PCC Courier, April 27, 1979

Board Opposes J Free Flow' Plan Meyers: Tree Flow Plan a Sham' By Steve McManus Staff Writer The Board of Trustees at their April 19 meeting passed a resolution op¬ posing a new “free flow” plan for inter-district attendance. Calling the plan “a sham” and “a cover-up for a takeover by the state,” Superintendent-President Richard Meyers said the Board of Governors was trying to railroad it through, despite resistance from many com¬ munity college presidents. In other action the Board of Trustees approved a contract for a satellite link for KPCS, the college radio station, and received information in three proposals for the selection of the student representative to the board. “Free Flow” Opposed The “free flow” plan, though not completely defined, would allow students in Los Angeles County to attend any community college in the county without having to obtain a permit. Many college officials fear students could be lured to colleges with ex¬ pansive curriculums, attractive geographical locations or better vocational programs. If the future of state funding for the community colleges gravitates back toward the ADA (average daily at¬ tendance) system, in which the colleges receive money for each student that attends, school officials contend that the attrition factor of the free flow plan could force some colleges into financial peril, possibly closure. According to an article in the April 15 Orange County Daily Pilot, “state officials at the Community College System office in Sacramento are hesitant to say they are going to support a free flow system.” ■ This is due to the apparent division of community college administrators on the issue. Dr. Meyers reported that at a recent San Diego convention 80 percent of the community college presidents attending opposed the free flow plan. Chancellor Craig is not unaware of the situation. The Daily Pilot says that the final decision of the Board of Governors on the issue “will be in¬ corporated into the recommended long-term financing plan they will support in the Sacramento legislature. “ ( Craig’s fear is that the potentially explosive free flow issue could divide the districts and undermine the ac¬ ceptance of a financing plan.” An underlying facet of the free flow issue is the erosion of local control over college districts. The resolution drafted by Dr. Meyers spoke strongly to this point. Paragraph siy states that free flow “tears at the very philosophical principles” of local control “by the possible elimination or alteration of trustee areas, community district boundaries, locally controlled governing boards, home rule, and in sum the very essence of what com¬ munity colleges are all about.” Trustee Walter Shatford felt some of the wording of the resolution was too strong. He agreed with the jist of the decision, but abstained from voting. The board also consented to have Dr. Meyers appear before the Board of Governors at their April 26 meeting to emphasize the Pasadena district’s discord with the plan. Satellite Link After considerable debate, the board unanimously approved a contract with the Corporation for Public Broad¬ casting (СРВ), authorizing the in¬ stallation of a satellite dish, which will be the new mode of programming for National Public Radio (NPR). Approval was made subject to an after -meeting reading of the contract by Trustees Charles Briscoe and Shatford. They found nothing to dispute. KPCS has been receiving programming from NPR via leased land lines and prerecorded tapes for several years. NPR will be ter¬ minating these as the installation of satellite discs takes place. Only those stations with receiving discs will have access to NPR programming. The disc measures 4.5 meters (about 15 feet) in diameter. It will be located at ground level between the T and V Buildings. The combined costs for planning, development, equipment and in¬ stallation are estimated at over $71,000. Those costs will be borne completely by СРВ. There will be no cost to the district. With the satellite link, KPCS will be able to choose from four simultaneous transmissions with improved program quality. In addition, information on any subject (medical technology for example) may be transmitted from any station in the country which has a disc. Station Manager John Gregory views the satellite as an auspicious event for KPCS. Not only will engineering students gain valuable experience in satellite monitoring, but Gregory foresees all departments of the college benefitting from the link. Student Trustee The board received copies of three proposals pertaining to the selection of the student representative to the governing body. The proposals are in keeping with AB 591, which became effective January 1, 1978. The bill, and its subsequent inclusion in the Education Code, calls for a nonvoting student member to sit on the Board of Trustees. PCC has had a student member on the board since 1968. Until now, the ASB President has automatically filled the post each Pay Raise, Sabbaticals Unresolved Faculty Administration at Odds semester. However, AB 591 stipulates that the student trustee serve a term of one year commencing July 1. Since elections for ASB President are held each semester, there is confusion and disagreement as to what should happen. The first proposal allows the ASB President or an appointee to serve on the board. It contains no solution to the bi-annual election problem. The second proposal states that an independent student representative should be chosen during spring semester elections. No ASB officer would be allowed to serve concurrently on the Board of Trustees. The third proposal also calls for the ASB President or an appointee to serve as the student member. A special clause of the proposal specifies that the ASB President’s term be extended to one vear to comply with the law. The board has the option to act on any of the proposals or to reject them all and develop a separate one. A decision is expected in May, before spring elections. A new bill, AB 1551, was introduced into the State Legislature last month by John Vasconcellos (D-San Jose), who also authored AB 591. The bill would give full voting and executive session privileges to the student member. While this may improve the numeric make-up of the Board of Governors, which presently has 14 members, it would create havoc with local com¬ munity college governing boards. Most of them have either five or seven elected representatives and would be reticent to expand their ranks to an even number like six or eight. ASB President Derek Coleman admitted that the chances for passage of AB 1551 seem remote. ASSISTANT DIRECTORS SELECTED— Three new Assistant Directors for the Extended Opportunity Program (EOP) were ap¬ pointed by director John Hardy. EOP is designed to help individuals with disadvantaged backgrounds who want to attend a college or university. Seated, from left to right, are: Clemmie Phillips and Stan Tsukahira. Standing is Jesus Gomez. Hardy Appoints Three To Fill EOP Positions By Margaret Boersig and Steve McManus Staff Writers Retroactive pay and sabbaticals remain key issues among the faculty. The April 23 Faculty Senate Board meeting revealed a stalmate in resolution talks. Negotiations between the ad¬ ministration and the Faculty Senate Budget and Salary Committee over a retroactive pay increase are proving fruitless, according to some faculty members. The FSB expressed dissatisfaction with the “good faith” efforts of the administration. They feel there is a definite communications problem. After two initial meetings of the groups, FSB President-elect Bruce Carter said, “We don’t know anything we didn’t know already.” The delicateness of the situation is increased as the May 9 election draws near. The election was set at a March 27 hearing of the Public Employees Relations Board. The election will give all faculty two choices— to have the California Teachers Association act as the ex¬ clusive representative in collective bargaining or to have no represen¬ tative. In last year’s election, СТА lost by a handful of votes. СТА chapter president Stan Hutchinson feels confident that collective bargaining will be voted in this year. In its most recent newsletter, the Advocate, СТА points out that “most community colleges under collective bargaining have received retroactive increases ranging from 5 to 10 percent without posing severe financial bur¬ dens on their budgets.” By Dan Hutson Fine Arts Editor The PCC Forensics Team won five awards including a gold medal, at the Phi Rho Pi National Forensics Championship held April 11-16 in Minnesota. Held at the Raddison South Hotel in Minneapolis, the competition attracted community colleges from across the country. Beth Fernandez received a gold medal in the Informative Speech event for a talk on puppetry. She also was awarded a bronze in the Speech to Entertain category. Laura Horton took a silver for a speech on graffiti in Informative Speech. Bronze medals were awarded to Don Vecchione for an informative speech on “The Screen Image Western” and Marjorie Dolnick in the Speech to Entertain event. “We are extremely happy with the results,” said Dr. Patrick Brown, co¬ advisor to the team. “Everything we have worked for this year culminates in the National Championship.” “These past two tournaments have been our best showings this year, so we’re satisfied. As a matter of fact, this fournament was our best showing in the past five years.” Eight students belonged to this year's team . Judith Dinneen. Marjorie Dolnick, This is juxtaposed with mentions of a 2.5 to 5 percent retroactive raise for PCC’s faculty. A lack of written communication and administration hesitance to share budget information is causing many faculty members to feel they are being forced into collective bargaining. Faculty recollection on just how much money the administration said might be available for pay ad¬ justments differs. Carter said "they estimated a possible $500,000 for this year if departments continue to spend less.” Yet an April 20 Senate Gram, reportedly written by Budget and Salary chairman Pat O'Day, states “analysis of the budget shows that from $700,000 to $1 million may be available for a retroactive pay ad¬ justment.” O'Day is also the president of the Faculty Senate Association, which has provided the opposition to collective bargaining in the past. As of last week O'Day said his organization had not met, but that “there is still plenty of time before the election." The same movement toward collective bargaining is also evident among the apporoximate 250 white collar classified employees of the college. They have collected enough signatures by petition to qualify for a similar election. It is their intention to have the California School Employees Association represent them in collective bargaining talks. The district has yet to challenge the unit they have submitted. Ordinarily the granting of sabbatical leaves is decided in November of the Beth Fernendez, Laura Horton, Leslie Paddock. Paul Roberts and Erin Stevens. Among the events entered were Impromptu, Persuasive, Informative, Speech to Entertain, Oral In¬ terpretation of Literature and Reader's Theater. Reader's Theater, under the direction of Brown and Audrey Mclllwrath, did not fare well. “One judge gave a first place score." said Brown, "but another didn't like it at all.” Their entry, “A Corwin Collage,” will be performed at the faculty follies May 30. The team will attend its final competition of the year May 5 at Cal State Long Beach. The categories ihclude salesmanship and Peach Oratory, which includes and speech pertaining to peace. Hopes are high for next year's team, according to Brown. “Were losing some good people, but there's. a good chance that Beth Fernendez and Laura Horton will return “The group this year was very together, very supportive. We didn't have any ego problems, and all the work paid off.” "Next year, we think that with the success we've had. we should be able to draw some new people. Were hoping success will draw success." year preceeding the intended leave. However, the Board of Trustees postponed the issue of sabbaticals until more state budget information becomes available. A number of area colleges have granted sabbaticals despite Proposition 13 cutbacks, causing the faculty to question the ad¬ ministrations reasoning. In addition, a $300.000 surplus excess was discovered at the close of last year. According to the faculty, if this money had been budgeted they might have received sabbaticals or the pay raise they have waited two years for. Bruce Carter, spokesman for sab¬ batical applicants, states that “the original cost figure that the Board of Trustees gave was $70,000. That figure is now $200,000 for the same number of sabbaticals" The discrepancy of sabbatical cost is causing speculation among some faculty members regarding the amount of money the district has available. Carter also said “ordinarily between $1 and $2 million remains at the close of the year. This is then budgeted for the next year. ” However, the crunch of Proposition 13 has cut this surplus in half. “We don't want to come to the end of the year to discover another $300,000 that will be taken from us rather than be used for a raise or sabbaticals,” Carter added. "The Board of Trustees thinks we want the school to go bankrupt. I don't think anyone on the faculty wants this. We would like to receive the sab¬ baticals and a raise. It s been two years now and we are working below the rate of inflation. If there is money. and a number of us think there is, we would like to see it used for these rather than forfeited to the state.” The faculty is determined to keep sabbaticals, feeling that if they have to surrender them for one year when finances are tight, they could be asked to give them up again in the future. Carter claims that “we may never get them back.” The seriousness of the sabbatical issue was further emphasized by business professor Ed Ortell, who stated that “we should never let this issue die. " Mrs. Maria DiMassa stressed the fact that a business should not regress but grow and said “I think relinquishing sabbaticals without a fight would be a regression for us.” Carter admitted that collective bargaining seems to be an answer to the problem of sabbaticals. Nearly 75 percent of the schools in a recent poll of California junior colleges have turned to collective bargaining. Most of them have granted sabbaticals. “Although a direct corollation between collective bargaining and the permitting of sabbaticals seems to exist, I don't think that sabbaticals hinge on the acceptance of collective bargaining,” Carter said. A communication problem between the administration and the faculty is at the root of this year's operations. In the past, finances were negotiated simply between the two parties. Authorization on issues was granted by the appropriate administrative head. This year has been different. The faculty claims “hemming and hawing” on the part of the ad¬ ministration on any issue, financial or otherwise. By Katrin Wegelius Assistant News Editor Three new Assistant Directors for the Extended Opportunity Program (EOP) were recently appointed by John Hardy, director of the student resource center and EOP at PCC. The new Assistant Directors, Clemmie Phillips, Jesus Gomez and Stan Tsukahira work under the direction of Hardy in C290, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Extended Opportunities Program (EOP) is designed to provide individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds with opportunities to attend a college or university. These individuals include low-income per¬ sons, ethnic minorities and those who encounter language or cultural barriers in furthering their education. By providing admission assistance and supportive services, the EOP makes it possible for these individuals to pursue a college education. EOP helps the student from the time he first applies to the college or university to the time he graduates. Because students need a variety of support services to meet changing academic needs, EOP comprises a comprehensive program of supportive services provided to all new and continuing EOP students. Among services provided by most programs are, information about college opportunities, orientation to college and help in adjusting to the college environment, summer school programs to brush up on important subject areas, counseling, tutoring and learning assistance to help students with classwork and career counseling and advisement about graduate study opportunities. At PCC, EOP is not a special ad¬ mission program. It is a financial and supportive service funded by the state. Its primary purpose is to provide active encouragement directed towards enrollment and retention of students handicapped by language, social and economic disadvantages. It also issues grants to eligible students receiving financial aid and employs students to work with the college staff as student assistants, peer counselors, recruiters and tutors. The function of the Assistant Directors is to be more or less all of these. Their work starts with recruiting. This requires them to go around the community to all high schools in order to acquaint future graduates with the different programs, services, courses and requirements the college offers. The students they are looking for are the talented ones who have no op¬ portunity or think they have no op¬ portunity to further their education. In order to qualify for the EOP grant, the student must come from a family with no more than $8200 annual income. Although, each of the assistant directors represents one ethnic minority, Jesus Gomez said they are here to serve the whole community and whoever needs their help. All three Assistant Directors applied for this job because of an intense in¬ terest for counseling. Stan Tsukahira holds a masters degree in counseling from Cal State Long Beach and found this job through field work placement. His objective is to become career counselor for the Asian Americans. Jesus Gomez, having had previous experience as Chicano counselor, hopes this position to be a stepping stone for him to become a real coun¬ selor. Clemmie Phillips has had previous experience with EOP as she was once recuited herself and encouraged to get over her disinterestedness for further education. Today she holds a master’s degree in public administration and said she owes it all to John Hardy and Dr. Irvin Lewis. CINCO DE MAYO QUEEN — Elections for the Cinco de Mayo Queen will be held on May 5 during the Cinco de Mayo dance. Contestants are, from left to right: Teresa Cardenas, Gladys Vega, Belinda Trupelo, Jeanne Schultz, Mona Robinson, Marcia Alcautara, Kathy Abeyta, Maria Limon and Vivianna Navarrete. - Courier nhotr by Katrin Wegelius Speech Team Takes Awards at Nationals