The Government Relations Division represents the Chancellor’s Office before the legislative and executive branches of the state and federal governments, and is responsible for advancing the goals of the Vision for Success through legislation and securing budget investments. The division serves as a liaison between Chancellor’s Office staff and program experts from throughout the community college system, and state and federal policy makers. Staff are responsible for organizing legislative meetings and events, tracking and actively monitoring legislative committee hearings, reviewing legislation and policy positions, and representing the agency and system before the Legislature.
Recent milestones include basic skills reform, expanded financial aid opportunities, the Student Centered Funding Formula, the California College Promise, and the California Online Community College. By enacting these innovative changes, California is restructuring the way community colleges are funded to reward community colleges that improve outcomes for low-income students; phasing out high-stakes placement exams and develop for-credit alternatives to remedial classes; expanding access to structured academic and career pathways; and establishing an online community college to provide education and workforce training for adults who cannot access classes at fixed times at a brick-and-mortar campus.
In March 2018, the Chancellor’s Office secured a federal liaison to represent the interests of the California Community Colleges and the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C. The liaison provides expert analysis on issues directly affecting higher education, advocates on behalf of the system with Congress and the White House and supports the development and implementation of federal policies aligned with the Vision for Success.
