Spring 2010
Committee:
Consultation Council Representatives
Whereas, California Education Code §72023.5 requires the board of trustees of each community college district to have at least one non-voting member to be selected by students and provides the general responsibilities and privileges of student trustees;
Whereas, California Education Code §72103 addresses eligibility requirements for any person to serve on a community college district governing board and states that when a college employee is elected, he/she must resign prior to swearing into office or be automatically terminated;
Whereas, There is ambiguity between §72023.5 and §72103 in that community college district governing boards may hold a student trustee accountable to the employment provision stated in §72103 when there is a potential conflict of interest for a student trustee; and
Whereas, The Attorney General Opinion 06-406 dated August 15, 2007, noted that when a community college student is a part-time student with a job on campus at the time he/she is elected to the district’s governing board, §72103 “has no application to student trustees”;
Resolved, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges work with the Consultation Council to review the California Education Code, Attorney General’s opinion, and the practices on local boards of trustees to ensure that the requirements for student trustees are clear, fair, transparent;
Resolved, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges work with the Community College League of California to encourage boards of trustees to review their practices related to student trustees to ensure that students who are also employees of the district are not adversely impacted by policies or practices created for other college employees; and
Resolved, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges report back at the Spring 2011 General Assembly on the progress of the Consultation Council review and the League’s participation.
Whereas, California Education Code §72103 addresses eligibility requirements for any person to serve on a community college district governing board and states that when a college employee is elected, he/she must resign prior to swearing into office or be automatically terminated;
Whereas, There is ambiguity between §72023.5 and §72103 in that community college district governing boards may hold a student trustee accountable to the employment provision stated in §72103 when there is a potential conflict of interest for a student trustee; and
Whereas, The Attorney General Opinion 06-406 dated August 15, 2007, noted that when a community college student is a part-time student with a job on campus at the time he/she is elected to the district’s governing board, §72103 “has no application to student trustees”;
Resolved, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges work with the Consultation Council to review the California Education Code, Attorney General’s opinion, and the practices on local boards of trustees to ensure that the requirements for student trustees are clear, fair, transparent;
Resolved, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges work with the Community College League of California to encourage boards of trustees to review their practices related to student trustees to ensure that students who are also employees of the district are not adversely impacted by policies or practices created for other college employees; and
Resolved, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges report back at the Spring 2011 General Assembly on the progress of the Consultation Council review and the League’s participation.