The DASB Senate voted unanimously to oppose California Assembly bill at its meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 25
AB 955, allows community colleges to create high tuition, non-subsidized “extension courses” to fill the need for high demand classes, averaging $200 per unit. The bill passed both the California House of Representatives and Senate and will be limited to pilot programs in six colleges.
DASB senators said the bill creates a two-tier education system by privatizing community colleges.
De Anza joins four of the six affected campuses in opposing the bill.
“This is not a solution, as most students can’t afford these new classes,” Robert Yasin, a DASB Senator and political science major said.
“There has been an unprecedented amount of opposition to this bill from students,” said Anita Adams, the De Anza student trustee on the FHDA District Board.
She displayed a statewide Facebook group in opposition to the bill and noted after the meeting that six DASB Senate members spoke in Sacramento against AB 955.
The senate also discussed California Senate Bill 1358, which gives students the right to vote on a $1 increase to their student representation fee, currently capped at $1 per student. The bill increases the limit to $2 only with approval in a student election.
The fee pays for both on-campus representation and representation at the state level. De Anza does not currently charge this fee, but approval of the bill means students could put the issue on the spring election ballot. The DASB Senate voted to support the bill going forward.
