Spring 2024
WHEREAS, One of the Student Senate of California Community Colleges’ (SSCCC) three guiding pillars of engagement is “system participatory governance”[1] and furthermore the SSCCC has an obligation enshrined in law to both “promot[e] and enhanc[e] student opportunities for engagement in community college student issues and affairs”[2] and to “support[e] student participation and engagement in statewide higher education policy and advocacy activities [3]”;
WHEREAS, Not only is student’s participation in system governance, especially on such directly impactful matters as curriculum paramount, but California Code of Regulations Title 5 §51023.7,[4] outlining what is commonly referred to as student’s “9+1 rights,” declares that it must be ensured that “recommendations and positions developed by students are given every reasonable consideration” on multiple matters which Curriculum Committees consider, including at minimum “curriculum development” and “courses or programs which should be initiated or discontinued’”;
WHEREAS, Students have, in some places, already been systematically empowered and systemically entrusted, on curriculum-related matters as they retain one binding voting seat on the statewide California Community College Curriculum Committee[5] representing 2 million California community college students[6], and furthermore, students retain at least one binding voting seat on institutional Curriculum Committees at least 46 California Community Colleges [7], thus demonstrating that student empowerment in this facet of system participatory governance is wholly feasible; and
WHEREAS, This nevertheless is a large scale and widespread instance of student disempowerment, as students have no binding, voting seat on their institutional Curriculum Committee at least 59 California Community Colleges [8]; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate of California Community Colleges recognize that students retaining material ways to impact the curriculum that they are taught, through at least one student seat with a binding vote on every district or college curriculum committee is paramount; and
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate of California Community Colleges make it a priority, to guarantee via avenues such as statutory change, an amendment to Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, or some other system-wide binding regulation where students have at least one seat with a binding vote on every district or college curriculum committee within the California Community College System and be recognized as a “reasonable consideration” under Title 5 §51023.7.
WHEREAS, Not only is student’s participation in system governance, especially on such directly impactful matters as curriculum paramount, but California Code of Regulations Title 5 §51023.7,[4] outlining what is commonly referred to as student’s “9+1 rights,” declares that it must be ensured that “recommendations and positions developed by students are given every reasonable consideration” on multiple matters which Curriculum Committees consider, including at minimum “curriculum development” and “courses or programs which should be initiated or discontinued’”;
WHEREAS, Students have, in some places, already been systematically empowered and systemically entrusted, on curriculum-related matters as they retain one binding voting seat on the statewide California Community College Curriculum Committee[5] representing 2 million California community college students[6], and furthermore, students retain at least one binding voting seat on institutional Curriculum Committees at least 46 California Community Colleges [7], thus demonstrating that student empowerment in this facet of system participatory governance is wholly feasible; and
WHEREAS, This nevertheless is a large scale and widespread instance of student disempowerment, as students have no binding, voting seat on their institutional Curriculum Committee at least 59 California Community Colleges [8]; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate of California Community Colleges recognize that students retaining material ways to impact the curriculum that they are taught, through at least one student seat with a binding vote on every district or college curriculum committee is paramount; and
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate of California Community Colleges make it a priority, to guarantee via avenues such as statutory change, an amendment to Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, or some other system-wide binding regulation where students have at least one seat with a binding vote on every district or college curriculum committee within the California Community College System and be recognized as a “reasonable consideration” under Title 5 §51023.7.