May 2020

President's Message

Greetings Student Leaders!

During this challenging time, the SSCCC continues to work on your behalf to raise the voice of students. We recently conducted a survey in which more than 1,500 students responded and we have heard your challenges! Many of you are losing your income, you are unable to pay your bills, to complete all your courses, to transfer or walk across the graduation stage, are under stress, having mental health issues, and/or difficulties learning in our current environment. You are not alone in your struggles and we will get through this together! 

In support of students, the SSCCC is working with our system partners to ensure that your needs are addressed. Some of our partners include the Campaign for College Opportunity, Public Advocates, California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, Faculty Association of California Community Colleges, Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, Community College League of California, and the Center for Urban Education to name a few.

We want you to know that the SSCCC is not giving up and we hope you won’t either. We are nearing the end of the semester and it is important that we press on to stay on track and finish strong. Many colleges have resources available to help you cross the finish line. We encourage you to communicate with your professor or an advisor about the difficulty you are having.  We have found that many of them are also having challenges in this environment. 

We also know that some of you may have the difficulty of having to choose between finding work or getting an education. it is okay--do what you must do to survive.  However, know that you can put your dream of higher education on hold but we encourage you to come back as soon as you can so that you can realize your greatest potential.  

And remember, the SSCCC will be here ensuring the voice of students is loud and strong! 

In Solidarity,

Danny Thirakul

General Assembly
Board Officer Election Results   

The Delegate Assembly elected the new SSCCC Board Officers during the recent General Assembly.  However, since that time, the individual elected as president has resigned.  Below is the 2020 - 21 SSCCC Board Officers. 

In addition, the SSCCC will hold a special election in June for the position of Vice President of Regional Affairs.  Watch for more information soon.  

Please join us in congratulating the 2020 - 21 Board Officers! 

Region Elections
Join the SSCCC Leadership Team!

Van Dao Minh Anh
Vice President of Regional Affairs

The Region elections season is here! As a statewide organization, the Student Senate for California Community Colleges exists to ensure the voices of more than 2.1 million students in the California Community College system are heard and supported. One of the most crucial and irreplaceable factors that ensure streamline communications, effective participation, and diverse representation for our advocacy work is the Regional Board. Whether it is the Regional Affairs Director, Vice-Chair, Legislative Affairs Director, Communications Officer, or Treasurer, each position contributes to the facilitation and operation of the region. Each of the positions acts as a bridge between the local and regional student voices to engage in statewide efforts while empowering student leaders at every level to maximize their potential to make a significant impact on the student population. 

California community college student leaders are highly encouraged to consider running for positions on the Regional Board! Working in a Regional Officer position, you will gain leadership experiences, participate in the governance process, obtain insights about the legislative process, learn about nonprofit operations, and acquire other related experiences. Most importantly, you will have the incredible opportunity to contribute to the advocacy effort to ensure student access to the largest higher education system in the world, the California Community College system.

For more information about the Regional Board Elections, please contact Vice President of Regional Affairs Van Dao Minh Anh at vpra@studentsenateccc.org.

Unemployed or Work Hours Reduced? 
You may be eligible for unemployment! 

Have you lost your job or had your hours reduced? Are you unsure of where to go to file for unemployment?  The Employment Development Department (EDD) webpage - COVID-19 Worker Resources -provides information about how to file for unemployment insurance (UI).  You may qualify for UI if you cannot work because you

• have lost your job;
• are sick or quarantined; 
• have reduced work hours;
• are taking care of a family member who is affected by COVID-19;
• have to take care of your children because their school is closed; or
• are self-employed. 

​EDD is not only providing unemployment but also paying an additional $600  unemployment benefits each week automatically as long you are eligible for at least $1 in a regular payment each week.    

The page above provides FAQs and phone numbers to call if you still have questions.  

Check it out! 

Need Help with Filing Taxes? 

Hello, Students!

I hope you all are doing well during these unique times we are facing. We wanted to share with you a resource form the Golden State Opportunity (GSO), and its campaign known as CalEITC4Me. Their goal is to help eligible Californians to file their taxes and receive up to an $8,000 refund through the California and federal Earned Income Tax Credits (EITCs). This is in addition to the up to $1200 in federal stimulus money they are eligible to receive by filing a tax return for 2018 or 2019.

Currently, they have launched a campaign known as Million 4 a Billion, which was created to ensure that the $1 billion allocated for CalEITC refunds goes back into the pockets of workers who desperately need cash in the face of layoffs, lost income, and general financial insecurity.

The tax filing deadline has been extended until July 15. If you have not yet filed taxes and would like to receive help with filing your taxes with the help of one of their trained tax volunteers, please fill out this form and they will be in touch as soon as appointments become available in the coming weeks.

• For more information on CalEITC4Me, please visit their homepage by clicking here.
• For more information on their Million 4 a Billion Campaign, click here. 
• They also have a webpage dedicated to COVID-19 resources, which you can find by clicking here.

We hope this will be of help to you all.

Regem Corpuz
Student Engagement Liaison
Foundation for California Community Colleges

How Has COVID-19 Affected You?
Share your Story with Us. 

We recently conducted a survey of the challenges students are having during the COVID-19.  If you completed the survey, thank you!  After we conducted the survey, many of our system partners wanted to know immediately your challenges, as well as your stories.  We wanted to provide you an additional opportunity to share your story so that we can have "real" experiences of students to better advocate on your behalf.  If you would like to share your story, please click this link and tell us.  

UPCOMING EVENTS

• SSCCC Board of Directors Meeting, May 1 - 2, 2020, Online
• SSCCC Executive Committee Meeting, May 29, 2020, Online
• SSCCC Board of Directors Meeting, June 12, 2020, Online
• Check out all the SSCCC events including Regional Meetings, caucuses, and webinars on the SSCCC Calendar.  

All SSCCC Board of Directors and Executive Committee meetings are available via teleconference.  Check out the calendar on the SSCCC website (link above) for the agendas and call information at least 72-hours prior to the meeting.