Students

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges is on record as encouraging faculty to consider the cost of books;

Whereas, Textbook prices have increased beyond the resources of many students; and

Whereas, The Fall 2005 paper Textbook Issues: Economic Pressures and Academic Values provided recommendations to local academic senates about how to reduce textbook costs for our students;

Whereas, The high cost of textbooks is a barrier to student access, retention, and success, and the expense of textbooks often forces students to sacrifice academic time for work hours;

Whereas, Electronic web-based material is often less expensive than a printed text and may be of greater educational value because of its interactive and multimedia nature, and is sometimes paid for through licensing fees rather than purchased like a textbook;

Whereas, Education Code 76060-76067 codifies student council rights, including the delegation of exclusive and specific fundraising and budgeting rights;

Whereas, Some of these budget decisions impact faculty-sponsored co-curricular programs, often without faculty input; and

Whereas, Faculty rights of consultation are outlined in Title 5 and postdate Education Code 76060-76067;

Whereas, Several initiatives and projects, such as, the Center for Urban Education, the USC Transfer and Retention of Urban Community College Students study (TRUCCS), and California Tomorrow, have engaged in partnerships with California community colleges to examine issues of student equity, retention, and success;

Whereas, The System Office has actively recommended and/or supported community colleges participation in these projects; and

Whereas, California's community college student population is a transient one, yet a population whose input in academic and professional matters is valued and necessary for the success of all of our colleges;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges encourage local colleges to identify mechanisms for involving students in campus committees early and effectively; and

Whereas, The rising cost of college textbooks has been a topic of public debate in the past year; and

Whereas, Faculty members who make textbook adoption decisions must consider, in addition to cost, a complex array of educational and ethical issues;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges adopt the paper Textbook Issues: Economic Pressures and Academic Values. MSCDisposition: Local Senates

Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges direct the Senate's Student Committee to develop a packet of information explaining how students may now participate in the chancellor's consultation process, and

Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges direct the Senate's Student Committee to distribute this packet to the local senates and encourage them to communicate this information to student leaders on their campuses.

Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges oppose Secretary of Education William Bennett's proposal to deny federal education grants and loans to any college where more than 20% of the prior loans are in default, and

Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges send this resolution to Secretary of Education William Bennett and send copies to all members of the California Congressional delegation.

Whereas studies have shown that student activities can contribute to student retention in college, and

Whereas appropriate student activities can meet the special needs of community college older and part-time students,

Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges urge local senates to recognize the significance of student activities at their colleges by supporting student governance and other student activities.

Whereas the president of the California Student Association of Community Colleges (CalSACC) made a presentation on the proposed student government governance and consultation process at the 1987 Fall Conference of the Academic Senate, and

Whereas the proposal as presented at the 1987 Fall Conference was later accepted by the student delegates to the CalSACC fall conference, and

Whereas the proposal has the support of the California Community College Student Affairs Association and the Vice Chancellor of Student Services in the Chancellor's Office,