Spring 2024
WHEREAS, Pursuing higher education is an investment in personal and societal development, often requiring significant financial resources as many students face challenges balancing academics with part-time employment to cover tuition, living expenses, and other educational costs;
WHEREAS, Providing college students with a livable wage acknowledges the value of their education and enables them to focus more on their studies without the burden of financial insecurity and a livable wage contributes to the overall well-being of students, fostering a healthier learning environment and reducing stress associated with financial strain;
WHEREAS, There is value in ensuring that it is economically feasible for any student to serve as a student trustee, especially as many California community college students are economically marginalized, with more than half, at 65% and 64% respectively, experiencing housing insecurity and food insecurity, even as student trustees are currently guaranteed no compensation under California law, meaning that a majority of California community college students are likely to incur significant financial hardship if they are to serve as a student trustee; and
WHEREAS, There are significant differences in the manner student trustees are paid as compared to their colleagues, with only 13 California Community College Districts report compensating the student trustee the maximum allowable by law as compared to 58 California Community College Districts presumably reporting doing so for all other board trustees, resulting in significant disparities between the pay of student trustees and their colleagues; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges actively endorse the pursuit of assured parity in terms of compensation and benefits between student trustees and their counterparts across all districts and that the remuneration of student trustees is to be regarded as an inherent entitlement, rather than a discretionary privilege; and
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges assert that the student trustee is entitled to commensurate benefits, privileges, and disadvantages inherent in the capacity of a public servant.
WHEREAS, Providing college students with a livable wage acknowledges the value of their education and enables them to focus more on their studies without the burden of financial insecurity and a livable wage contributes to the overall well-being of students, fostering a healthier learning environment and reducing stress associated with financial strain;
WHEREAS, There is value in ensuring that it is economically feasible for any student to serve as a student trustee, especially as many California community college students are economically marginalized, with more than half, at 65% and 64% respectively, experiencing housing insecurity and food insecurity, even as student trustees are currently guaranteed no compensation under California law, meaning that a majority of California community college students are likely to incur significant financial hardship if they are to serve as a student trustee; and
WHEREAS, There are significant differences in the manner student trustees are paid as compared to their colleagues, with only 13 California Community College Districts report compensating the student trustee the maximum allowable by law as compared to 58 California Community College Districts presumably reporting doing so for all other board trustees, resulting in significant disparities between the pay of student trustees and their colleagues; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges actively endorse the pursuit of assured parity in terms of compensation and benefits between student trustees and their counterparts across all districts and that the remuneration of student trustees is to be regarded as an inherent entitlement, rather than a discretionary privilege; and
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges assert that the student trustee is entitled to commensurate benefits, privileges, and disadvantages inherent in the capacity of a public servant.