Students

Whereas the California Student Association of Community Colleges (CalSACC) is sponsoring SB 1347, and

Whereas the California community colleges remain the only entity of higher education in the state with only one student member on its governing board, and

Whereas organizations within the community college family are trying to amend the bill to delete the language that would allow the students to nominate their members,

Resolved that the Academic Senate reaffirm its support of SB 1347 (as of April2000), and

Whereas students need to be able to express themselves without fear of repercussion, and

Whereas students need advisors who will not be fearful of losing their jobs if they support the students when the administration disagrees,

Resolved that the Academic Senate reaffirm its position that all student government advisors should be tenured faculty.

Whereas the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has always supported removal of barriers to student access and success, and

Whereas the average cost per year of community college textbooks is $861, thus creating a barrier to access and success for low income students, and

Whereas AB 2496 (Washington) provides that students receiving Board of Governors' fee waivers will also receive grants for textbooks,

Whereas California community college students have repeatedly expressed a range of frustrations with the diversity of course numbering throughout the California Community College system, with difficulties encountered in taking courses from more than one community college in order to package them for successful transfer, with transferring from community colleges to four-year institutions, and with understanding the relationship between courses at different institutions,

Whereas faculty in K-12 as well as in the California State University system currently can arrange for loan forgiveness for some educational loans for subsequently teaching in those two segments of public education, and

Whereas opportunities for a wider range of students to pursue higher education and become community college faculty would be enhanced by such educational loan forgiveness for community college teaching,

Whereas recent IRS policy discourages colleges from employing their own students and reduces the opportunity for students to gain the benefit of work experience, and

Whereas colleges are not required to pay social security taxes on student hourly wages, and these contributions are not withheld from student hourly checks, and

Whereas a recent IRS ruling has defined a student's status for the exemption to be a minimum of 12 units, and

Whereas community college faculty share many issues and concerns with their high school colleagues, and

Whereas community college faculty and high school faculty would benefit from dialogues about mutual concerns, yet there are few, if any, opportunities for such dialogues,

Whereas Resolution 9.05 S99 directed the Executive Committee to study and research compressed course offerings, including the effects on student learners, and

Whereas certain courses are taught in time periods less than 18 weeks, such as weekend courses, 4-week courses, and 9-week courses, and there seems to be a tremendous amount of variety now existing with respect to length of course, target population, and selection of courses offered in a compressed schedule, and

Resolved that the Academic Senate urge the Legislature to amend the Education Code to require two student members on the Board of Governors, appointed by the Governor from nominees furnished by California Student Association of Community Colleges (CalSACC), and

Resolved that the Academic Senate urge the Legislature to amend the Education Code to extend the term of the student members of the Board of Governors from one to two years with such terms to be staggered.

Whereas the Community College Commission on Athletics is mandated by the Legislature to oversee the administration of athletics in community colleges,

Resolved that the Academic Senate direct the Executive Committee to urge the Community College Commission on Athletics to clarify the use of distance education courses to satisfy the State residency transfer eligibility for student athletes.