California State Student
Association
Long Beach Office Sacramento Office
401 Golden Shore, Suite 135 925 L Street, Suite 385
Long Beach, CA 90802-4210 Sacramento, CA 95814-3703
(562) 951-4025 Fax (562) 951-4962 (916) 441-4514 Fax (916)
441-6350 |
Resolution on the Governors Community
Service Graduation Requirement
Whereas, Governor Gray Davis has called for a community service
requirement for undergraduate students as a condition of graduation
from the California State University, University of California,
and Community Colleges; and
Whereas, The California State Student Association has long held
that voluntary public service is a deserving core value that produces
benefit not only to the community, but also the individual in the
form of enhanced self-awareness; cultural awareness and appreciation;
and civic mindedness; and
Whereas, The California State Student Association agrees with
the Academic Senate CSU in its position as stated in Resolution
AS-2455-99/AA Response to Governor Davis Announcement to
Develop a Plan for Required Public Service in urging support
of the efforts of the campus community to identify and provide opportunities
and incentives for meaningful service activities rather than mandating
service experience; and
Whereas, The California State Student Association acknowledges
with pride the approximately 28 million hours of voluntary community
service provided by 49% of our student body (1994 Student Needs
and Priorities Survey) and commends them to the attention of the
Governor; and
Whereas, CSU campuses have developed numerous community service
opportunities and programs in which students may participate such
as America Reads, America Counts, Pre-Collegiate Academic Development,
Human Corps, EPIC, Upward Bound, VISTA, and AmeriCorps; and
Whereas, Students on campuses have organized such programs as
Community Action Volunteers in Education (CAVE) where 1,964 volunteers
provided 155,000 hours of community service and Community Legal
Information Center (CLIC) where 200 volunteers provided free legal
information to over 15,065 community members (Associated Students,
CSU Chico) 1998-99); Community Based Learning and Service Center
(CLASC, CSU Fullerton); and the Youth Educational Services (Y.E.S
House) with 300 volunteers reaching 2000 community members (Associated
Students, Humboldt); and
Whereas, Student leaders across the system spend countless hours
engaged in advocacy on behalf of their constituents at both the
campus and systemwide levels on policy, legislation, operational,
and other matters that most profoundly affect us; and
Whereas, The California State Student Association feels that
Governor Gray Davis failed to acknowledge the commitment and dedication
to service already being exemplified by the students of the State
of California and the CSU system in particular; and
Whereas, While we embrace the ethic and philosophy of service
to each other and our community at large, the decision to engage
in service is a personal one and based on many factors unique to
the individual; and
Whereas, We feel that mandatory volunteerism will not teach a
"service ethic" as a lasting value, but instead instill
in students a disdain for volunteerism that will remain with them
for a lifetime; and
Whereas, We feel that decisions as to the breadth and content
of our undergraduate education are best left to academic professionals
who are most capable of designing curriculum and not to legislators
whose collective values change with the tide of politics; therefore
be it
Resolved, That the California State Student Association praises
the valuable and lasting contributions of our students to countless
volunteer activities which result in the uplifting of individuals
and society as a whole; and be it further
Resolved, That the people of this State are well served by the
outcome of their investment in those seeking a higher education
in the form of a vibrant, dynamic, capable, and strong social and
economic community; and be it further
Resolved, That the California State Student Association will
continue to support the existing Community Outreach Programs on
each campus and we will stand behind community service opportunities;
and be it further
Resolved, That the California State Student Association is strongly
opposed to any mandate on volunteerism; and be it further
Resolved, That the California State Student Associations
Board of Directors will work closely with their respective campus
Academic Senates in the assessment of the impact of the Community
Service requirement so that all may gain a better understanding
of the many issues involved including resource allocation, time
to degree; student work, unit load, and family responsibilities;
earning credit; faculty and staff workload, and potential liability;
and be it further
Resolved, That the California State Student Association will
revisit this matter upon the completion of the Assessment process
being conducted by the Academic Senate CSU; and be it finally
Resolved, That copies of this Resolution be distributed widely,
including, but not limited to, the Honorable Gray Davis, Secretary
of Education Gary Hart, CSSA Board of Directors, the CSU Board of
Trustees, CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed, the Academic Senate CSU,
CSU Campus Presidents, CSU Associated Students, the CSU Labor Council,
Campus and General Media, the United States Student Association,
the University of California Student Association, and the California
Student Association of Community Colleges, and the Chairs of the
Assembly Higher Education and Senate Education Committees.
Adopted by the Board of Directors of the California State Student
Association
October 31, 1999
Stephanie Rahlfs, Chair
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