Advocacy
Advocacy is essential to strengthening and supporting California's community colleges. It can help transform policies, practices, and services both at the state and national level. A central goal of our advocacy efforts is for districts and colleges to have sufficient resources to advance the comprehensive mission of our institutions. The Community College League of California's Government Relations Team represents the CEOCCC and CCCT Boards' local perspective before the Legislature and Executive Branch.
Monthly Webinar
The League hosts a monthly Government Relations Webinar on the third Tuesday of the month to provide legislative and policy updates to our members. Click here to learn more.
Guiding Principles for the 2023-24 Legislative Session
Mission: To represent and promote the role of community college districts in state and federal lawmaking.
Vision: To be the most relied upon voice for the California Community Colleges (CCC) in state and federal lawmaking.
Policy Principles:
- Safeguarding community colleges as indispensable locally governed open-access institutions of higher education whose focus is student success, equity, and community.
- Increasing diversity, inclusion, and equity at our districts and colleges statewide.
- Prioritizing base operating dollars to ensure educational opportunity.
- Investing in our state through career education and workforce development.
- Modernizing financial aid to address the total cost of attendance and to support the neediest students.
- Supporting community college personnel through professional development.
Operating Procedures:
- The League will continually build and develop trusted relationships with legislators and other policymakers.
- In fulfillment of the League’s membership-driven approach, the respective CEOCCC and CCCT boards will endeavor to develop common advocacy priorities and resolve policy differences between them.
- The League’s priority in legislative, budgetary, and regulatory activities relate directly to community college districts.
- The League will engage Trustees, CEOs, and other local leaders in shaping its legislative positions and grassroots advocacy.
- The League will maximize the role of Trustees and CEOs in effective governance while recognizing the important roles of other community college stakeholders.
- The League will convene other CCC stakeholders, including the Chancellor’s Office, to exchange ideas and advance shared priorities.
- The League will mobilize students, faculty, staff, and others to contact elected officials on critical issues affecting our institutions.
- The League will integrate its professional development offerings and district services with its internal and external communications to advance its priorities in government affairs.
- The League will utilize its government affairs as a means of educating CEOs, Trustees, and other district leaders on legislative advocacy, policy development, and system history.
Use of Principles:
At the beginning of each two-year legislative session, both the CEOCCC and CCCT boards will review and adopt the principles. League staff will:
- Publish and promote those principles on its website, newsletter, government relations webinars, and other materials.
- Utilize the principles when forming staff recommendations on budget, legislative, and federal proposals.
- Regularly report to both the CCCT and CEOCCC boards on the progress of advocating for the principles in both Sacramento and Washington, D.C.
