the school,” these meetings serve as an opportunity to “speak on issues that may be dealing with, or that the school may be dealing with,” according to Nuñez.
Student Trustees are also encouraged to participate in the Student Senate of California Community Colleges, which provides connections to other student trustees across the region. This allows for collaboration and conversation on community affairs and events.
The position also provides opportunities to attend various trainings and conferences, which Nuñez said were some of the most “beneficial” aspects of the job. “You get to know a bunch of people,” he said. “I know a lot of people who run the college personally.”
Trustees also get free parking, which is nothing short of convenient.
While the position of Student Trustee requires time and effort, Nuñez said he finds himself “wearing his president’s hat the most.”
“That’s where I do most of my work,” Nuñez said. “I try to be as involved as I can on campus.”
The ASGC President is required to attend weekly board meetings, which they are expected to lead and organize. These meetings are in collaboration with other councils of Grossmont’s participatory governance. Other councils include the College Council, Budget Committee, Facilities, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness Committee, Professional Development, Staffing Committee, Student Success and Equity Committee, and the Technology Committee. The ASGC president is required to sit on two of these committees; the mandatory college council and another of their choosing.
Alongside these responsibilities, the ASGC president is required to spend 10 hours a week in the student government office, where the majority of the time is spent answering emails. The president serves as a contact point for student issues. However, there can be difficulties when the Student Trustee and ASGC president positions are occupied by the same person. They often cannot interfere with issues students present due to conflicting interests and instead refer them to other faculty members.
“It does kind of suck because I want to go in there and help them, but I can’t,” Nuñez said.
The ASGC President also has to speak at the convocation ceremony each semester, which requires delivering a speech in front of the staff and faculty. They are also encouraged to participate in the commencement ceremony each year.
“It can feel tedious at times,” Nuñez said. “The hardest part about my position is that there’s no handbook. When I first got here, they kind of just introduced me to a bunch of people and were like, ‘Okay, go do your job.’”
Despite this, during his time as ASGC president, Nuñez has taken the opportunity to accomplish many other efforts, including working closely with the college council at both Southwestern and San Diego Mesa colleges, gathering research in hopes of proposing a resolution to prevent remedial classes from being cut, involving himself with many of the over 30 clubs currently operating on campus, initiating efforts for a “wellness vending machine” that will offer personal hygiene products and emergency contraceptives on campus, and working with Eje Academies to provide mariachi performances on campus, as part of an effort to promote collegiate attendance among young students.
The current term ends May 30. Newly elected board members will maintain their positions from May 31 until May 30 of next year. These new officials are as follows:
President: Kameron Jones
Executive Vice President: Li Tri Vi Huyhn
Director of Student Legislation: Cesar Nuñez
Director of Board Affairs: Julio Hernandez
Director of Campus Activities: Nicole Morgan
Board of Directors: Consuelo Trujillo; Li Vi Tri Huyhn
Student Trustee: TIE* – Cesar Nuñez; Kameron Jones
*A runoff vote will be held on May 13 between the two candidates. Voting instructions will be emailed to all enrolled students.
