Whereas, Due to severe fiscal constraints and perceived abuse by students, continuing-student registration priorities are being restricted locally to give low registration priority to students who have attained excessive units, and a regulatory priority limit of 100 units has been recommended (September 30, 2011, recommendation 3.1) by the California Community College Student Success Task Force (established in response to Senate Bill 1143, Liu, 2010);
Whereas, The mission of the California community colleges legitimately serves some students who will typically exceed these limitations, such as those in higher unit programs or those seeking re-entry for retraining, which bars these students from enrollment priority for their final classes;
Whereas, While policies and proposals regarding enrollment priority limitations recognize that exceptions should be allowed, typical exception processes implemented in community colleges are handled by petition procedures, and such processes in these cases inappropriately create barriers for students who are legitimately engaged in programs or coursework appropriate to the California community college mission; and
Whereas, Registration automation with priority limitations is becoming the norm for colleges, and therefore many students are unaware that their priority status changes during their education and are consequently unaware of why they cannot enroll in their final classes;
Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges urge colleges and policy-makers to ensure that community college students who are legitimately engaged in programs or coursework appropriate to the California community college mission are able to maintain registration priority without undue burden.
MSC
Appendix A: California Community Colleges Task Force on Student Success