SACRAMENTO – The California Community Colleges is encouraging its campuses to engage in a range of activities in supporting undocumented students and urging Congress to create a pathway to citizenship as part of Undocumented Student Week of Action beginning Oct. 15.

The California Community Colleges Board of Governors declared Oct. 15 to 19 as Undocumented Student Week of Action in a resolution adopted at its September meeting, held less than 10 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border at Southwestern College in Chula Vista.

The resolution notes that the California Community Colleges is committed to providing an open and welcoming environment for all students, regardless of ethnicity, religion, national origin, immigration status, age, gender, medical condition or socioeconomic status.

“It is imperative that the California Community Colleges, the single largest provider of post-secondary education in the nation, stand up our students, regardless of immigration status,” said Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley. “We are committed to collaborating with community organizations to raise awareness about resources, including financial aid, for undocumented students, and we continue to advocate at the federal level for a permanent resolution to this issue.”

In partnership with the Community College League of California, the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges, the Foundation for California Community Colleges, Immigrants Rising and other organizations, community colleges across the state will use the advocacy week to encourage students to host meetings with members of Congress, offer webinars, workshops and legal clinics for students, call on representatives to work toward comprehensive immigration reform and share resources for undocumented students.

This is the second year the California Community Colleges has called a week of advocating to build awareness and circulate resources for undocumented students.

The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation, composed of 73 districts and 115 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year.