Human Corps - Miscellaneous - Education - CA

Section § 99100

This law emphasizes the importance of community service for college students in California. It recognizes the benefits of such service to the students' personal and academic development, as well as its contribution to addressing social issues like education shortfalls and elder care. The Legislature aims to encourage greater student participation in community service by enhancing cooperation between educational institutions and various organizations, ultimately aspiring for all students to engage in such programs. The law highlights the role of community service as part of the university's mission and advocates for students to gain real-world experiences and social responsibility.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) California students have a long and rich tradition of participation in community service which should be recognized, commended, and expanded.

(2) There is a growing national consensus that student participation in community services enhances the undergraduate experience.

(3) Student community service is an activity of extreme importance to the mission of the university and deserves to be conducted both for academic credit and otherwise.

(4) The state’s postsecondary educational institutions are charged to maintain a tradition of public service as well as teaching and research.

(5) Access to the privilege of attending the university is made possible for many by our state’s tradition of keeping fees and tuition low.

(6) Practical learning experiences in the real world are valuable for the development of a student’s sense of self, skills, and education.

(7) Our state faces enormous unmet human needs and social challenges including undereducated children, increasing illiteracy and teenage parenting, environmental contamination, homelessness, school dropouts, and growing needs for elder care.

(8) The state’s ability to face these challenges requires policymakers to find creative and cost-effective solutions including increased efforts for community and student public service.

(9) The Legislature and the State of California provide substantial incentives and subsidies for its citizens to attend the state’s postsecondary education institutions, public and private, which are among the finest in the world.

(10) Current volunteer efforts conducted by community organizations reach only a fraction of the need. The need for public service is great because private, state, and federal funding are insufficient to pay for all the social services needed.

(11) Existing community service efforts have successfully demonstrated that participation in public service is of mutual benefit to participating students and the recipients of their services.

(b) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this article to do all of the following:

(1) Complete the college experience by providing students an opportunity to develop themselves and their skills in real-world learning experiences.

(2) To help nurture a sense of human community and social responsibility in our college students.

(3) Invite the fullest possible cooperation between postsecondary education institutions, schools, public, private, and nonprofit agencies, and philanthropies to plan, fund, and implement expanded opportunities for student participation in community life through public service in organized programs.

(4) To substantially increase college student participation in community services, with the ultimate goal of 100 percent participation.

student community service undergraduate experience academic credit ...

Section § 99101

This law section establishes a program called The Human Corps at the University of California and California State University, with encouragement for other colleges to join. The program aims to give every student a chance to engage in community service during college.

Starting in the fall of 1988, full-time students pursuing degrees are encouraged to volunteer for 30 hours of service each year, though it's not mandatory. The universities should promote and track participation while offering flexible options to include part-time and students facing challenges.

There is hereby created a program known as The Human Corps within the University of California and the California State University. The California Community Colleges, proprietary schools, and member institutions of the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities are strongly encouraged to implement Human Corps programs. The purpose of the corps is to provide every student an ongoing opportunity throughout his or her college career to participate in a community service activity. Toward this goal, beginning in the fall term in 1988, full-time students, including both undergraduate and graduate students, entering the University of California, the California State University, or an institution that is a member of the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities to pursue a degree shall be strongly encouraged and expected, although not required, to participate in the Human Corps by providing an average of 30 hours of community service in each academic year. The segments shall determine how to encourage and monitor student participation. The segments are strongly encouraged to develop flexible programs that permit the widest possible student involvement, including participation by part-time students and others for whom participation may be difficult due to financial, academic, personal, or other considerations.

Human Corps program University of California community service California State University service ...

Section § 99102

This law defines community service as work done by students either for free, for pay, or for academic credits, through nonprofit, government, or community-based groups. The aim is to give students hands-on experience that helps others and improves community life.

Activities can include tutoring, helping improve neighborhoods, or providing care for those in need, especially focusing on disadvantaged or low-income people. Schools are encouraged to create programs that make the best use of student skills, like offering tutoring or literacy programs.

For the purposes of this article, community service shall be defined as work or service performed by students either voluntarily or for some form of compensation or academic credit through nonprofit, governmental, and community-based organizations, schools, or college campuses. In general, the work or service should be designed to provide direct experience with people or project planning, and should have the goal of improving the quality of life for the community. Eligible activities may include, but are not limited to, tutoring, literacy training, neighborhood improvement, increasing environmental safety, assisting the elderly or disabled, and providing mental health care, particularly for disadvantaged or low-income residents.

In developing community service programs, campuses shall emphasize efforts which can most effectively use the skills of students such as tutoring programs or literacy programs.

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Section § 99103

This law establishes Human Corps task forces at each college campus, with the goal of strengthening community service activities. These task forces must include students, faculty, administration, and community representatives like local businesses and nonprofits. They should reflect the diversity of the campus and surrounding area. The task forces are meant to enhance and increase service opportunities, promote them to various stakeholders, and create rules for running the program.

There are hereby created Human Corps task forces in each segment, which shall be established on each campus by March 1, 1988. Community colleges and member institutions of the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities are strongly encouraged to establish task forces for the purposes set forth in this section. Each task force shall be composed of students, faculty, and campus administration. Each task force also shall include community representatives from groups such as schools, local businesses and government, nonprofit associations, social service agencies, and philanthropies. Each task force shall reflect the ethnic and racial diversity of the institution and the surrounding community. The purpose of the task forces is to strengthen and coordinate existing oncampus and external community service opportunities, expand and make new service opportunities available, promote the Human Corps to make students, community groups, faculty, employment recruiters, and administrators aware of the service expectation, and develop rules and guidelines for the program.

Human Corps task forces community service college campuses ...

Section § 99104

This law encourages California universities to make the most of their available resources to create the Human Corps, a program designed to support student community service initiatives. It suggests that universities should seek additional funding from private sectors, philanthropies, and federal sources to boost state support. Additionally, the funds allocated should not be evenly distributed across campuses but instead be awarded competitively to reinforce exemplary programs and encourage new initiatives where such programs are lacking.

Universities can implement various strategies to support the Human Corps, and possible activities for funding include recognizing student efforts, offering fellowships, providing awareness programs, organizing conferences, covering transportation costs, providing matching grants, and developing programs that engage multiple segments of the education system.

It is the intent of the Legislature that segments maximize the use of existing resources to implement the Human Corps. This responsibility includes seeking the resources of the private and independent sectors, philanthropies, and the federal government to supplement state support for Human Corps programs. The Legislature intends that the funds appropriated for purposes of this chapter to the Regents of the University of California and the Trustees of the California State University be used to offset some of the costs of developing the Human Corps. The segmental and campus Human Corps Task Forces shall jointly determine how those funds are used. It is the further intent of the Legislature that funds be allocated competitively for programs and not on a pro rata basis for each campus. Preference in funding should be given to strengthen and expand exemplary efforts to implement the Human Corps and to stimulate new efforts on campuses where the establishment of student community service programs has been limited.

Campuses may develop numerous approaches to implement the Human Corps on each campus. Activities eligible for funding may include a wide variety of incentives for student participation such as:

(a) Recognition programs.

(b) Fellowships.

(d) Periodic conferences for students and community organizations.

(e) Transportation costs.

(f) Matching grants.

(g) Intersegmental programs.

Human Corps student community service funding incentives ...

Section § 99106

This law says that any funding for the activities or programs mentioned in this chapter depends on the state budget being approved specifically for these purposes. Also, the rules or requirements in this chapter do not automatically apply to the University of California. Instead, the University's governing board, known as the Regents, must decide to opt into these rules by passing a formal resolution.

Funding for purposes of this chapter is contingent upon Budget Act appropriations. No provision of this chapter shall apply to the University of California unless the Regents of the University of California, by resolution, make that provision applicable.

Budget Act appropriations University of California Regents of the University of California ...