California Community Colleges Continues Advocacy for Undocumented Students
SACRAMENTO, CA — Beginning Oct. 14, the California Community Colleges is hosting its third annual Undocumented Student Action Week, encouraging campuses to engage in a range of activities supporting undocumented students and urging elected officials to take action on federal and state immigration issues.
The California Community Colleges Board of Governors declared Oct. 14-18 as Undocumented Student Action Week in a resolution adopted at its September meeting. The resolution notes that the California Community Colleges, which represents the largest undocumented student population in the state, is committed to providing an open and welcoming environment for all students, regardless of ethnicity, religion, national origin, immigration status, age, gender, medical condition or socioeconomic status.
“Given the rhetoric at the national level surrounding immigration, we know now more than ever that we must continue to uphold California’s values and offer clear pathways and resources for undocumented students to attain their educational goals,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley. “It is imperative that our students know that our campuses remain accessible and open to serving all students equally.”
The advocacy week is supported by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, the Community College League of California, the Foundation for California Community Colleges, Immigrants Rising and the Student Senate for California Community Colleges
“Working alongside the Chancellor’s Office, the Foundation is committed to supporting our undocumented students across the system through activities like Undocumented Student Action Week,” said Keetha Mills, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation for California Community Colleges. “Guided by the identified challenges and recommendations included in the recently-released Dreamer’s Project Report, we have been focused on implementing systemwide change that ensures this student population feels supported in their educational journey.”
To further these efforts, the Chancellor’s Office is pleased to announce the release of a new learning module available to all professionals in the system: Supporting Undocumented Students. The module provides a common understanding of undocumented students at California Community Colleges, as well as promising practices for supporting them. Users can access the Supporting Undocumented Students module once logged in to the Vision Resource Center.
“The Community College League of California is dedicated to the proposition that access to quality, affordable public higher education and career development opportunities be available to every individual and family in California,” said Larry Galizio, President and CEO of the Community College League of California. “Action Week offers the opportunity for colleges to highlight the multiple challenges confronting undocumented students in the current climate, as well as support for advocacy on critical federal immigration policies and resources for campuses to better assist our undocumented students.”
To access the full schedule and resources curated by the Undocumented Student Action Week partners, please visit www.ccleague.org/supporting-undocumented-students or contact ActionWeek@foundationccc.org.
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The Community College League of California is a nonprofit public benefit corporation with a voluntary membership of the 72 local community college districts in California. The League promotes student access and success by strengthening colleges through advocacy, leadership development, district services, and policy development. Visit our website at www.ccleague.org.
