PCC Courier, May 06, 1983

Questions Arise On Reorganization By John Pierce Production Manager The Council of Department Chairpersons will accept a proposed departmental reorganization only "it it is for the betterment of the school,’’ said council spokesperson Dr. Stanley Gun- stream, Life Science department chairperson. However, Steven Cerra, vice president of instruction believes that the time has come to find efficient ways of managing education. "We're going from a time of wealth to a time ot austerity and we must adjust the administra¬ tion to this. This means more work for less people,” said Cerra. "We must consolidate and save. It doesn’t mean it will be better, but it will be different and still be effective.” The departmental reorganization, if accepted by the Board of Trustees, will change 15 departments into nine divisions beginning in the fall. According to Cerra, such a conversion would save the college $300,000. At last week’s Board meeting, Gunstream told the trustees that the reorganization would weaken lines of communication between the administration and faculty. He questioned how it would save $300,000. Gunstream also complained about removing secretarial positions and increasing workloads. ‘‘If each division has one leader and one secretary as proposed, the operation of some divisions will come to a screeching halt,” he said. “The current departmental organization of the instructional program has served this col¬ lege well. The instructional departments are the last vestiges of collegiality on cam¬ pus— perhaps the only positive interaction of management and faculty remaining,” Gun¬ stream said. “This fact is also noted in the Carvell Report, ‘With some exceptions, departments appear to be where the strongest communications and facuity/administrator working contacts occur.’ With so many impending lay offs and resultant changes, the college needs stability . . . How many major changes can we assimilate at one time?” said Gunstream. “I’m no antagonist of the departmental struc¬ ture. It has been here long and worked well,” said Cerra. “But we’re at a point where it might be best to all concerned to find a more cost effective way to do things.” Cerra said other community colleges, such as those cited bv Gunstream, have faced the same budget dilemmas and survived. These colleges are Mt. San Antonio, Santa Ana, Long Beach and Los Angeles Harbor. They all operate on a divisional format with a minimum of six division heads and approximately 30 “depart¬ ment heads.” Gunstream said this operation weakened the lines of communication between administration and faculty by adding another barrier between them. However, Cerra said that the division heads were equivalent to department chairpersons and that department heads were actually cur¬ riculum coordinators who only gather informa¬ tion— they do not supervise. “In the last four or five years the administra¬ tion has been reduced— just check the front of the catalog,” said Cerra. “Management has been decreasing, not increasing, and there have been savings made. “We’re asking the line administrators (de¬ partment chairpersons) to accept the same consolidation we’ve been taking,” said Cerra. “It’s harder for them because they represent education,” but cuts have to happen some¬ where. A “decentralized setup” requires “backup. If we can cut the front line, we can cut the support,” said Cerra. “This reorganization is being done not out of preference, but of neces¬ sity. It means a less personalized administra¬ tion— we just can’t afford more adminis¬ trators.” Cerra stressed what he believes to be the need for PCC to “anticipate the future by understanding the present,” so as to avoid the fear of change brought on by complacency. PCC LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW I VOL. 55. NO. 1 1 PASADENA CITY COLLEGE. PASADENA, CALIFORNIA MAY 6, 1983 NURSE'S DAY — Pasadena Mayor Loretta Glickman presents Kristine DeQueiroz, chair- CCs Fight for AB 851 Crisis Conference Set By Mark Blocker News Editor A task force headed by Dr. Robert Wright, professor of communications, is planning a statewide conference of community colleges to discuss ways of alleviating the financial crisis in the 108 college system and to start a movement for passage of Assembly Bill 851. Tentatively scheduled for June 8 in Sacramento, the California Com- "We want each college to send a delegation of seven people. ..." munity College Crisis Conference is the brainchild of Wright, who took it before the Faculty Senate, which voted to support it and assigned a task force to assist Wright in planning. AB 851 is what the community colleges deem as the best scenario for the system. It calls for no tuition, a 6 percent cost of living increase, 2 to 2.5 percent increase growth with $10 mil¬ lion in equalization. It would cost the state $150 million, plus $110 million to offset the general fund deficit. It wouid ultimately re¬ quire additional taxes. According to the Faculty Senate publication “Sen¬ ate Gram” it will pass only with “massive and concerted effort.” The conference appears to also have the blessing of the administra¬ tion and Board of Trustees, except for interim Superintendent-President Dr. Stuart E. Marsee, who is currently working with a statewide coalition to gain support from the state legisla¬ ture. Support seems good, as Wright reported that the conference has backing from state community col¬ lege chancellor Gerald C. Hayward, who agreed to make his office the focal point of the conference. Dr. Ernest F. Neumann, dean of admissions, is also working in the task force, he met with Hayward earlier this week to firm up support for the conference. Wright says the conference will have a tight format, at the request of Hayward. It will open with a keynote address by “a prominent legislator” before breaking into workshops to discuss ways to improve state support for the community college system. . “We want each college to send a delegation of around seven people. This would hopefully include an ad¬ ministrator, a trustee, the Faculty Senate president, a collective bargaining representive, one out¬ standing alumni, a member of the student government and a community leader who could be from outside the college,” said Wright. “The community college system is a sleeping giant. If you ask every family in the state whether or not a member of the household has at¬ tended a community college at some time, odds are the answer will be ‘yes.’ If we organized those who’ve used our facilities, we would have tremendous support with the tax¬ payers,” said Wright. Wright says the conference will hope to bring media attention to the community college system’s prob- "lf we're organized we could have tremendous support with taxpayers. " lem, which will in turn alert the public. Regarding Marsee’s preference to work with the coalition in lieu of the conference: “we have no intention of undermining or working around the coalition. We have invited its mem¬ bers to attend and give us their input.” The coalition is a group of eight community college organizations working in unison as a lobbyist in Sacramento. Wright said Marsee felt the conference could upset certain negotiations currently going on be¬ tween the system and the state. Though the organization is prima¬ rily in the hands of PCC this year, Wright said he hopes the foundations will be laid at the initial conference for a bigger conference next year to be organized by representatives from the entire system. , цЦрМ цймМИ» Sii»I8ll person of the nursing department, a document proclaiming today "National Nurse's Day." Shortfall Boosts To $3.8 Million By Sharon Ching and Stephen Williams The previously projected $3.5 million shortfall increased to $3.8 million due to a decline in average daily attendance (ADA), according to Dr. Bonnie R. James, vice president *of business services. “Courses were cut last fall by the Board of Trustees in an attempt to balance this years budget,” said James. After this was done, the state of California said it would not pay for certain additional courses, known as the “hit list.” “We did not anticipate the ‘hit list,’” said James. The elimination of these courses plus business classes that were moved to fee status for this semester lowered ADA to 13,712. This cost the college $505,000 income. If PCC did not have any courses on the “hit list,” the state could have paid for 14,100 ADA. “We cut expense, but also ADA,” said James. When referring to this semester’s expenditures, James said, “there has been some success with the freeze” on this semester’s budget. However, because the loss of income, this year’s ending balance will be close to previous projections, because the expenditures overshadow the freeze. There will be approximately $376,000 less income next year than first projected. This change resulted from using this year’s ADA figure as a base to determine next year’s income. The projected expenditures were lowered and will continue to be lowered as the Board makes reductions, said James. The money to fund community colleges comes from two sources, the governors budget and a legislative bill. “We’re in the process of writing another bill (SB851) that will help fund us,” said James. “What happens to the bill after it is written, lies in the hands of the state legislature. The state can do anything it wants, it has the money. They too have a deficit.” Report Tells Board of Drop in Attendance Student Retention Declines 13.2 Percent By Denni Young Staff Writer A report on student retention rates was recently submitted to the Board of Trustees by Henry P. Kirk, vice president of student personnel. The report included an overall 13.2 perecent drop in student attendance between census periods. “This drop results in a significant lose in potential ADA (average daily attendance) income to the district,” said Kirk. Overall retention for the 1982-83 school year was 72.3 percent. The school is funded based on the number of students enrolled in a class. Instead of taking attendance daily the college has two census period per year, the first at the end of three weeks, the oth’er at the end of 10 weeks. Based on this average the school receives funding. “If students would like to help the college, they should stay in class, ’’said Kirk. He is aware that some students have to drop if they are not up to the level of the class or do not meet attendance require¬ ment. “Although student withdrawals between the last census and the end of the semester has little financial impact, it does affect the student who has put in so much time into the course,” said Kirk. Student withdrawal is also expensive in terms of human energy, Kirk said. The students who withdraws is holding a position that could have been occupied by someone who would have finished the course. “This college is not free. Every full-time student is on a $1,850 scholarship. The tax payers are tired of paying the bill only to find that the student has dropped the class,” said Kirk. Community colleges are generally critized for high drop levels. “Students at community colleges are too casual about drops,” said Kirk. According to him, they quit when things get tough. He feels this is a dangerous habit for students are forming there life patterns. Kirk said that students should be very careful when choosing classes. They should make sure they meet the prerequisite of the course. “When a student drops a class he has failed to achieve a goal. This displeases both the student and the college,” said Kirk. Kirk hopes to increase student retention by making students and staff aware of the potential money lost. MEChA Vandalized, Over $500 Damage By Sharon Ching Assistant News Editor A recent MEChA vandalism resulted in approximately $565 damage, according to Eddie Barraza, former MEChA president. “We received permission to use that AS office temporarily for one week. Twodays after moving in, Luis Perez, MEChA president, opened the door and all our things were gone,” said Barraza. Finally after inquiring around the Campus Center, MEChA’s belongings were found scattered in the women’s restroom, leaving everything damaged if not destroyed. “Many of the things that were destroyed had great historical and sentimental value,” said Barraza. The wrecked items included posters, paintings, photographs and various cardboard works. But according to MEChA members the greatest loss was the Aztec sun calendar. This handmade ceramic calendar was created in 1969. It had a value of about $500. A thorough investigation is now in progress. Dr. Enrique Orozco, director of MEChA, pointed out that the Student Code of Conduct states that vandalism is punishable by “expulsion.” The regulation/code which best describes the situation is number 6 under Standards of Student Conduct, “Theft or intentional damage to property of the college or that of a member of the college community . . .” If the guilty party is caught, Barraza said, “We have intentions of pressing charges, while staying within the legal realm.” Because of differences with other clubs and the college budget, MEChA has not had their own clubroom since last May. Barraza believes not having an official meeting place has effected MEChA’s membership. “In the beginning we had 45 to 50 members, now we have 30.” As of last week, MEChA is currently using half of the ASB workroom to organize and prepare for their various meet¬ ings and events. When asked if this would be MEChA’s permanent meeting place, Barraza said regardless of all the room’s disadvantages he hopes so. / OLE!- — Students celebrate the 1867 overthrow of Napoleon Ill's French provincial government dominating Mexico. — Courier photo by Jeff Yoshimura