SGA President Ash West disclosed plans that the organization is looking to proceed with during the duration of the spring semester.
At the top of the list is the involvement of Bakersfield College with the Community College Governance, Funding Stabilization, and Student Fee Reduction Act.
“It’s a pretty cool deal,” West said.
On Feb. 16, West joined a conference call with members of the Community College League of California to discuss participation requirements for each community college district.
According to West, the BC SGA created a new student government position so that BC will be able to participate in the ballot initiative. According to West, Alan Crane was approved for that position known as student campaign chair in a senate meeting last Friday
“We need to know what the league wants from us,” said West.
The new position will be responsible for recruiting volunteers to collect signatures to get the initiative on the ballot for the state election in November.
According to West, should the initiative be successful, it would potentially lower tuition fees from $26 dollars to $20. Also, should the initiative pass, California Community Colleges would be added to bi-lateral governance that only UC and CSU schools currently belong to.
Being a part of this governance would give community colleges more say-so in future tuition hikes and would make it illegal for the state legislature to increase tuition mid-semester.
Another plan that West said the SGA is pursuing is to bring Patrick Reynolds, grandson of tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds, to BC. Patrick Reynolds relinquished ties to the industry and is now an advocate of anti-smoking campaigns.
The SGA has contacted Project Director for the Public Health Tobacco Program Nsele Nsuangani from the Kern County Department of Public Health to help with the smoke-free campus resolution passed last year. Nsuangani will work with the SGA to help bring Reynolds to BC to speak.
The SGA has also made steps toward offering an online voting for student elections later this spring. An independent contractor would monitor the online voting.