ASSOCIATED STUDENT UNION

Eligibility:

AP 5411 Eligibility for Associated Student Organization Offices

Approved by DAS Executive Committee 09-02-22 for Notice at the 09-08-22 DAS Meeting

1. The following standards governing candidate and officer (as defined by the ASO constitution and by-laws) eligibility for appointed and elected Associated Student Organization officers (ASO), must be met:

A. The candidate or officer must be a currently paid member of the ASO, at the college where the election is being held, and have successfully completed no more than 80 degree-applicable units in the District.

B. The candidate may seek only one campus office within the District and must meet minimum enrollment requirement, as described below, at the institution. Students interested in the Student Trustee position, may not seek an ASO office position at the nine LACCD Colleges simultaneously.

C. Per Section 76061 of the Education Code, a student who is elected or appointed to serve as an officer in the student government of a community college shall meet any of the following requirements:

(a) The student shall be enrolled in the community college at the time of election, and throughout the student’s term, with a minimum of five credit semester units,

 (b) The student shall be enrolled in an adult education program (noncredit program only) offered by a community college district pursuant to Article 9 (commencing with Section 84900) of Chapter 5 of Part 50, at the time of the election and throughout the student’s term.

(c) The student is enrolled in the community college at the time of election, and throughout the student’s term, and is a disabled student, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 84850 shall be enrolled in coursework as prescribed in their educational plan. As used in this section, “disabled students” are persons with exceptional needs with a verified disability by the Office of Special Programs and Services.

D. The candidate or officer must not be on academic or progress probation, as defined by AP 4255 Probation during the semesters in which the student government office is applied for and held. The candidate or officer must have and maintain a cumulative and current GPA of at least 2.0 in the units completed at all the colleges in the District. Current means the most recently completed semester or session. The ASO Constitution may not set a higher GPA requirement.

E. The ASO Constitution may not set a higher unit requirement to serve as a candidate or officer in student government. Units in which a student receives an Incomplete (INC) will not be counted in the determining the number of units completed. Students falling below this requirement will automatically forfeit their office. Students, who forfeit office for failing to meet this unit requirement, will not be reinstated if INC grades are converted to letter grades and units are awarded for those courses. Candidates may be enrolled in more than one college in the District, but the candidate must be currently enrolled in a minimum of five (5) units at the college where the candidate is seeking office. Officers must maintain that enrollment at the college where the office is held.

F. Students enrolled in an adult education program or enrolled in a reduced course load due to a verified disability by the Office of Special Services must successfully complete all coursework enrolled in at the time of the election or appointment. Students falling below this requirement will automatically forfeit their office.

G. Exceptions on the maximum unit requirement in Section 1a of this regulation may be made for students enrolled in a college degree, certificate or transfer program where the combination of program requirements and prerequisites may result in the student exceeding the 80 degree-applicable unit limit. Exceptions will be decided by the College President based upon recommendations made by the Chief Student Services Officer. In order to be considered for an exemption, a student, who exceeds the requisite 80 degree-applicable unit maximum, must satisfy at least one of the following conditions:

1) The requirements of the student’s declared associate degree major, certificate and/or transfer objective, as specified in the college catalog, caused the student to enroll in courses that exceeded the 80 degree-applicable unit maximum.

2) Program prerequisites, as specified in the college catalog, caused the student to exceed the 80 degree-applicable unit maximum.

3) A current student educational plan must be on file.

2. A candidate or officer is ineligible for ASO office:

a. If he/she has served more than four (4) semesters in any one (1) or more student government elected or appointed offices in the District.

b. If a candidate or officer, who exceeded the unit maximum in Section 1a of this regulation and was granted an exception, fails to be enrolled in courses that are specifically required for his or her declared associate degree, certificate or transfer objective requirements, as specified in the college catalog.

3. An officer may serve a fifth semester if eligible at the time of assuming office with the approval of the college president or designee (e.g., has served three semesters and is a candidate for an office with a one-year term).

4. The Chief Student Services Officer and/or designee will verify a candidate or officer's eligibility. If the student should disagree with the findings of the Chief Student Services Officer and/or designee, he/she can appeal the decision through the student grievance procedures contained in LACCD Administrative Regulation E-55. Officers not adhering to the standards for office will be required to forfeit their positions.

5. Candidates or officers must comply with the minimum standards of the District Code of Conduct. Failure to comply will result in forfeiture of the position if an ASO officer is suspended for more than ten (10) days from one or more classes, activities, services, programs, or specific locations at any college in the Los Angeles Community College District, under LACCD disciplinary provisions (see BP 5500 Standards if Student Conduct and AP 5520 Student Discipline.)

ASSOCIATED STUDENT UNION