WHEREAS, AB 1736 (Choi, 2022)[1] of the 21-22 Legislature expands student leadership opportunities by allowing students enrolled in adult education programs or those who are disabled, as defined in Section 84850(b) [2] of the California Education Code, to hold student government positions within California Community Colleges;
WHEREAS, While AB 1736 (Choi, 2022) ensures these students can serve as officers in student government, it does not explicitly extend this eligibility to student trustee positions, often leading to inconsistent interpretations and implementation across community colleges; and
WHEREAS, Student trustees play a crucial role in representing the interests of their peers at the shared governance level, and excluding adult education and disabled students from these positions contradicts the intent of AB 1736 (Choi, 2022) to promote equitable student leadership opportunities; Now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocate to the Chancellor's Office for the issuance of a memo clarifying that students eligible for student government under AB 1736 (Choi, 2022) should also be eligible to serve as a student trustee;
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocate through the Chancellor's Office for Community College District to be compliant and consistent with their implementation of AB 1736 (Choi, 2022) on their college campuses; and
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges also explore additional advocacy efforts to extend eligibility for Board of Governors student members under the same provisions.
Citations:
[1] https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB1736/id/2600385
[2]https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=84850.&lawCode=EDC