Fall 2016
Committee:
Legislative Affairs Committee
Whereas, the voter participation rate for Californians, ages 18 to 24 years old, in the 2014 elections was 8.2% (Citation 1), with the California Community College system serving 67% of Students (Citation 2),
Whereas, it is the job of the California Community College system to prepare its students both for the workplace and to actively participate in their civil and democratic life,
Whereas, the California Secretary of State, Alex Padilla, presented a resolution to the California Community College Board of Governors entitled “RESOLUTION TO ENCOURAGE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES TO PARTICIPATE IN
THE CALIFORNIA STUDENTS VOTE PROJECT”, which included a sample Memorandum of Understanding outlining best practices for District and College Administrations for Civic Engagement, which passed unanimously,
Whereas, in nonpresidential election years, Civic Engagement efforts within the California Community College system have received reduced institutional buy-in, resulting in abysmally low rates of voter registration and participation (Citation 3),
Resolved, that the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocate to the CA State Legislature for passage of a bill mandating or encouraging that Public College administrations publicly post their student populations disaggregated voter participation and registration rate on their homepage within 3 months of each local, state, or federal election,
Resolved, that the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocate to the CA State Legislature to introduce a bill creating a grant program to incentivize college administrations to invest in Civic Engagement, with priority given to the colleges with lower voter participation and registration rates,
Resolved, that the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocate to the California Community College Chancellor's Office, Board of Governors and Local Boards of Trustees, and other system partners to encourage California Community college administrations to sign the Memorandum of Understanding with the California Secretary of State’s office to participate in the Students Vote Project and adopt its best practices in perpetuity,
Resolved that the SSCCC seek to form a coalition with the University of California Student Association, the California State Student Association, and California Community College Association of Student Trustees to implement the first two resolves above.
Citation 1: Resolution to Encourage California Community Colleges to Participate in the California Students Vote Project, Retrieved October 09, 2016, from http://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/pdfs/castudentsvote/ccc-resolution.pdf
Citation 2: The Institute For College Access and Success. (n.d.). Retrieved October 09, 2016, from http://ticas.org/content/pub/cal-grant-snapshot
Citation 3: California Public Interest Research Group (2015, December). Retrieved (October 9, 2016) from: http://www.calpirgedfund.org/sites/pirg/files/reports/Millenial%20Online%20Voter%20R egistration.pdf
Whereas, it is the job of the California Community College system to prepare its students both for the workplace and to actively participate in their civil and democratic life,
Whereas, the California Secretary of State, Alex Padilla, presented a resolution to the California Community College Board of Governors entitled “RESOLUTION TO ENCOURAGE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES TO PARTICIPATE IN
THE CALIFORNIA STUDENTS VOTE PROJECT”, which included a sample Memorandum of Understanding outlining best practices for District and College Administrations for Civic Engagement, which passed unanimously,
Whereas, in nonpresidential election years, Civic Engagement efforts within the California Community College system have received reduced institutional buy-in, resulting in abysmally low rates of voter registration and participation (Citation 3),
Resolved, that the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocate to the CA State Legislature for passage of a bill mandating or encouraging that Public College administrations publicly post their student populations disaggregated voter participation and registration rate on their homepage within 3 months of each local, state, or federal election,
Resolved, that the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocate to the CA State Legislature to introduce a bill creating a grant program to incentivize college administrations to invest in Civic Engagement, with priority given to the colleges with lower voter participation and registration rates,
Resolved, that the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocate to the California Community College Chancellor's Office, Board of Governors and Local Boards of Trustees, and other system partners to encourage California Community college administrations to sign the Memorandum of Understanding with the California Secretary of State’s office to participate in the Students Vote Project and adopt its best practices in perpetuity,
Resolved that the SSCCC seek to form a coalition with the University of California Student Association, the California State Student Association, and California Community College Association of Student Trustees to implement the first two resolves above.
Citation 1: Resolution to Encourage California Community Colleges to Participate in the California Students Vote Project, Retrieved October 09, 2016, from http://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/pdfs/castudentsvote/ccc-resolution.pdf
Citation 2: The Institute For College Access and Success. (n.d.). Retrieved October 09, 2016, from http://ticas.org/content/pub/cal-grant-snapshot
Citation 3: California Public Interest Research Group (2015, December). Retrieved (October 9, 2016) from: http://www.calpirgedfund.org/sites/pirg/files/reports/Millenial%20Online%20Voter%20R egistration.pdf