Purpose
The State Student Advisory Council (SSAC) is comprised of students elected by each of the established student governments from across the Colorado Community College System (CCCS). SSAC is charged with advising the State Board of Community Colleges and Occupational Education on matters of interest and concern to all CCCS students.
Mission Statement
Advocating for the growth and success of all students.
Vision Statement
We will impact students by building relationships and bridges in order to identify and eliminate barriers, and ensure pathways to student success. We will accomplish this by improving communications and acting as a liaison between the students, CCCS, and legislators. Furthermore, we commit to a continued collaborative effort of service and excellence for the benefit of all students.
SSAC Respresentatives
| College | Student Rep | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Arapahoe Community College | Ally Poland | Treasurer |
| Community College of Aurora | Jennie Ramirez Rodriguez | Representative |
| Community College of Denver | Leena Elmiladi | Vice Chair |
| Colorado Northwestern Community College – Rangely Campus | Unfilled | |
| Colorado Northwestern Community College – Craig Campus | Unfilled | |
| Front Range Community College – Boulder County Campus | Valerie Zamora | Representative |
| Front Range Community College – Larimer Campus | Forrest Weimer | Representative |
| Front Range Community College – Westminster Campus | Ezra Ekman | Representative |
| Lamar Community College | Alisse Hall | Representative |
| Morgan Community College | Amy Carrillo | Representative |
| Northeastern Junior College | Unfilled | |
| Otero Junior College | Bailey Brubacher | PR & Marketing Manager |
| Pikes Peak Community College | Jalen Johnson | Representative |
| Pueblo Community College | Mark Sandoval | Representative |
| Red Rocks Community College | Connor Johnson | Secretary |
| Red Rocks Community College | Chelsea Sandoval | Chair |
| Trinidad State Junior College – Trinidad Campus | Sally Jane Ruybalid | Legislative Liaison |
| Trinidad State Junior College – Valley Campus | Unfilled |
SSAC Meeting Schedule
Meetings will generally be held on the second Friday of each month, 8:30 am – 3:30 pm.
Academic Year 21 meetings will be held virtually until further notice. Virtual meeting times are to be determined.
Contact SSAC Advisor, Stacie Amaya (Stacie.Amaya@cccs.edu), for more information
Meeting Dates
October 9, 2020
November 13, 2020
December 11, 2020
January 15, 2021
February 12, 2021
March 12, 2021
April 9, 2021
May 14, 2021
June 11, 2021
CCCS Student Leadership Conference
Each year, a Student Leadership Conference is planned by CCCS, the State Student Advisory Council, and Student Life staff from across the System. The conference brings over 100 of our Colorado community college students together to engage in skill-building activities, leadership development exercises, and peer networking opportunities. The conference is open to any student enrolled at a CCCS college and is provided at no cost to students.
The 2021 conference will be virtual, and will be hosted on February 19 & 20. Our theme is: “Riding the Current: Seizing Life by the Sails while Navigating Rough Waters.” Our goal is to cover the following student learning outcomes throughout the duration of the conference experience:
- Civic Responsibility: The ability to identify and understand ways to engage in one’s community, act in service to others, and find one’s voice in community systems and organizations.
- Critical Thinking: The ability to analyze, evaluate, and infer from one’s own thinking and that of others in order to form well-reasoned and informed conclusions.
- Cultural Responsiveness, Equity & Inclusion: The ability to understand one’s own lived experiences and seek understanding of the lived experiences of others in an effort to foster a welcoming environment and be a positive member of a diverse, global community.
- Effective Communication: The ability to construct and interpret clear messages while demonstrating understanding of audience and context.
- Interpersonal Interaction: The ability to develop and sustain healthy, mutually beneficial relationships.
- Resiliency: The ability to develop healthy behaviors and strategies for wellness to rebound from and positively transition after setbacks in all facets of life.
- Self-Awareness: The ability to develop an honest and authentic assessment of one’s own abilities, to utilize feedback to improve upon those abilities, and to use such internal and external awareness in an effort to grow.
In order to provide a quality, meaningful, educational experience for our participants, we are looking for members of our college campuses and surrounding communities who would be willing to share their talent and expertise during one of our conference breakout sessions.
HOW TO SUBMIT A PROGRAM PROPOSAL
Program proposals for the 2021 CCCS Student Leadership Conference may be submitted online. Proposals will be accepted until January 13 at midnight. Presenters will be notified of the selection committee’s decision on January 15.
Examples of possible themed program topics:
- Finding the Pearl Within – transformative leadership
- Anchoring for the Storm – self care
- The Wind Beneath our Sails – coalition and team building
- Just Keep Swimming – Advocacy 101
- Beach Party – driving engagement and participation
- Diving In – equity and inclusion
- Pirate’s Booty – developing our hidden talents
We welcome proposals on a variety of topics including, but not limited to the following:
Community Activism & Civic Engagement, Equity & Inclusion, Healthy Interpersonal Relationships, Motivating & Inspiring Teams, Understanding Biases, Self-Care, Leadership Styles & Philosophies, Listening & Nonverbal Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Imposter Syndrome, Mental Health & Well-Being, Setting and Achieving Goals, Engaging your Campus, Strategies for Advocacy, Understanding Personal Strengths, Talents & Values; and much more.
Photos from 2019 Student Leadership Conference
