WHEREAS, AB 1541 (Fong, 2023)[1] established the Student Trustee role with the rights to be able to “cast an advisory vote immediately before votes are cast by the regular members of the governing board,” to “be seated with the members of the governing board and shall be recognized as a full member of the board at the meetings,” to “make and second motions at the discretion of the governing board,” and to “receive compensation, at the discretion of the governing board”;
WHEREAS, Despite having certain rights, some Community College Districts restrict student trustees’ ability to participate in their college’s student government by making the student trustee an ex-officio member or not allowing student trustees to vote;
WHEREAS, Not only is it important for student trustees to be fully a part of their student government for accountability purposes, but also to be able to fully represent and share the collective student voice with their Board of Trustees; and
WHEREAS, It is important for student trustees to maintain a level of independence from the political and special interests of their college Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and their elected Board of Trustees, as student trustees are elected by students to represent the student voice; Now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocate through the Chancellor's Office and other channels that the role of student trustee shall not be independent of the role that student government plays on college campuses and that the role of student trustee shall be independent of the interests of both their college CEO and elected Board of Trustees;
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocate through the Chancellor's Office and other channels that the student trustee shall be a full member of their student government and not an ex-officio member; and
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocate through the Chancellor's Office and other channels that if there is a student trustee representing a multi-college district, they shall be considered an ex-officio member of all colleges that are not their home college.
Citations:
[1]https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB1541