By Jason KUROSU

Glendale Community College will experience a change in its registration policies, no longer giving preference for class registration to returning students. The policy change emerged from recommendations made by California’s Student Success Task Force, a 20-member committee established by Senator Carol Liu through Senate Bill 1143, tasked with identifying what factors contribute to student success and/or failure.

Among the 22 recommendations finalized in January and approved by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors is one that will give priority to first-time students as it pertains to class registration. Students who have more than 100 total units accrued or who are on academic probation for two semesters in a row will now need to wait until students with fewer than 100 units register first. However, this priority is only granted if the student declares a course of study within three semesters. These students are also expected to have attended and participated in orientation, taken a diagnostic assessment and remained in good academic standing throughout their college career.

A document that the Student Success Task Force presented to the California Community College’s Consultation Council reads, “Current law and practice guiding student enrollment tends to favor the continuing student, based solely on their accrual of course units. The existing system does not reflect the core priorities of community colleges: to provide courses for students seeking to earn a degree or certificate, transfer, participate in a career-technical program, or improve their basic language or computational skills.”

The same document suggests an expectation that these recommendations be implemented by the fall 2013 semester.

An open meeting will be held on Sept. 24 at Glendale Community College to address the recommendations. Senator Liu will be present at the meeting to discuss how the new legislation will affect California’s community colleges and the colleges’ prioritization of student services.

The Community College Board of Governors will also meet again in September to hear a second reading of the recommendations and to decide whether to adopt the changes.

  Jason Kurosu