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San Bernardino Community College District

Legislative Advocacy

Last modified at 8/29/2022 1:44 p.m.

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We advocate to open doors of higher education and opportunity for all 

The SBCCD Board of Trustees and Chancellor’s Office engages with government officials and diverse stakeholders to advocate for public policy solutions that support student achievement and economic mobility in the Inland Empire. 

Board of Trustees Legislative Committee

The SBCCD Board of Trustees Legislative Committee exists as a standing, advisory committee comprised of less than a quorum of Board members and is subject to the California Public Meetings Brown Act. The committee is charged with:

  • Increasing the efficiency of the Board of Trustees by performing time-sensitive legislative research on its behalf.
  • Improving clarity by providing a platform for detailed questions not conducive to the flow of monthly business meetings.
  • Promoting transparency of SBCCD’s legislative advocacy priorities through discussions in an open forum.
  • Fostering an environment of understanding by communicating findings and formulating recommendations to the full Board of Trustees.

Meetings, Agendas & Minutes

2022 Legislative Principles

The legislative principles outlined below serve as a basis by which the SBCCD Board of Trustees directs the Board Legislative Committee and the Chancellor’s Office to evaluate local, state, and federal policy proposals and recommend action to support, oppose, or remain neutral.

  • Equity – The SBCCD Board of Trustees supports public policies that increase student success, including completion, transfer, and employment while closing equity gaps and nurturing an anti-racist educational environment.
  • Increased Public Investment in Student Success – The SBCCD Board of Trustees supports advocacy to increase state and federal funding, resources, and legislation that strengthen our colleges’ ability to meet student equity and workforce development goals.
  • College Affordability & Student Basic Needs – The SBCCD Board of Trustees supports legislation and other reforms to make college more affordable, and measures to address student basic needs.
  • Local Decision-Making – The SBCCD Board of Trustees affirms its responsibility to make decisions in the best interests of the local community, district, and campuses.
  • State and Federal Partnerships – The SBCCD Board of Trustees will advocate for legislation where state or federal intervention is justified.
  • Civic Engagement – The SBCCD Board of Trustees will advocate for adequate representation of the Inland Empire on legislatively-formed boards, commissions, task forces, study groups, and other bodies that may have an impact on SBCCD’s educational mission.

2022 Advocacy Priorities

Equity:

  • Increase Student Enrollment & Retention: SBCCD supports ongoing funding for enrollment and retention efforts for districts and colleges experiencing steep declines in enrollment, particularly among ethnically diverse and underserved student populations. Funding would support local outreach and marketing strategies.
  • Support Faculty Diversity Hiring: SBCCD supports ongoing funding to connect future hiring practices and procedures to statewide equity and diversity efforts.

Increased Public Investment in Student Success

  • Increase Base Funding: SBCCD supports $500 million in ongoing funding to support the educational mission and operations of all California community colleges.
  • Address Student Centered Funding Formula: SBCCD supports the extension of the hold-harmless provisions of the Student Centered Funding Formula.
  • Update Technology Infrastructure: SBCCD supports ongoing funding to ensure students have access to adequate distance learning services, modernize technology infrastructure, and protect sensitive data.
  • Provide CalSTRS/CalPERS Relief: SBCCD supports ongoing funding in non-Proposition 98 resources to “buy down” the employer contribution levels required by colleges/districts. Doing so will free up general fund revenues for other student-centered priorities.
  • Modernize Facilities & Instructional Equipment: SBCCD supports $150 million in one-time funding, systemwide, to repair and update campus facilities and educational equipment.
  • Strengthen KVCR TV/FM Educational Media: SBCCD requests ongoing state investment to strengthen KVCR TV/FM’s long-term capacity to serve the Inland Empire with PBS and NPR educational content, local news, and cultural programming, and grow in-studio training opportunities for students preparing for media industry careers.
College Affordability & Student Basic Needs
  • Support Affordable Student Housing: SBCCD supports investments to build student residential housing for community college students experiencing housing insecurity. SBCCD supports ongoing funding to support colleges working with local, county, and student agencies to establish housing options for community college students. Resources are needed to support initial planning, modernization, restoration, and construction.
  • Expand Textbook Affordability: SBCCD launched the Books+ program to provide all students with free rental access to textbooks and course materials, limited to the 2021-22 academic year. SBCCD is committed to advancing strategies that make textbooks more affordable to students and ensure they have ongoing access to learning materials on day one.
  • Address Student Basic Needs: SBCCD supports ongoing funding to address students’ basic needs and provide CalFresh enrollment support, food pantries, and other essential services.
  • Reform Cal Grant: SBCCD supports the California Student Aid Commission-sponsored legislation to reform the Cal Grant to provide greater financial aid resources to community college students. Specifically, SBCCD supports reforms that would simplify financial aid and create a Cal Grant 2 for community college students.