The Importance of “Community” in Community College
By Tariq Azim
The Chaffey College Governing Board, which serves seven cities and approximately 23,000 students, is a local governance where decisions directly affect the community. The authority of the Board dictates the inner workings of the district and their decisions ultimately affect students' lives. However, when I examine the chambers at the monthly Governing Board meetings, I find that I am often one of only a few students in attendance.
I served as an Executive in the Chaffey College Student Government, the official student body recognized by the Governing Board. There was not a single time when the Governing Board would interact with the associated student organization other than with the president, who was also the Student Trustee.
Like many students, a majority of the members in the organization did not know the board existed or that there were committees which report to the board.
California law establishes a system granting faculty, staff and perhaps most importantly, students the right to participate in and make decisions regarding curriculum and academic standards. This is done through a process known as “shared governance. ”
A college governing board must consult designated parties on policies and procedures that may have a “significant effect on students.” Numerous colleges across the state of California enforce shared governance, such as Mt. San Jacinto College, which has a very open system in which the recognized student organization appoints members to serve as official members in committees.
Unfortunately, there are almost no students on any shared governance committees in the district. This could be due in part to the difficulty of navigating the meetings and agendas which are not posted publicly.
I can recall walking past a meeting room where the blinds were rolled down and the door was closed as the meeting took place; not a single student was at the table. These committees make decisions which affect the students of the college without consulting the student body.
In comparison to the UC and CSU systems, every California Community College district is locally governed by trustees elected by the community. Therefore, this is what makes a community college environment so unique; it is a learning environment for the community.
However, to ensure our community is thriving, we must be involved in the planning processes. Our elected officials and administrators need to prioritize, represent and serve their constituents. Merely making meetings available to students is not enough.
Chaffey would benefit greatly from administrators seeking out and inviting students to participate in these meetings, allowing them to contribute to decisions made.
The next election for the Chaffey College Governing Board Trustees representing the cities of Fontana, Ontario, Chino and Chino Hills will be on March 3, 2020.
I hope the candidates' platforms contain a strong desire to invite their constituents into the decision-making process and keep the "community" in "community college.”