WHEREAS, Students across the California Community Colleges rely on critical digital systems including registration platforms, financial aid portals, degree audits, and student records for time-sensitive academic actions that directly affect enrollment, persistence, and transfer outcomes; and studies conducted for the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office confirm that digital platforms are now a dominant mode through which students access institutional services and coursework [1];
WHEREAS, Research indicates that fragmented or poorly communicated digital systems contribute to missed deadlines, increased stress, and reduced student success, with national survey data showing that nearly half of college students have missed important academic deadlines due to confusing or disjointed digital systems [2, 3];
WHEREAS, Sudden or insufficiently communicated changes to digital systems disproportionately impact students with disabilities, multilingual students, and those with lower levels of digital literacy, as research demonstrates that digital literacy significantly moderates students’ ability to effectively engage with educational technologies [4]; and
WHEREAS, Evidence-based best practices in higher education technology implementation emphasize advance notice, clear communication, and stakeholder feedback as key strategies to reduce confusion, improve adoption, and promote equity during system transitions [5, 6]; Now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges recommend that California community colleges adopt and publish a minimum advance-notice standard for any major change to critical student-facing digital systems (including registration, financial aid, degree audit, student records, LMS access pathways, and authentication), requiring (a) notice no later than one primary term prior to implementation, (b) a clearly defined “major change” threshold (e.g., platform replacement, navigation redesign, workflow changes that affect deadlines, access, or required steps), and (c) protections for time-sensitive periods by restricting major rollouts during peak registration and financial aid windows, to reduce missed deadlines and prevent disruption to enrollment, persistence, and transfer outcomes;
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges recommend that California community colleges, when planning major updates to critical student digital systems, work collaboratively with their local associated students organizations several months in advance of implementation to support student input, adequate advance notice, and transparent planning prior to any system rollout;
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges recommend that California community colleges, in coordination with their campus communications departments, associated students organizations, disability support services, and counseling departments, utilize multi-channel communication strategies including email, student portal banners, institutional websites, social media, and on-campus signage to ensure students receive clear, timely, accessible, and repeated notifications regarding major digital system changes; and
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges work collaboratively with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and relevant partner organizations to develop and distribute best-practice guidance centered on sample implementation timelines for major digital system transitions, outlining recommended preparatory steps, minimum advance-notice periods prior to implementation, and example communication and training materials such as notification emails, portal messaging, and accessibility-focused guidance to promote consistent, student-centered transitions across California Community Colleges.
Citations:
[1] California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. A Comprehensive Study of Online Education in the California Community Colleges. The RP Group, 2023,
https://www.cccco.edu/-/media/CCCCO-Website/docs/report/sb117-comprehen… udy-report-ada.pdf.
Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
[2] Educause. New Survey Finds Fragmented Digital Systems Are Eroding Student Success, Belonging, and Satisfaction Across U.S. Colleges. Educause, 2025, https://www.educause.edu/about/corporate-participation/member-press-rel… s-fragmented-digital-systems-are-eroding-student-success.
Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
[3] Pathify. New Survey Finds Fragmented Digital Systems Are Eroding Student Success, Belonging, and Satisfaction Across U.S. Colleges. PR Newswire, 2025, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-survey-finds-fragmented-di… ml.Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
[4] Al-Hamad, A., et al. “The Role of Digital Literacy in Students’ Engagement with Educational Technologies.” Sustainability, vol. 17, no. 3, 2025,
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/3/1133. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
[5] U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. Reimagining the Role of Technology in Higher Education. U.S. Department of Education,
https://tech.ed.gov/files/2023/07/Reimagining-the-Role-of-Technology-in…. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
[6] National Center for Education Statistics. Digital Access and Use in Postsecondary Education. U.S. Department of Education,
https://nces.ed.gov/use-work/resource-library/report/statistical-analys… ogy-affect-access-postsecondary-education-what-do-we-really-know. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.