Whereas the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges represents the faculty of the largest postsecondary educational system in the world, with 107 colleges serving 1.4 million students, and
Whereas the mission of the California Community Colleges is to provide open access to quality academic and vocational instruction to all who enter our doors, many of whom are low-income, disadvantaged and underrepresented, and
Whereas all California Community Colleges are accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges; governed both by locally elected boards of trustees and a state Board of Governors appointed by the Governor; and regulated by state law and accountability mechanisms, and
Whereas the calculation in the proposed U.S. Department of Education regulations concerning how students qualify for financial aid would increase the number of the hours of instruction to three times the normal instruction requirement of an academic program and have a detrimental effect on vocational students, and
Whereas enforcing these regulations would keep students enrolled in many vocational programs from receiving federal student financial aid and would redirect them to high cost proprietary (private, for-profit) institutions,
Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges urge that standards for determining full-time status for students set by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education not discriminate arbitrarily against vocational students, and
Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges urge the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education to withdraw the proposed federal regulations of October 1, 1990 addressing "34 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) Part 668" of the Student Assistance General Provisions.