04-05 committee published a Rostrum article. This year it was added to the talking points & handout in local visits.
Whereas, California community colleges are committed to providing an education of the highest quality to their students;
Whereas, This goal is impeded by the consistent underfunding of the community colleges; and
Whereas, The students of the California community colleges, if registered and informed of community college funding issues, could constitute a powerful political constituency, exercising a significant influence on elected state officials with respect to community college funding issues;
Resolved, That the Academic Senate initiate a voter registration drive through local academic senates aimed at registering students and mobilizing them around community college funding issues, and that each local senate president and vice president be asked to assume the roles of co-chairs of their local drives, or to designate two others in those roles, and that the drives be coordinated locally through each college's academic senate;
Resolved, That the Academic Senate urge local senates to work with their student governance organizations to register, organize, and educate students about local and state issues that affect community colleges;
Resolved, That the Academic Senate provide statewide coordination of the drive and serve as an information resource to local senates with respect to technical issues and strategies; and
Resolved, That the Academic Senate continue to engage in this and other modes of political empowerment until such time as the California community colleges are funded at a level commensurate with their goal of providing each student with educational opportunities that are equal to those provided in the state's other public postsecondary segments.