How Legislation May Impact Our Work: Government Relations Update

How Legislation May Impact Our Work: Government Relations Update WACAC Conference June, 2014

Agenda • Welcome & Introductions • GRAC Committee Year in Review • Local Visits • 2014 Legislative Conference • Current CA Legislation • Future Activities • Q & A

GRAC Committee • Chair for California Steven Mercer • Chair for Nevada Katie Swanson • Chair Elect (CA) Adolfo Mercado • Secretary Maureen Chang • Legislative Conference Co-Chair Nicole Jackson • Web Chair Breanne Boyle • NACAC/Federal Issues Chairs Jeff Morrow/MichealKrahelski • Communications Chair DJ Fuller • Local Visits Chair Erica Cosgrove • Transfer Issues LiseFlocken • Legislative Advocate Pam Lopez - K Street Consulting

Local Visits • What is advocacy and why should we do it? • Just as we advocate for our students in our daily work lives, we need to publicly advocate for all students to improve their readiness for college, access to college and ability to get the help they need to plan their education. • When we advocate for our students with our elected officials, we are engaging in advocacy work or lobbying. We are attempting to inform and influence our elected officials about the many challenges faced by high school students, community college students counselors, administrators and teachers with respect to the transition from high school to college.

Local Visits • Who are we? • We are members of a professional organization of college advisors, counselors and admissions officials. We are the Western regional group (WACAC) of the National Association of College Advisors and Counselors (NACAC). We are made up of over 1,800 leaders in college admissions, counseling and related professions.

Local Visits • Specifically, our priority for this year Rebuilding Our Community Colleges. • Withdrastic cuts to our public higher education system in recent years, approximately 500,00 students have been turned away from our community colleges. WACAC wants to ensure that any person in California who wants access to higher education should be able to attend one of our state’s community colleges. • No student interested in career training or who’s interested in attending community college and transferring to a four-year university should be turned away from community college or from taking the courses they need. • Every community college should have a Transfer Center and/or Career Center to help students understand what they need to do to achieve their career and higher education goals. Every community college should have professional staff who can guide students within the state’s higher education system.

Local Visits • Setting Up a Meeting with your Legislator • About two weeks before you would like to meet, call their district office and ask to talk to the Scheduler. • The Scheduler may ask you to send an email that says, “We are WACAC and we are hoping to meet with Assemblywoman _____ to speak about rebuilding higher education options. The three or four people from our Association who will be there are ___, ____, and _________. Include in the email several days and times that your group is available to meet. • A few days after sending the email, follow up with a phone call to the scheduler; it may take a few calls to get the meeting scheduled.

Local Visits • What to Expect and What to Do in Your Meetings: • The appointment should be short and sweet. Aim for 15 minutes. • Introductions – Introduce yourselves and include where you live and work and other professional and volunteer leadership roles you have. • Present Talking Points 1, 2, & 3 • Offer WACAC and yourself as a resource to the legislative office • Ask for the support of the legislator or staff in supporting our priorities • Thank you and depart. Don’t forget to collect their business cards for follow up and leave yours as well.

GRAC Annual California Legislative Conference 2014 AGENDA Day 1 • 1:00PM Conference Registration • 1:30PM – 6:00PM Conference Opening Session • 7:00PM Dinner- Legislator of the Year Award Day 2 • 8:00AM Breakfast/Plan with Your Team • 9:00AM Overview of the Day • 9:30AM -3:00 PM Capitol Appointments- State Capitol Offices • 12:00PM Lunch (Off site/On your own) • 3:00 PM Capitol De-briefing • 4:00 PM Adjourn

Past Talking Points • Include School Counselors in the implementation of Common Core Curriculum Standards and Smarter Balanced Assessments in K12 public schools. • Include student access to school counseling programs in new measures of K-12 school performance. • Support the successful implementation of the Community College Student Success Program. • Support “Pay it Forward Pay it Back” in California.

Lobbying Teams • Assigned by region • Broad perspectives and experiences to share with legislators • Great networking and professional development

Assembly Bill 1854 (Linder – Republican) Examination fees: Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Examination Fee Grant Program. • Description of Bill: • Would create a fund awarding students grants to cover costs of AP and IB tests • Grants for eligible economically disadvantaged or foster youth high school students • Fund administered by State Department of Education • Government Relations Committee Feedback: • Great idea for helping students • We prefer not to limit grants to only AP and IB exam fees • We would prefer bill to also include grants for SAT and ACT exam fees • WACAC Position: Support, if amended.

Assembly Bill 2160 (Ting – Democrat) Cal Grant Program: grade point average. • Description of Bill: • Would require high schools to submit grade point average (GPA) to colleges for Cal Grant A and B applicants • Public high schools would be required to submit this information for every applicant • Info would be submitted electronically • Government Relations Committee Feedback: • The Student Aid Commission is neutral on this bill • Simple task to clear the pipeline for eligible students to receive grant money – potentially allowing more people to receive grant • Unclear whether this will be a mandate and funding is not an issue at this point • We are interested in feedback from schools • What is the current process for submitting GPAs to Cal Grant? • What are the struggles or issues this presents to the high school? • WACAC Position: Support

Senate Bill 967 (DeLeon – Democrat) Student safety: sexual assault. • Description of Bill: • Requires adoption (by colleges) of clear policies regarding sexual assault and sexual violence • Policy must include an affirmative consent standard • Must make procedures standardized, defined, and easily accessible to students and staff • Government Relations Committee Feedback: • College students are being thrown into life-altering campus procedures and the specifics aren’t clearly outlined for students • Bill will determine what standards to use and asks colleges to make sure they are in place and accessible to students and staff • For CSUs this will become a mandate • We will keep tabs on funding issues but costs to implement are predicted to be low • WACAC Position: Support

Senate Bill 1210 (Lara – Democrat) Postsecondary education: California DREAM Loan Program. • Description of Bill: • Creates a new funding program for those identified as DREAMERS • Previous bill allows for undocumented students to be allowed to apply as in-state residents to CSUs (if they meet other requirements) • This bill will create a funding source that provides financial aid (need-based aid) for those students who qualify as DREAMERS • Government Relations Committee Feedback: • Students who are already qualified as DREAMERS may not be able to take advantage of CSUs without need-based aid • Bill allows students more opportunity to pursue higher education at CSUs • WACAC Position: Support

Q & A • For more information contact: Adolfo Mercado – Chair for CA amercado@saccds.org Katie Swanson – Chair for NV kswanson@washoeschools.net

How Legislation May Impact Our Work: Government Relations Update