Guidelines for Governmental Relations
GUIDELINES FOR CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES LEGISLATIVE RELATIONS California’s 72 community college districts and 108 community colleges are a system of locally governed, state coordinated, postsecondary institutions. The system will be most effective in meeting its education mission for all students if each of the districts and colleges recognizes both the value of working together as well as pursuing separate interests when necessary. In advocacy efforts, the Chancellor’s Office and the Community College League of California (League) play a leadership role in working on behalf of the local districts, the system and students. To ensure the community colleges system is well represented and effective in its advocacy efforts, the following have been established for guidance: 1. District boards of trustees and chief executive officers with specific proposals for legislation should submit them to the Chancellor’s Office when proposals are solicited for inclusion in the California Community Colleges Legislative Program. 2. When district proposals for legislation are not included in the California Community Colleges Legislative Program, or a district believes a situation requires legislative action, a district should, when possible, inform the Chancellor’s Office and the League before seeking to introduce legislation on behalf of the district. Districts, if possible, should provide time for response as to the possible effect of legislation on other districts within the system and whether legislation is the best approach to resolving the problem. 3. Local boards of trustees and chief executive officers and their legislative advocates should make every effort to communicate system-wide priorities and positions on the state budget, capital funding and legislation to their local legislators. These positions and priorities are provided through the League, based on the actions of the CCCT and CEOCCC boards, and the Chancellor’s Office, based on Board of Governors actions. 4. If a district board and chief executive officer cannot support system positions and legislative priorities, the state budget and capital funding with their legislators, they should inform the League and the Chancellor’s office when independent advocacy is contemplated. 5. If legislators seek to support a district or college through legislative action that is not an approved system priority or position local college leaders should inform, when possible, the Chancellor’s Office and the League.6. System and local actions and positions should be non-partisan and carried out across the entire political spectrum for the good of the community colleges and their students. 7. CEOs should notify the Chancellor and the League, when possible, concerning communications with legislators deemed important to advancing system positions and legislation priorities, the state budget and capital funding. 8. The League and Chancellor’s Office should provide timely and useful information to the districts about legislative issues, discussions within their organizations, positions taken and legislative actions. 9. The League and Chancellor’s Office should have clear processes in place that provide districts adequate opportunity to comment on legislative priorities and positions, state budget priorities and capital funding priorities prior to action being taken to represent the system. Adopted by the CCCT and CEOCC boards of The League in November 1997  Comments & Suggestions |
