The Academic Senate is expected to vote on a proposal to give athletes an earlier registration date.
The proposed registration dates would be directly after priority registration, which is set-aside for veterans, foster youth, EOPS, and DSPS. This four-hour window would give athletes a chance to sign up for a maximum of 14 units.
The initiative originated from the Captain Council, a group of student athletes, and has been supported by the Associated Student Senate and Matriculation Committee.
Out of the 400 athletes on campus, an estimated 200 would take advantage of the registration. It will only be accessible to certain returning student athletes. The requirements are to:
- Be in good standing on your athletics team.
- Maintain a minimum of a 2.0 GPA.
- Complete the Comprehensive Education Plan.
- Be enrolled in, deferred from or successfully complete PD 140.
- Maintain a minimum of 9 academic units per semester.
- Meet with an Athletic Academic Counselor or Advisor each semester.
“Our students have not been able to get the English and math classes they’ve needed,” said Kathleen O’Connor, senator for physical education. “Fifty percent of the community colleges [in California] have some type of priority registration for their athletes.”
One senator proposed that a 2.0 GPA might not be a challenging enough requirement.
“No other group of students has the rules to follow that these students do,” said O’Connor. “To make them have a higher GPA, I think would add insult to injury.”
Another senator asked about other student groups who have time restraints, the Gateway Tutors.
“Who considers special groups?” asked Bronwen Moore, senator for mathematics. “Gateway teachers spend a lot of time training [tutors,] and then the next semester they can’t be our tutors because they get classes during the time of our classes.”
Moore was prompted to talk to the Gateway directors to petition for a better registration time for tutors.
The senate will vote on the proposal Dec. 4.
