Student Senate for California Community Colleges (SSCCC) is a California public-benefit nonprofit corporation. SSCCC came into existence on April 29, 2015 when a document titled "Articles of Incorporation of Student Senate for California Community Colleges" was filed in the office of the secretary of state of California. Prior to that filing, the Articles were signed by a community college student named Omar Paz Jr. Omar is the founder and "Incorporator" of SSCCC. In his capacity as Incorporator,California Corporations Code Section 5134 reads, "If initial directors have not been named in the articles, the incorporator or incorporators, until the directors are elected, may do whatever is necessary and proper to perfect the organization of the corporation, including the adoption and amendment of bylaws of the corporation and the election of directors and officers". Omar elected the initial directors of SSCCC.
The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges has recognized "the Student Senate for California Community Colleges as the statewide community college student organization to represent community college students within the California Community Colleges, including before the Board of Governors and the Chancellor's Office".California Code of Regulations §50002.
History
Establishment Chapter 973 of the California Statutes of 1988 added Section 70901 to the California Education Code. Section 70901 provides that "the board of governors shall establish and carry out a process for consultation with institutional representatives of community college districts so as to ensure their participation in the development and review of policy proposals".California Education Code Section 70901 was added to the Education Code by Chapter 973 of the California Statutes of 1988 (Assembly Bill No. 1725, page 17). In March 1988 the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges adopted a "formal policy on Consultation". The policy on Consultation included "a Standing Order which set up seven councils", including a "Council of Student Body Governments".Nussbaum, Thomas J. (1995). Evolving Community College Shared Governance to Better Serve the Public Interest. Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), page 34. In September 1990 the Board of Governors recognized the Council of Student Body Governments "as the official organization representing students in the statewide Consultation process".Michalowski, Linda (July 12, 2008). The Student Senate and Shared Governance. California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, slide number 6.
In 1996 the Council of Student Body Governments was renamed the "Student Senate".Michalowski, Linda (2005). Update on Student Senate Memorandum of Understanding. Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, pages 1 and 2. Later that year, the Board of Governors recognized "the Student Senate for the California Community Colleges as the representative of community college-associated student organizations before the Board of Governors and the Chancellor's Office".Section 50002(b), Title 5, California Code of Regulations. Section 50002 became operative on September 8, 1996. This recognition process changed the name of the Student Senate to "Student Senate for the California Community Colleges". The operation of the Student Senate for the California Community Colleges was funded by the State of California in accordance with California Education Code Section 71040.California Education Code Section 71040.
On October 18, 2002, Thomas J. Nussbaum (who was then the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges) and the California Student Association of Community Colleges signed a memorandum of understanding which provided that the elected members of the association's "Policy Board" would serve ex-officio as the members of the Student Senate for the California Community Colleges.Michalowski, Linda (2012). History of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges. California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, slide number 7. In May 2005 Chancellor Marshall (Mark) Drummond rescinded the memorandum of understanding.SSCCC (2006). A History of Student Representation, slide 11.
On May 7, 2006, community college students established an "unincorporated association" named "Student Senate for California Community Colleges".Roselada, Pauline. "ASSC students attend Student Senate Assembly". The Skyline View, May 14, 2006.SSCCC (2015). "Until April 29, 2015, SSCCC was operated as an unincorporated association." Second page of the "Attachments" to SSCCC's Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code ("Form 1023"; signed on November 13, 2015). A copy of that application was received by the California Attorney General's office on November 18, 2015. The association solicited and received charitable contributions. It also solicited and received donations of student representation fees that had been collected in accordance with California Education Code Section 76060.5.Assembly Bill No. 2576 proposed the enactment of Education Code Section 76060.5. That bill was introduced by Assembly Member Tom Hayden and signed into law by Governor George Deukmejian. The bill was chaptered by Secretary of State March Fong Eu as Chapter 1238 of the Statutes of 1987 (pages 4400–4401).
In 2013 the unincorporated SSCCC supported the amendment of California Education Code Section 76060.5.Senate Committee on Education (2013). "Bill Analysis". California State Senate, "SUPPORT" by SSCCC, page 8.SSCCC (2013). "Support community college student representation – AB 1358". Change.org. Amendments to Section 76060.5 were enacted and became effective on January 1, 2014. The amendments provide, in part, that "a statewide community college student organization" must be "established as a legal entity registered with the Secretary of State" in order to qualify to receive distributions of student representation fees from the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges.California Education Code Section 76060.5, as amended by Chapter 714 of the Statutes of 2013; Assembly Bill No. 1358, introduced by Assembly Member Paul Fong. A nonprofit California corporation named "Student Senate for California Community Colleges" was established by Omar Paz Jr. in 2015 as a means of fulfilling the "legal entity" requirement in Section 76060.5, as amended. The name "California Community Colleges" is the property of the State of CaliforniaThe name "California Community Colleges"; California Education Code Section 71025. and the incorporated SSCCC has permission to use that name in its corporate name.
Predecessor organizations The unincorporated SSCCC was established in May 2006. It was preceded by several similar organizations: the California Junior College Association;Winter, Carl G. "History of the Junior College Movement in California". California State Department of Education, December 21, 1964. the California Community College Student Government Association;The history and structure of California Community College Student Government Association is presented in Opinions of the California Attorney General, opinion number 82-701, issued on December 30, 1982. the Community College Student Lobby;Community College Student Lobby; California Secretary of State's file number C1096599. and the California Student Association of Community Colleges (CalSACC).California Student Association of Community Colleges; in Chapter 35 of the Statutes of 2007 (Senate Bill No. 283).
CalSACC was established on November 15, 1987.Constitution of the California Student Association of Community Colleges, page 4. In 1999, CalSACC's membership included 72 community college student body associations. By 2005, CalSACC's membership had dwindled to just 31 student body associations. And by 2007, CalSACC had become "virtually non-existent".Senate Committee on Education (2007). "Bill Analysis" of Senate Bill No. 283 (introduced by Senator Abel Maldonado). CalSACC is described as "virtually non-existent" on page 2 of the Bill Analysis. In 2008 CalSACC's remaining assets Remaining assets; California Corporations Code Section 18130. were donated to the unincorporated SSCCC. The sum of $57,150.53 was transferred to the unincorporated SSCCC on June 3, 2008.
CalSACC had ten organizational subdivisions, which were called "regions". During the gradual disintegration and ultimate dissolution of CalSACC, its regions continued functioning autonomously. On May 6 and 7, 2006, representatives of the CalSACC regions and student leaders from throughout California gathered at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in San Diego, California. They considered several model constitutions for a new statewide student organization. They adopted constitutional model "E" by a vote of 59 in favor and 11 opposed.North, Wheeler (2006). "And the Red Rocket's Glare". Rostrum, Academic Senate for California Community Colleges. The adoption of the new constitution established an unincorporated association named "Student Senate for California Community Colleges".
The Chancellor of the California Community Colleges has established a set of "Executive Orders" relating to the Chancellor's "Consultation Council". The first order provides that, "The Consultation Council shall consist of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the following membership... 1 representative of the California Student Association of Community Colleges" (CalSACC). The Consultation Council "Members" list does not include the name and contact information of a CalSACC representative. The absence of this contact information reinforces the belief that CalSACC is no longer in operation.
Noteworthy events On March 5, 2012, the unincorporated SSCCC, the California State Student Association, and the University of California Student Association sponsored a rally at the California State Capitol. About 8,000 people gathered on the western steps of the capitol and listened to speeches by student leaders and by state leaders, including Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, Assembly Speaker John Pérez, and Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg.hÉochaidh, Roibín Ó. "Students rally in Sacramento against public-education cuts". UC Berkeley News Center, The Regents of the University of California, March 6, 2012. After the rally, protestors from the Occupy movement entered the capitol and refused to leave. Officers of the California Highway Patrol arrested 72 people for trespassing.Asimov, Nanette. "Sacramento higher-ed protest leads to 72 arrests". SFGate, March 6, 2012. These events generated dozens of news reports."March in March" articles and photographs archive. City College of San Francisco.
The incorporated SSCCC A document titled "Articles of Incorporation of Student Senate for California Community Colleges" was filed in the office of the California Secretary of State on April 29, 2015. The filing of that document initiated the existence of a California nonprofit public benefit corporation named "Student Senate for California Community Colleges". The corporation's "specific purposes" are stated in "Article II" of the Articles of Incorporation. The purposes include: "To improve student access, promote student success, engage and empower local student leaders, and enrich the collegiate experience for all California community college students".A complete copy of SSCCC's "Articles of Incorporation" is posted on the California Secretary of State's website; Articles of Incorporation of Student Senate for California Community Colleges.