This section outlines the rights of student representatives during discussions between higher education employers and employee organizations representing student or academic staff. A student representative must be notified in writing about the meeting topics and can attend and comment during the meetings.
Student representatives can access documents exchanged during the meetings, have an aide present, and share comments with a mediator if there's an impasse. They are protected from coercion but must keep confidential information private; breaching confidentiality results in losing their involvement rights.
The student representative is chosen by the student body association of the educational institution, or if none exists, students may elect a representative.
(a)CA Government Code § 3597(a) Subject to provisions of subdivision (d), in all meeting and conferring between higher education employers and employee organizations representing student service or academic personnel, a student representative shall have the right to be notified in writing by the employer and the employee organizations of the issues under discussion. A student representative shall have the right to be present and comment at reasonable times during meeting and conferring between the employer and such employee organizations.
(b)CA Government Code § 3597(b) The student representative shall be provided access to all documents exchanged between the parties pertaining to the meeting and conferring and shall have the right to have an aide present during all meetings; in the case of mediation of impasses, the student representative shall have an opportunity at reasonable times to comment to the mediator on impasse issues; and shall be free from coercion or reprisals in the exercise of his or her rights as set forth in this section.
(c)CA Government Code § 3597(c) The student representative shall respect and maintain the rules governing confidentiality as they pertain to all parties involved in the meeting and conferring. Violations of this provision shall result in the termination of student involvement for the remainder of such meeting and conferring, and such other remedy, if any, deemed appropriate by the board.
(d)CA Government Code § 3597(d) For purposes of this section, a student representative shall be designated by the official student body association, if any, of the higher education employer, or segment thereof, engaged in meeting and conferring. If no student body association exists, the students may elect and designate a representative for the purposes of this section.
