College Policies

Although the United States Constitution asserts that all Americans have the freedom of speech, a handful of community college campuses may be silencing some voices. During classroom debates that focus on controversial topics, ranging from gay marriage to sexism in the workforce, tensions arise – but does this give community colleges the right to silence certain voices?

Legal Actions Against Limited Speech in Community Colleges

While there have been several cases brought against community colleges, Los Angeles Community College (LACC), located in California, has garnered the most controversial attention. As the Los Angeles Times reports, LACC student Jonathan Lopez filed a lawsuit against the college after his professor allegedly did not allow Lopez to complete his prepared speech on Proposition 8. According to court documents, Lopez asserts that the professor asked him to shorten his presentation due to the professor's own beliefs regarding gay marriage. As the LA Times specifically recounts, “The student said that the professor cut his presentation short, called him a 'fascist bastard' and told him to ask God' for his grade.”

This video looks at the freedom of speech issue.

Despite the shocking words, Lopez's professor was technically abiding by the sexual harassment policy set forth by LACC. Lopez's professor believed that the student's anti-gay marriage presentation was sexually offensive, and subsequently, by banning Lopez from giving the speech, the professor was indeed adhering to the subjective

In this weak economy, California's community colleges face deja vu fears that surfaced nearly a decade ago in the state. After a proposed budget cut of $215 million dollars for nearly 108 California community colleges in 2001, critics of former Governor Gray Davis argued that his proposed funding cuts would negatively impact thousands of college students. Sadly, although Davis has been replaced by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, it seems as though California community college students and leaders are facing an all too familiar fear.

California has made national headlines with its many economic struggles and set-backs, and now the state faces grave concerns expressed by community college students. According to recent reports from the California Legislative Committee, new budget cuts proposed by Arnold Schwarzenegger could prevent thousands of potential students from affording community college for the upcoming fall semester. As Schwarzenegger has planned to gradually phase out the Cal Grant aid, which provides support for lower-income college students, some experts fear that nearly 200,000 students' collegiate plans may be deterred. According to the Los Angeles Times, Cal Grant support is the state's main financial aid offered for college students; with this decrease in aid, community college students are worried about their uncertain academic futures.

This video from 2021 looks at potential budget cuts at California community colleges.

California and the Importance of the Cal Grant Support

Created in 2000, the Cal

How safe are you on your community college’s campus? Many students have begun to express concern regarding their safety on campus, especially during off-peak hours.

For example, to take a night course at a community college, students are typically forced to either enter or leave class after sunset. With less light visibility and decreased crowds on campus in the evening, some students feel concerned about violence.

As a result, many students assert that they must take extra measures to ensure that they are well-protected. In light of this argument, some community college campuses are beginning to permit the carrying of personal handguns on campus.

This video looks at the question of students having guns on campus.

The Debate over College Campus Gun Regulations

Currently, most community college campuses do not allow the possession of a concealed handgun on campus. However, according to The Facts publication, college students in the state of Texas, who are above the age of 21, are now permitted to carry a gun on college campuses!

According to reports, in light of the public school and college violence in recent years, many students feel less protected when they’re attending classes. Specifically, upon the violent attacks on the Virginia Tech campus in 2007, many students began to protest school policies to fight for their right to carry a gun for protection. As 32 people were killed in the Virginia

Community colleges receive a majority of their funding from tuition costs and student payments. Despite this income, however, community colleges across the country still strongly depend on effective fundraising venues and actions to boost the campus environment, programs, and academic offerings. As Council for Advancement and Support of Education asserts, “With economic stagnation and diminished tax revenues depleting the coffers of state and local governments nationwide, America’s community colleges must look beyond the public sector to fund their educational missions.”

According to expert advisors and academic leaders, successful community college fundraising actions can help boost a school’s appealing qualities, student opportunities, and overall institutional successes.

This video offers some ideas for community college fundraising.

The Current State of Fundraising Affairs

According to Community College Times, many community colleges could improve their overall successes by implementing more effective fundraising strategies and actions. As Donald Summers, an expert fundraising consultant with experience with working in community college development offices asserts: “‘To my mind, nothing would be better for American democracy and education than for community colleges to rake in the billions they deserve.’” Community colleges often primarily strive to provide current and potential students with accessible and affordable courses and programs, but many community colleges struggle to bring in enough money to create sustainable and competitive programs.

As Summers further argues, local governors need to become more attentive to the fundraising abilities of appointed board

As a societal approach to improving health conditions in public settings, many offices, community centers, and restaurants have initiated tobacco and smoking bans on their properties. While public schools, such as elementary and high schools, have banned tobacco products on their educational campuses for years, community colleges across the country are now beginning to follow in this health-driven trend.

Banning Tobacco on Community College Campuses

The Growing Trend

Institutions, businesses, and other settings possess the legal right to ban smoking and tobacco use on property grounds by the fact that private properties can be governed by owners/managers/leaders. As a result, those who own a private property often have the supreme authority over the rules and regulations of their grounds and boundaries.

Community colleges, on the other hand, had to earn their right to ban tobacco in 2006, as community campuses are not necessarily “privately” owned properties. In 2006, as Katherine McDonald of the Chatham Journal explains, “The General Assembly adopted legislation exempting community colleges from a law requiring public institutions to set aside areas for tobacco use.”

According to McDonald’s investigations, community colleges that have adopted smoke-free and tobacco-free policies include schools such as Asheville-Buncombe Technical, Cleveland, Guilford Technical, Haywood, Pitt, Roanoke-Chowan, Stanly, Wake Technical, and Wilkes Community College.

This video describes the Truth Initiative which helps community colleges and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) bring tobacco-free policies to the campuses that serve young adults from minority and