BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1557
Page 1
Date of Hearing: March 18, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Das Williams, Chair
AB 1557 (Holden) - As Amended: March 10, 2014
SUBJECT : Board of Governors of the California Community
Colleges: student member.
SUMMARY : Adds to the Board of Governors (BOG) of the
California Community Colleges (CCC) one voting student member
who is a member or former member of the Armed Forces of the
United States; and, stipulates that commencing with the first
vacancy of the BOG, after the operative date of this bill, at
least one of the 12 members appointed shall be a member or
former member of the Armed Forces of the United States.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Stipulates that commencing with the first vacancy after the
operative date of this measure, at least one of the 12 members
appointed shall be a member or former member of the Armed
Forces of the United States who has demonstrated expertise and
leadership in the field of veterans' affairs.
2)Adds a voting student member to the BOG who is a member or
former member of the Armed Forces of the United States, as
defined.
3)Defines "member" to mean an appointed voting student member as
specified.
4)Specifies that a member may exercise the same privileges of a
voting student member serving a second year term appointed, as
specified.
5)Specifies that if a member resigns or the office is otherwise
vacant, a voting student member who is a member or former
member of the Armed Forces of the United States, as defined,
and who meets the requirements established in this measure
shall be appointed by the Governor.
6)Exempts the voting student member who is a member or former
member of the Armed Forces of the United States from the
certain restrictions to other student members of the BOG, as
specified.
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EXISTING LAW :
1)Establishes the membership of the CCC BOG to consist of 16
voting members and one nonvoting member (Education Code §
71000).
2)Specifies that except for student members, the faculty
members, and the classified employee member appointed by the
Governor, any vacancy in an appointed position on the board
shall be filled by appointment by the Governor, subject to
confirmation by two-thirds of the membership of the Senate;
and, that a vacancy in the office of a student member, a
faculty member, or the classified employee member shall be
filled by appointment by the Governor (EC § 71003).
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : Background : Under current law, the CCC BOG consists
of 16 voting members, all appointed by the Governor. These
include:
1)Twelve members appointed by the Governor with the advice and
consent of two-thirds of the membership of the Senate. These
members serve for six-year (staggered) terms. Two of the
thirteen members shall be current or former elected members of
local CCC district governing boards.
2)One voting student member and one nonvoting student member, as
specified, to be appointed from a list of names of at least
three persons submitted to the Governor by the California
Student Association of Community Colleges.
3)Two tenured faculty members, for two-year terms, appointed
from a list of names of at least three persons furnished by
the Academic Senate of the CCCs.
4)One classified employee, for a two-year term, appointed from a
list of at least three persons furnished by the exclusive
representatives of classified employees of the CCCs.
The CCC BOG sets policy and provides guidance for the 72
districts and 112 colleges that constitute the system. They
formally interact with state and federal officials and other
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organizations. Additionally, the board selects a chancellor for
the system. The chancellor, through a formal process of
consultation, brings recommendations to the board.
To note, the current BOG President, Manuel Baca, is a United
States Marine Corps veteran and BOG member Lance Izumi was a
reservist with the California State Military Reserve.
Purpose of the bill . According to the author, CCCs enroll the
vast majority of California veterans seeking higher education
opportunities. The author believes that it is imperative that
veterans are given two seats on the CCC BOG in order to provide
first-hand insight as the BOG develop veteran-specific long- and
short-term educational policies.
The author states, "With strategic planning, CCCs can play a
prominent role in providing our veterans as well as active duty
members with vocational training, career advancement training,
opportunities to achieve Associate Degrees, and a path to four
year colleges-that is why it is essential that we expand the CCC
BOG to include two representatives from this group." The author
goes on to state that, "Veterans returning to college face
unique challenges and colleges across the state are scrambling
to offer support. If campuses are not prepared to help these
soldiers transition from combat to college, we run the risk of
alienating thousands of returning vets; with this bill we are
saying, we are committed to helping our student veterans - you
are not alone, we hear you."
Joint hearing on student veteran issues . To prepare for the
influx of veterans, on February 28, 2012, the Assembly Higher
Education and Assembly Veterans Affairs Committees held a joint
oversight hearing on the challenges facing California student
veterans. Several students and representatives from the higher
education institutions spoke for the need for more resources for
veterans' services, including more transition assistance,
improving outreach and campus-based programs, and easing the
matriculation of prior military learning.
Current student veterans outreach . According to the California
Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet), with an estimated 1.8
million veterans residing in California, our state has the
largest population of veterans in the nation. According to the
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CCC Chancellor's Office (CCCCO), many of the increasing number
of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan will look to one
of the 112 community colleges as the most easily accessible and
affordable educational option available. More than 44,000
veterans and active duty service members enrolled at a CCC in
2012. The CCCs serve nearly five times the combined number of
student veterans enrolled at the University of California (UC)
and the California State University (CSU) systems.
The CCCs are providing more services to a growing population of
student veterans; the CCCCO recognizes the need for continued
support of our student veterans and as such has been the lead on
several statewide projects, including:
1)Veterans Resource Center Project: At Veterans Resource Centers
(VRCs) student veterans can interact with one another and obtain
information and services. The CCCCO partnered with the High Tech
Center Training Unit at De Anza College (in Cupertino, CA) to
offer free hardware, software and onsite training in assistive
technology2) to colleges that promote academics, camaraderie,
and wellness; provide a dedicated space for student veterans;
and offer coordinated services such as financial aid and
counseling to veterans. As a result, 24 additional colleges
have established a VRC on their campus.
To note, because the individual campuses do not have to report
to the CCCCO as to if they have a VRC, it is presently unknown
the exact number of campuses that have VRCs, however, it is
estimated that at least half of the CCCs have a VRC.
Additionally, VRCs are staffed by either full-time employees or
a mix of volunteers and student mentors.
3)Zellerbach Family Foundation Project: "Welcome Home: Creating
a Campus Community of Wellness for Returning Veterans:" In
March 2010, the CCCCO received a $75,000 grant from the
Zellerbach Family Foundation to support the development and
implementation of a training program for faculty and staff to
increase awareness on military culture, posttraumatic stress
disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and depression in
order that faculty and staff can better understand the
challenges faced by many community college student veterans.
The training has been provided at thirteen colleges and 4)six
statewide conferences since its inception and is scheduled to be
delivered at an additional eight colleges in 2014.
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5)Veterans Summit: In December 2013, the CCCCO co-hosted the
third Veterans Summit held in Newport Beach, CA. Topics at the
summit included VA benefits and education plans, creating
Veterans Resource Centers, women veterans, academic counseling,
best practices in serving student veterans, mental health issues
confronting veterans and accessing federal, state and local
resources. For the first time in the three year history of this
event, veteran service professionals from the UC and CSU systems
participated.
Additionally, according to CalVet, they work very closely with
the CCCCO in the Summit and with several local campuses on
veteran issues, including the VRCs.
6)Regional Representation Structure: The CCCCO has organized a
Veteran Services Regional Advisory Committee and hosts regular
meetings of this group to better identify student veteran needs
across the system and encourage the exchange of innovative ideas
and effective practices for serving them. The Committee met
twice in 2012, three times in 2013 and is scheduled to meet four
times in 2014. In addition to meeting in person quarterly, the
committee now holds recurring monthly conference calls.
7)System-wide Email List: The CCCCO established an internal
system-wide email list, through which it communicates
information and reports relating to veterans and veterans'
services to each of the 112 CCCs and designated college staff.
This list provides a way to promptly disseminate urgent and
important information to all veteran programs and service
providers at each college, and serves as a forum for the
exchange of ideas between colleges about issues related to
student veterans.
Committee considerations . If the intent of the author is to
ensure that all student veterans receive the various resources
they need when matriculating through the CCC system, it is
presently unclear if this measure will truly address the
intention.
Presently, as has been with the last few administrations, there is
a large backlog in the appointments process. This backlog, in
part, is due to the sheer number of gubernatorial appointments and
the lengthy vetting process. The CCC BOG by statue is to have 17
members. There are currently10 members with several having terms
expiring this year. To note, the administration just re-appointed
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a member of the BOG and appointed a new member; both pending
confirmation by the Senate. With this backlog and should this
measure be enacted, it is unlikely that the additional veterans'
voices will be appointed to the BOG for some time.
Additionally, as presently drafted, the added student member who
is a member or former member of the Armed Forces of the United
States will have voting privileges in year one of his/her term,
unlike his/her other student members. Should the added student
member be exempt from the current process other student members
must follow just because he/she is a member or former member of
the Armed Forces of the United States?
Staff recommends the bill be amended to reflect that the student
member who is a member or former member of the Armed Forces of the
United States be subject to the current practices of the other
student members, as defined in current law.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
American Legion, Department of California
AMVETS, Department of California
California Association of County Veterans Service Officers
Veterans Caucus of the California Democratic Party
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of California
An individual
Opposition
Community College League of California
Analysis Prepared by : Jeanice Warden / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960