Student athletes have made a case to move up their registration date for classes.

If the initiative is approved, student athletes who qualify for early registration will have a four-hour window after the priority registration time. Priority registration is currently set-aside for EOPS, DSPS, veterans and foster youth. They will not be allowed to register more than 14-units, to ensure that no one takes advantage of the time.

The student driven initiative will go before the Academic Senate on Wednesday, Nov. 27. The Associated Student Senate approved the idea last spring when the Captains Council, group of student athletes, presented it.

“They did a really great job advocating for themselves,” said Ryan Byrne, athletic director. “It’s got a lot of merit… We started from scratch and said ‘why do you think you deserve it?’”

Student athletes are required to take certain classes in order to participate in the sports program. If students are unable to sign up for their necessary classes, they will not be able to play.

“We wouldn’t be stepping in front of the groups that are state mandated,” said Byrne. “In order to meet the requirements that are imposed by outside governing bodies, the only way to really be eligible for these students are to get into the classes that they are required to have.”

Early registration is meant to encourage students to meet with an academic counselor, have a long-term education plan, be a fulltime student, make progress toward a degree and maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0.

“I used to be a student athlete and I know the stress that comes with it,” said Mike Kuntz, sustainable horticulture major. “It’d be nice to not have to worry whether or not I’m going to get into a class I need.”

For an athlete to transfer, they are required by the NCAA to take specific math and English courses and complete 40 percent of their bachelor’s degree.

“In order to be eligible to compete at a four-year level they need to do it right here and there is very little wiggle room,” said Byrne. “They have to pretty much be perfect on their academic planning here.”

There are 400 student athletes at City College. Of those 400, about 200 of them are incoming freshmen and wouldn’t be eligible to participate in early registration because they don’t meet the NCAA requirements.

The athletic department has to verify that students are eligible athletes. Athletes must complete the academic success course PD-140, a comprehensive education plan, have at least nine academic units per semester and meet with an athletic academic counselor each semester. Once verified, a list of people who are able to register after the state mandated group is compiled.

“We voted in favor that they got priority registration,” said Elie Katzenson, student senate president. “Our bottom line was making sure that students that were in [priority registration,] the veterans and disabled students that they were taken care of—then respecting our student athletes who work a pretty grueling schedule to balance that student athlete title.

“[Athletes] still deserve to be able to handle their schedules and make sure that they aren’t at school for 12 hours every day because they have a late date.”

The Academic Senate will vote on the initiative at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27.