The Associated Student Body voted on a resolution to recall Student Trustee Bryan Ryan on Nov. 29.
The reasons for removal listed on the resolution include being unresponsive to senate presidents, acting contrary to the interests and welfare of the students and disregarding the expressed intentions of the Associated Student Body Senates and Student Advisory Committee.
Resolution F 12-20, calling for the removal of Ryan, was introduced to the Student Senate by ASB Student Senate Director of Finance Kindra Pring and was co-sponsored by Club and Events Board President Antonio Maldonado.
Attending the Thursday meeting, Ryan questioned if a recall was the best thing for students.
“The best choice here is to put students first and have us, as student leaders, work together for progress in our colleges instead of being torn apart through division by recall,” said Ryan regarding the recall effort.
The Student Trustee works for the students of the Los Rios Community College District by representing the voice of the students on the Board of Trustees that determine district policies.
“I do this by attending all regular governing board meetings, working regularly with the Campus Life advisor and district leaders on all matters pertaining to students… and reporting information and student feedback to the Board of Trustees,” Ryan wrote in an email to the Current.
American River College is the largest of the LRCCD schools and, as such, the ASB Student Senate represents many of the district’s students. The LRCCD Student Advisory Committee provides the forum at which the ASB Student Senate of ARC can try to advocate for the students. The Student Trustee chairs the committee.
“He is a great guy, but just doesn’t have the experience (needed for Student Trustee),” said ASB Student Senate President Quierra Robey.
With a vote of nine for and one against the recall, the resolution was passed with the necessary majority. It is now the job of the other ASB Student Senates of the LRCCD to vote as well before a recall would go into effect.
If the recall passes, the next step would be to hold a special election within 14 days of all the requirements of the recall decision being met.
With the end of the fall semester coming up quickly, the process could take until March before a new Student Trustee would be able to take the position. With regular elections in April, Ryan questioned the timing of the recall at the ASB meeting.
With other items that have a major impact on the campus, such as the creation of a $50,000 ASB Wisdom Grant for ARC students, planning for the March in March and only one ASB meeting left for this semester, the ASB Student Senate will a lot left to do in the next semester.
