WHEREAS, Approximately 68% of students, including athletes, that currently attend a California Community College, take more than two years to complete their associates degree and nearly 8% of students report that it takes more than four years to complete their degree [1];
WHEREAS, A significant portion of student athletes enrolled in a California Community College extend their time at the community college beyond the standard two-year period, often due to factors such as meeting certain academic needs, transfer plans, or aiming to improve their athletic performance before transferring to a four-year university;
WHEREAS, An increasing number of community colleges in the state of California have started offering bachelor’s degrees programs, which is seeing a 32% increase in enrollment [2] due to costs less than $10,560 in total tuition [3], which in turn, is causing many students, including athletes, to stay longer at a California Community College;
WHEREAS, The California Community College Athletic Association states that students will be automatically deemed athletically ineligible upon the completion of their second season of competition in their specific sport [4]; Now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges urge the California Community College Athletic Association to support student athletes who are staying at a California Community College for longer than two years due to academic reasons such as meeting certain academic needs for a specific major, enrolling in a bachelor’s degree program or certain transfer plans; and
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges work with the California Community College Athletic Association on implementating a policy allowing student athletes enrolled in a California Community College to have the option to extend their normal two-year athletic eligibility in order to still fulfill their major specific requirements or complete their bachelor’s degree requirements while still being eligible to participate in their specific sport.
Citations:
[1] Smith, A. and Burke, M. (2023, July 24). Transferring From California Community Colleges? It’s a Tough Road, EdSource Survey Finds. EdSource.
Transferring from California community colleges? It’s a tough road, EdSource survey finds | EdSource
[2] Dembicki, M. (2024, May 13). Community College Baccalaureate Programs Continue to Grow. Community College Daily.
Community college baccalaureate programs continue to grow - Community College Daily
[3] Aleksey, A. (2023, July 20). Why More California Community Colleges Offer Bachelor’s Degrees. San Francisco Examiner.
Why California community colleges offer bachelor's degrees | Education | sfexaminer.com
[4] 2024-25 California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Constitution & Bylaws. 2024-25_Constitution.pdf