PCC Courier, January 30, 2014

VOLUME 109 ISSUE 2 ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT PCCCOURIER.COM January 30, 2014 , RECORD! WHAT’S INSIDE: +j Ф C “O ф та TJ Й Г »» r *- ' RECORDS See how vinyl records зге making a comeback in a digital world. PAGE 8» SPEAK OUT! Do you think students should be able to reuse parking passes that were purchased by other people? Vote at PccCourier.com Grand opening draws hundreds Benjamin Simpson/Courier The crowd outside the west entrance during the dedication ceremony for the Center for the Arts building on Jan. 23. While the building opened for classes in the fall of 2013, the official dedication ceremony took place in front of the arts building Thursday evening and was. Samantha Molina Staff Writer Hundreds gathered to cele¬ brate the offiicial grand opening of the Center for the Arts during the ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday Jan. 23. Attendants had the opportuni¬ ty to tour the building including classes, student displays and exhibits. The grand opening also included musical performances from the solo pianists and piano ensembles, jazz singers, brass quintet, guitar ensemble, and the Lancer Jazz Big Band. In attendance was Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard, Vice-Mayor Jacque Robinson, Congress- woman Judy Chu, Assemblymen Chris Holden, the PCC Board of Trustees, the PCC Foundation Board, the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, members of the Art Alliance, the Citizen’s Oversight Committee and members of the community. Also in attendance was Acad¬ emy Award-nominated director and PCC alumnus John Singleton who gave a short speech about his experience at PCC. “My first film classes were here at PCC,” Singleton said. “The first time I ever had a chance to access equipment and formu¬ late my dreams of becoming a filmmaker began here so for me to come here and see this new facility dedicated to the arts fos¬ tering creativity to a whole new generation of students just really warms my heart.” Designed by AC Martin ar¬ chitects, the Center for the Arts brings art and music together with its 14 classrooms and 3 per¬ formance spaces: the Robert and Adrienne Westerbeck Recital GRAND page 2 ►- Increased enrollment may promise more funding HOW STUDENTS EQUAL MONEY ▼ • i $3.5 Million Expected from FTES В Haoe**tf Sx зеслза stoojobo «гздеае Student Head Count m _ ш 11 1 . .ТЛВ2Ю12 S-jMcgam ГМ 2013 MSftoQ2 OU. Photo illustration by Antonio Gandara Christine Michaels Editor-in-Chief The college is expecting more than $3 million in additional state funding this year due to increased enrollment, according to college officials. Robert Miller, senior vice president of business and college services, explained that with over 27,000 students currently en¬ rolled on campus, more funding from the state would be made available to increase sections for the college. Interim Dean of Enrollment Management Karen Semien also explained that the total head count continues to grow each day. “Our current enrollment targets fluctuate as fall attendance records continue to be submit¬ ted,” Semien said. “I am happy to say that the college is on track to meet our enrollment targets for the 2013- 14 school year.” Last semester, the total student head count was at 23,989. This semester, enrollment reached 27,493, the most in more than three years, according to Semien. Not only is the college able to receive more funding from this academic year, but it will also receive retroactive funding for 2011-2012, when the state did not fully fund the California Community Colleges because of ENROLLMENT page 3 ► 2014 calendar still yet to be determined John Peters II Asst. News Editor Andrew French/Courier Krista Walter, Calendar Commit¬ tee co-chair, speaks to the Academic Senate about the Fall 2014 academic calendar. The Shared Governance Cal¬ endar Committee reported that they have yet to start on the Fall 2014 academic calendar. “Currently, we are operating under an imposed calendar that is in violation of the law,” said Krista Walter, Co-Chair Calendar Committee. On November 27, 2013, the California Public Employee Relations Board (PERB) found that the District violated the Ed¬ ucational Employment Relations Act by unilaterally implementing a trimester calendar. “The District has, unfor¬ tunately, chosen to appeal the decision of PERB,” said the Pasadena City College Faculty Association in an ad on January 7, 2014. Dr. Robert Bell, Co-Chair Calendar Committee, represents the administration and has not convened a meeting this year to work on academic calendars, Walter said. Academic Senator Martha House said the failure to plan now for the potential upholding of that ruling means the Calen¬ dar Committee will be stuck at the last minute working on the calendar. “Can Krista and Bell’s committee legitimately think of something in three or four weeks when they are (supposed to have) the whole year?” asked Senator Melissa Michelson. “We just can’t give up,” said Senator Matthew Henes. “I agree with Matt,” Walter said. “We have to continue to put forward what it is that we want and what we think is best for the students and our academic programs. (It) is going to be very damaging to the college and its programs if we don’t get that calendar organized.” The Academic Senate passed a motion for the executive com¬ mittee to write a resolution to be voted on at the next Academic Senate meeting asking for the Calendar Committee to be re¬ convened as soon as possible.