WHEREAS, The student body associations at California Community Colleges are established under Education Code §76060 granting community college students the right to form student body organizations that represent their peers, advocate for student interests, and manage student government affairs independently [1];
WHEREAS, It is important that the legal rights and autonomy of student body associations are protected and maintained so students have a collective voice for student advocacy and to ensure student body associations can exercise their legal rights without encumbrance or reprisal from community college district employees;
WHEREAS, The California State Legislature, and the California Community College Chancellor’s Office has recognized through legal opinions, case precedent, and statute the authority of student body associations to be involved in the decision-making of a college district through participatory governance, to make purchases to support the advocacy efforts of the students body with funds collected from students and held in trust by a district, and for student body association officers to attend conferences and events on behalf of the student body [2]; and
WHEREAS, Some members of student body associations have indicated through personal accounts, testimonies, and reports to the Student Senate for California Community Colleges, that in some instances, student governments do not have the ability to fully exercise all rights afforded to student body associations under the law, due to formal or informal institutional roadblocks that exist within a district; Now, therefore, let it be
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges strongly advocate for legislative or regulatory action requiring districts remove any institutional roadblocks within a district preventing student body associations from freely spending student funds on equipment, conferences, event supplies, advocacy efforts including, but not limited to, funds collected from student representation fees, student activity fees, and student center fees;
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges strongly advocate for legislative or regulatory action requiring districts to designate a substitute district employee to attend an event or conference when the district requires a district employee be present when the member of a student body association attend an event using student funds, and the student body association advisor is unavailable to attend;
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges establish a formal process for collecting reports of student government interference, and urge the California Community College Chancellor’s Office to help remediate reported concerns brought forward by student body associations; and
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocate for legislative and/or regulatory action allowing for student body associations to be involved in the hiring and evaluation of the district employee designated as the advisor to the student body association.
Citations:
[1] Education Code Section 76060
[2] Student 9+1 Rights