Editor’s Note: Next phase for Task Force recommendations – Write them into law
By Joe Fitzgerald
The Guardsman
Historic budget and access changes to community colleges called “The Student Success Act of 2012” are now being debated, analyzed, and written into law by the California Senate on Higher Education Commitee, the end result of a year long project by the Student Success Task Force.
The California Community College Student Success Task Force was formed by Senate Bill 1143 in the wake of drastic budget cuts to the community college system. It’s goal was simple – research and publish a document with recommendations on ways to better ration the education budget.
The recommendations the Task Force crafted were presented to the California Senate Committee on Education by Jack Scott, the chancellor of California community colleges.
Put into law, the recommendations will essentially limit access for part time students and students who wish to veer from strict education plans. The recommendations will also place a unit cap on financial aid.
For a full list and explanation of the Task Force recommendations, see our Volume 152 Issue 8 paper at issuu.com/theguardsmanonline .
The Guardsman led a letter writing campaign against the recommendations of the Student Success Task Force in December, leading over 15 CA community college newspapers in simultaneously publishing editorials against the Task Force.
The letter writing campaign generated hundreds of emails, letters, and spread the word of numerous petitions; which were seen and read by the Task Force and the Board of Governers of the California Community Colleges at their Jan. 9 meeting, culminating in over three hours of public comment against the Task Force’s recommendations.
There is still more that you, the reader, can do to let political leaders know how you feel about the Task Force recommendations. To get more information on the Task Force and how the recommendations will affect students visit http://www.ccsf.edu/academic-senate .
The Senate Committee on Education will be meeting over the next two months to discuss the Task Force’s recommendations and will implement them in a bill by a deadline of March 1.
The laws will have sweeping effects on all 160 colleges in the CA community college system, which represent 25 percent of community colleges in the United States.
Below is a list of dates where implementing the recommendations into the law will be discussed. These meetings are open to the public, and any student, faculty, or general citizen can attend to hold their officials accountable in the laws that they are drafting and advising.
Key meeting dates:
BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEETING DATES
The BoG meets at the Capitol
March 5-6
CONSULTATION COUNCIL MEETING DATES
California Community Colleges
Chancellor’s Office
1102 Q Street, 4th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95811
February 16, 2012 – General discussion of recommendations to Senate Higher Ed Committee
SENATE ON EDUCATION COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Education Committee meets every Wednesday at 9:00 am in Room 4203 in the Capitol Building, Sacramento, CA.