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Courier
SHATFORD LIBRARY
PASADENA CITY COU-EQE
1870 E. COLORADO BL.VO
PASADENA, CA 91 1 0S
COLUMN ONE
The news that
shapes your world
Same work, less pay
Nursing department gets passing
marks after 1 8 students fail out
According to the
state, for every dollar
full-time teachers
make, part-timers are
getting 37 cents for
the same workload.
In a finding that will most likely
increase an already heated
debate, a newly- released state
report says part-time instructors
make less money than full-time
instructors with the same educa¬
tion and experience. The
California Bureau of State Audits
surveyed eight districts in rural,
suburban and urban areas were
evaluated: Los Rios, Sierra Joint,
Yuba, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco,
Los Angeles, South Orange
County and West- Valley Mission.
Here are some of the results.
■ There are 30,000 part-
time teachers in the
California community col¬
lege system compared to
1 8,600 full-time faculty.
■ Full-time instructors
make an average of
$59,295, while part-timers
make $22,054 for the
same workload.
■ Between 1994 and
1 999, instruction work¬
loads increased to the
equivalent of 3,2 1 2 full¬
time positions; 95 percent
have been filled with part-
time faculty.
■ PCC employs 353 full¬
time faculty and 866 part-
timers.
WebExtra
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in the print edition. To
check out the stories listed
below, log on to www. pcc-
courieronline.com for our
“web extra” stories.
MONEY
The college has been awarded a
grant worth nearly $2 million by
the Department of Education. The
“Title V” grant is given to quali¬
fied “Hispanic Serving
Institutions” and will be paid out
over the course of five years. The
money will be used to fund learn¬
ing programs in English, math and
ESL classes along with a number
of high-tech “smart” classrooms.
The grant is part of an effort by
the federal government to help stu¬
dents stay in school and get their
college degrees.
STUDENT AID
The Learning Center in D300 is
open for the second summer ses¬
sion. Students looking for tutoring
in French or computer science can
drop in for some hands-on help.
Audio and video tapes are avail¬
able for such subjects as math, sci¬
ence, history, foreign languages
and English with step-by-step
instructions for the most compli¬
cated problems.
NEW OPPORTUNITY
The college is offering a new
degree and certificate program in
Hospitality Management. Starting
in the fall 2000 semester, the pro¬
gram will offer the only service
industry management training
course in the San Gabriel Valley.
The two-year degree program will
cover supervision, finance, law
and environmental issues related
to hospitality management.
Students can train for such jobs as
front desk manager, caterer, recre¬
ational director and travel director.
“Since I have been here, we have
never had that many people who
were not successful at this level of
the program.”
-Mary Wynn, nursing division dean
By Afni Adnan
The Board of Registered
Nursing paid a visit to PCC’s
nursing department after 1 8 out of
44 students failed to graduate in
their final semester of the
Registered Nursing (RN) pro¬
gram.
The board looked at the exami¬
nations and student records to see
if there was anything wrong with
the actual curriculum. However,
they determined that there were
no flaws in the program and that
the faculty members did all they
could in aiding the students.
“We were surprised that so
many students did so poorly,”
said Mary Wynn, division dean.
Many of these students had
problems with the critical think¬
ing skills and putting theory to
practice.
Department policy normally
does not permit a student who
fails to return to the program.
However, because of the particu¬
larly high failure rate, the depart¬
ment is making exceptions and
will allow the 18 students to
repeat the final semester. The stu¬
dents are also being offered
preparatory courses this summer
to help them when they come
back in the fall.
“We felt that the students
needed to come back and do
another semester, and that is very
unusual. Since I have been here,
we have never had that many
people who were not successful at
this level of the program,” said
Wynn.
Instructor Laurinda Kettle said
that she wasn’t sure what the
students had the most trouble
with, but knows that in faculty
discussions, it was felt that they
were not able to critically think
at an advanced level.
The RN program consists of
academic and clinical compo¬
nents. In the practical portion of
the program, the nursing stu¬
dents were required to do hands-
on work, where they had the
opportunity to work in various
hospitals and community settings.
They were involved in patient
care, which ranged from children
to adults and even maternity
patients.
According to Wynn, the theory
portion of the program was the
most difficult part for the students
to grasp. To accommodate them
better, the students were supplied
with tutors and even given extra
credit. However, they were still
unsuccessful. Based on this, the
faculty realized that these stu¬
dents were not ready to take the
state board exam, called the
National Council Licensing
Examination-Registered Nursing
(NCLEX-RN).
In the past, nursing students
have been very successful on
the state board exam. Around 90
percent of them pass, which is
better than the state average.
“The RN program is difficult,
there’s no question about that,
because they are going to be prac¬
ticing taking care of people and
having people’s lives in their
hands,” said Wynn.
That is why it was imperative
NURSING, page 4
Tim Alves
/
Courier
Ramon Viramontez was among a group of 1 00 demonstrators demanding that “The Sancho Show” return to KPCC airwaves.
Listeners air their anger
over ‘Sancho’ cancellation
By Tim Alves
Claiming that KJPCC is neglecting the
needs of the Southern California Latino com¬
munity, listeners and supporters of “The
Sancho Show” jammed the last two board of
trustees meetings demanding the program be
reinstated.
“We want Sancho back in his regular
time, on his regular day with the same hours.
The community needs the positive message
that Sancho provides,” said Grace Castro-
Nuvata.
Nearly 150 people crowded into the small
Circadian room for the 7 p.m. meetings on
June 14 and 21, some holding brightly col¬
ored signs with “KPCC you made a mistake,
now fix it” and “Chicanos need The Sancho
Show” emblazoned on them.
“The message Sancho put out there was
simple, but so powerful: no school, no class.
Sancho pushes and encourages kids and
adults towards getting their education,” said
Perez.
With “Sancho,” better known as Daniel
“We want Sancho back
in his regular time, on
his regular day with the
same hours.”
-Grace Castro-Nueva, listener
Castro, looking on from the back of the
room, a steady stream of people during both
meetings expressed anger, outrage and their
profound sense of loss at no longer being
able to hear the program.
When the college relinquished daily oper¬
ational control to Minnesota Public Radio,
the decision was made to switch the format
from a news, talk and eclectic music station
to one of “news and talk.” “The Sancho
Show” was pulled off the air following the
Feb. 26 broadcast.
“You have to recognize that when an
entire community shows up, it says a lot for
that show,” said Antonio Perez, who helped
organize the protest.
For its part, the board said it was sympa¬
thetic but repeatedly denied claims by the
demonstrators that it could order KPCC to
put the show back on the air.
“We’re not in the business of programming
a radio SANCHO, page 4
Charges
not filed
against
players
By Tim Alves
The district attorney’s office
has decided not to file charges
against two Lancer football play¬
ers accused of rape in a May 1 1
incident.
“The case is suspended unless
new information comes forward,”
said Bud Ireland, Pasadena police
detective.
The two men were living in a
house the college owns with a
number of other football players at
1 68 South Bonnie Avenue, the
street bordering the eastern side of
the campus. On the date of the
incident, an 18-year-old female
called police to report she had
been raped by the two men.
Pasadena police officers called
to the scene found evidence of
sexual contact between the woman
and the two men and determined
there was probable cause to arrest
Miami natives John Moore, wide
receiver and Curtwand Lowther,
defensive back.
However, the two men told
officers the sex was consensual.
After a subsequent investiga¬
tion of the incident, the district
attorney decided there was insuffi¬
cient evidence to sustain a verdict
of guilty beyond a reasonable
doubt.
According to the Beven and
Brock Property Management
Company which handles the leas¬
ing and maintenance of a number
of homes on Bonnie Avenue, says
the house the football players were
‘living in, was up for rent by the
first of July. It is unclear whether
the incident had anything to do
with the players moving out of the
residence.
Summer session plagued by a
high number of bicycle thefts
By Stephanie Hodes
The campus is experiencing a
rash of bike thefts this summer
with more than twice the number
normally reported in a regular
semester.
The latest theft occurred on
June 15. One student reported his
Diamondback Hardrock 2 1 -speed
mountain bike, estimated at $280,
stolen from the bike rack on the
south side of the D Building.
According to police, the bike was
stolen at around 9 p.m., and 15
minutes later, another student
reported her bike stolen from the
racks along the north side of the
К
Building. Her bike, a Magnum
brand 10-speed, was estimated at
$150. Campus police believe the
chains were cut with bolt cutters.
Officers Nicholas Hoekstra
believes there is more than one
suspect involved in stealing these
bicycles.
“Six or seven incidents of bike
theft have been reported during
the first summer session,”
Hoekstra said.
Bike thefts commonly occur
during the late hours in various
locations. Campus police stated
the most typical bikes stolen are
BMX, Mountain and 10-speeds.
“It’s amazing. This is the
largest number of bikes stolen
from PCC in recent years,” said
Hoekstra.
Campus police advise students
to use good locks, preferably tita¬
nium u locks, to secure their
bikes.
Other precautions are not leav¬
ing bikes on campus overnight,
using the racks closest to the
police office and parking in areas
where there are other bikes.
Photo illustration by Curtis Gregory
/
Courier
