SDCCD : Empowering Students Is Focus During Undocumented Student Action Week

Press release from San Diego Community College District:

October 1, 2021

The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office announced this week it will
hold the fifth annual Undocumented Student Action Week (USAW) from October 18-22.

Undocumented Student Action Week is a statewide effort that engages and activates
students, faculty and staff to support the needs of the more than 72,000 undocumented
students enrolled at California Community Colleges. This year’s theme, “Change in
Action,” empowers students, faculty and staff to engage in state, federal and local
action to support undocumented students in their goal of earning a college education.

The “Change in Action” theme reflects the ongoing need to scale evidenced-based student-centered
policies and practices every day of the year. The July 16, 2021 court ruling in the
State of Texas, et al., v. United States, which held that the Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program is unlawful, also creates an additional layer of
uncertainty for undocumented students across the country.

The week-long event will be held during the same month as the 20th anniversary of
the passage of Assembly Bill (AB) 540, the landmark legislation that opened the doors
of higher education for thousands of undocumented students by removing the burden
of out-of-state tuition. To commemorate the anniversary, Immigrants Rising will host
“20 Year Anniversary AB 540 Conference and Beyond” on October 18 starting at 10 a.m. 
At 1 p.m., the Chancellor’s Office will lead a plenary with higher education segment
leaders to celebrate the success of AB 540 and discuss opportunities to address remaining
challenges.

“As the nation’s largest post-secondary education system serving the largest number
of undocumented students within the state, California Community Colleges are committed
to serving all students, regardless of immigration status,” said California Community
Colleges Acting Chancellor Daisy Gonzales, PhD. “Undocumented students enrolled at
our colleges are aspiring teachers, doctors, artists and entrepreneurs and are poised
to make significant contributions to help our nation recover from the pandemic. To
be successful in their quest for a college education and career, students need and
deserve stability.”

The Chancellor’s Office is calling on students, faculty and staff at all 116 colleges
across California to advocate for Congress to include a comprehensive pathway to citizenship
for undocumented students and make them eligible for federally funded financial aid
within budget reconciliation. The Chancellor’s Office is also calling on institutional
leaders, college staff, and UndocuLiaisons to further cultivate their policies and
practices to create change that is student-focused and equity centered.

In the last five years, the collective budget and legislative advocacy of the California
Community Colleges during USAW has led to funding for Dream Resource Centers and UndocuLiaisons,
the establishment of an Immigration Legal Services Project, the expansion of AB 540
eligibility and the protection of DACA. The 2021 USAW will build on these investments
by empowering colleges to seek institutional reforms that will lead to more welcoming
campus environments for all students, regardless of their immigration status.

The Chancellor’s Office will hold daily webinars at 1:00 p.m. during USAW on several
critical topics, including a review of state undocumented student policies, the importance
of program evaluation to measure undocumented student success, and innovative use
of funds to support undocumented student efforts. Webinars will feature student speakers
and campuses leading the way. For more information, including a full schedule of events,
visit Undocumented Student Action Week webpage. Also available in our website the
California Community College’s Resolution Declaring October 18-22, 2021 as Undocumented
Student Action Week.

This press release was produced by San Diego Community College District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.