Spring 2024
WHEREAS, Catalog rights are rights which California Community College students retain, that allow them to complete their programs of study based on the requirements of that program when they began their enrollment at an institution, such that students do not have to chase shifting requirements, however currently, students at many California community colleges lose their catalog rights if they have a gap in attendance, no matter how short, thus making it harder to graduate;
WHEREAS, California community colleges are open enrollment institutions[1] meaning that they are “are required to admit any California resident possessing a high school diploma or the equivalent”[2] and students are allowed to enroll, or not enroll, in whichever terms (semesters or quarters) they wish to without being required to, or having the ability to, notify the institution that they will not be enrolled;
WHEREAS, The California community college system serves many marginalized students, as approximately 71.7% of California community college students are students of color [3], somewhere between 50,000 and 70,000 students are undocumented [4], and and 68% of RealCollege Survey[5] respondents experienced at least one form of basic needs insecurity— and these students, especially, could foreseeably need to take some time off from their education to engage in activities such as working or taking care of family, a need which was very likely was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, since systemwide enrollment is down 16% as compared to pre-pandemic levels[6]; and,
WHEREAS, When students take some time off to ensure they are able to support themselves and their families, and then come back to their education only to find that they have lost their catalog rights and now must meet new requirements, no matter how close they were to completing their degree before taking a break, this places discouraging barriers in students paths, and adds additional time to their degree completion paths; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate of California Community Colleges advocate for California community college students to retain their catalog rights while being able to take reasonable gaps in enrollment of up to five years cumulatively, and instruct the student member of the California Community College Curriculum Committee to advocate for such a position where relevant and appropriate.
WHEREAS, California community colleges are open enrollment institutions[1] meaning that they are “are required to admit any California resident possessing a high school diploma or the equivalent”[2] and students are allowed to enroll, or not enroll, in whichever terms (semesters or quarters) they wish to without being required to, or having the ability to, notify the institution that they will not be enrolled;
WHEREAS, The California community college system serves many marginalized students, as approximately 71.7% of California community college students are students of color [3], somewhere between 50,000 and 70,000 students are undocumented [4], and and 68% of RealCollege Survey[5] respondents experienced at least one form of basic needs insecurity— and these students, especially, could foreseeably need to take some time off from their education to engage in activities such as working or taking care of family, a need which was very likely was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, since systemwide enrollment is down 16% as compared to pre-pandemic levels[6]; and,
WHEREAS, When students take some time off to ensure they are able to support themselves and their families, and then come back to their education only to find that they have lost their catalog rights and now must meet new requirements, no matter how close they were to completing their degree before taking a break, this places discouraging barriers in students paths, and adds additional time to their degree completion paths; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate of California Community Colleges advocate for California community college students to retain their catalog rights while being able to take reasonable gaps in enrollment of up to five years cumulatively, and instruct the student member of the California Community College Curriculum Committee to advocate for such a position where relevant and appropriate.