Policy

The Issue

Students who cannot afford or access menstrual hygiene products face a documented barrier to educational participation — missing class, falling behind academically, and disengaging from campus life.

The Proposal

Require all Tarrant County College campus restrooms to provide free menstrual hygiene products as a standard campus resource, funded through student services.

Rationale

Treating menstrual hygiene as a public health and equity issue — rather than a personal expense — removes a concrete barrier to academic participation at no significant cost to the institution.

Considerations

Implementation requires ongoing funding, supply chain management, and maintenance protocols. Questions of scope (which restrooms, which campuses) and cost allocation require administrative coordination.

The Issue

Community college students face disproportionate mental health stressors — financial pressure, work obligations, family responsibilities — yet have less access to mental health infrastructure than four-year university students.

The Proposal

Establish dedicated mental health and wellness spaces on TCC campuses — quiet, accessible rooms where students can decompress, access mental health resources, and connect with counseling services.

Rationale

Low-cost, high-visibility wellness infrastructure signals institutional investment in student wellbeing and provides a practical resource for students who cannot access off-campus mental health services.

Considerations

Requires space allocation, staffing or monitoring protocols, and coordination with existing counseling services. Effectiveness depends on student awareness and accessibility.

The Issue

A generation of students is entering public life without a working knowledge of how government functions — a structural vulnerability for democratic self-governance.

The Proposal

Require a foundational civic literacy course — covering constitutional structure, the legislative process, voting rights, and civic participation — as a graduation requirement at Texas community colleges.

Rationale

Civic ignorance is not a neutral condition. A requirement at the community college level reaches students across income levels, ages, and backgrounds — making it a more equitable intervention than university-level requirements alone.

Considerations

Raises questions about curriculum design, faculty capacity, course credit, and whether a mandate is preferable to incentive-based approaches. Implementation at the state level would require legislative action.