PCC Courier, October 03, 2002

Art and Science come together see page 4 Oktoberfest is back, oh yaaaaaa! see page 5 Volleyball bows out at tourney see page 7 P A S A D E N А С I I Y COLLEGE Courier Since 1915 VOL. 88 NO. 6 www.pcc-courieronline.com OCTOBER 3, 2002 Protest Disrupts Accreditation Forum By Luis Romero Staff Writer A crowd of more than 250 faculty, staff, and students used the visit by the accreditation team as a chance to under¬ score a divide between the administration and the faculty over a long-standing pay dispute on Tuesday. After repeated attempts to settle con¬ tract disputes with the district, the PCC chapter of the California Teachers Association organized a demonstration that started in the Sculpture Garden and marched to the Circadian, where the accreditation team was holding an open forum. The group stopped short of entering the building and pressed close to the floor and ceiling windows to stare at the com¬ mittee. Like a similar rally last spring, pick- eters came prepared with signs that read: “PCC Trustees: Low pay is a BIG mis¬ take” and “No equity for part-time facul¬ ty = no contract.” A few students lugged around a giant puppet of PCC president James Kossler wearing a crown. “It’s not so much that the president wants to win all the time, I think it’s just that he can’t stand to lose,” said John Jacobs, president of the СТА. The negotiations involve pay raises, benefits and $ 1.1 million that was ear marked by the state for part-time faculty. “They’re taking so long to decide how to distribute it to us. Meanwhile it’s gain¬ ing interest in the bank,” said Alexis Moore, a part-timer. “It should just be distributed over the salary schedule.” As the gathering traveled into the C Building and through the main hallway past the president’s office, protesters chanted, “Hey, hey Dr. К/ Pay Our teach¬ ers a normal wage.” A bullhorn ensured that the shouts reverberated throughout the building. PCC is an environment supposedly devoted to learning and still the district doesn’t support the part-time teachers who have to volunteer consultation time with the students because it’s not part of their pay, said Carlos Brocatto, a student involved in the demonstration. A large portion of the rally consisted of students, many members of the Student Union. The СТА received support from the Mikyl Nutter/Courier # see PROTEST, page 4 Protesters demonstrated for faculty pay hike last Tuesday. Online textbooks not always cheaper By Steve LuKanic Staff writer Long lines. High prices. Empty shelves. Mind-numbing return poli¬ cies. They’re the stuff of most college bookstores these days, particularly at the beginning of every semester when thousands of students make the pilgrimage to the likes of PCC’s bookstore, the Book Mart and Textmania in search of their required tomes. But there is an alternative to shopping for textbooks, one that stu¬ dents can find right at their finger¬ tips: the online bookstore. With a few keystrokes, students can browse a veritable shopping mall of stores like Amazon, Half.com, eCampus, Alibris and Classbook.com, to name a few. One website, AllBookstores.com, even allows shoppers to search for a particular book title and then com¬ pare the price at a variety of different online stores before clicking on the store with the best price. But while the convenience of Ф see BOOKS, page 3 PCC student Omid Amirsolaimany answers ques¬ tions from late night talk show host Jay Leno. The “Tonight Show” made its third visit to PCC last Thursday morning, filming his infamous “Jaywalking” segment to be aired in a future show. Rick Fry / Courier Visiting Team Hears Staff Concerns By Terrance Parker Staff Writer Threats of a possible job action became a real possibility Tuesday as the PCC teachers' union disrupt¬ ed a public forum with the visiting accreditation team. Faculty members were already expressing their discontent with current school practices when shouts and chants from outside overwhelmed the small meeting room. This year's accreditation team conducted an open forum in the Circadian A room Oct. 1 at noon with several faculty members and students informing team members about their own experiences here. At about 12:20 p.m. the distant sounds of a crowd of people began filling the room. The volume increased over the next few minutes. Suddenly the patio north of the Circadian room filled with people waving signs and chanting slogans. The protestors swarmed up against the windows, as if to over¬ run the room. The clamor from their voices drowned out attempts to commu¬ nicate inside. Several demonstra¬ tors started pounding on the glass windows with signs and sticks. At this point, Phil Mullendore, chief of the PCC police depart¬ ment, stepped outside and told the crowd to step back. He made no attempt to silence the group. The demonstrators pulled back from the windows, but continued to yell. Thomas Fallo, president of El Camino College and chairman of the visiting team, halted the forum temporarily and went outside to speak with the protesters. The shouting and chanting continued. After talking with a few people Fallo re-entered the meeting room and restarted the open discussion process. He expressed hope that the group outside would designate a spokesperson and send that person in to the forum. Among the participants was Christine Goudy, a part-time ESL instructor. She read from a pre¬ pared statement then presented it to Fallo. She said that part-timers feel as if they are not really part of the PCC community. For example, during the self- study process there .was a newslet¬ ter keeping faculty and staff up to date. The part-time faculty did not get this newsletter. Goudy also reported that part- timers are not allowed to substitute or get compensated for staff devel¬ opment activities. She said they must fend for themselves for early morning or late evening classes. "Too many part-time faculty are paying out of their own pockets for duplicating," she said. "I was here at 6:30 yesterday morning to make copies for my class. The copier was not working and I couldn't get in to the faculty workroom. I was two minutes late for my class." "I'm full-time in the same divi¬ sion," said Karen Holgerson, ESL and linguistics professor. "I absolutely agree with everything she said." Joseph Probst, speech profes¬ sor, attended part of the recent board of trustees retreat. He said the trustees spoke about a commit¬ ment to student retention and suc¬ cess. "There have been major demo- # see FORUM, page 4 Undocumented Get Tuition Break By Michelle Constantine Staff Writer Moore More than a 100 nonresident students, who wou normally pay SI 34 a unit at PCC; are being charged only S23 a unit because of AB540. The law was designed to allow children, who are not in this country legally, to attend college as resident stu¬ dents rather than as nonresident students. The difference is they must pay the regular Sll per unit plus a S12 per unit capital outlay fee. The new law, passed last January, states the “student must have attended a high school (public or private) in California for three or more years” and must have graduated or attained the equivalent prior to the start of the term.” Students who hold an F (student) visa or a В (visitor) visa are not eli¬ gible to be exempt from nonresident fees. The law also states “an alien student who is without lawful immigration. status must file an affidavit with the college or university” with the intent of filing “an application to legalize his or her immigration status.” If they are ineligible to do so because of age, they are required to file the application as soon as they are able. The problem is ensuring that those who take advantage of AB540 meet the requirements of the law. Most colleges check transcripts and diplo¬ mas, but PCC does not. The process here merely consists of filling out an application form where students check a box to indicate residency. Carol Kaser, assistant director of admissions and records, then evaluates the form. That’s all the information PCC requires. According to Kaser, “We are not to ask for any type of verification. We’re taking students at their word.” Ernestine Moore, vice president of student services, said, “Colleges have the option of having students sign an affidavit rather than providing transcripts. The way we do things is in accordance with guidelines issued by the chancellor’s office.” The guidelines state “the law does not specify the manner or type of verification required except in reference to an affidavit from those without lawful immigration status. Therefore it is the view of the chancellor’s office that a district may rely on the student’s self-certification of status.” Moore said, “We do our best to help students and comply with the law. If we find that the student did not tell the truth, we go back after the money.” Students who are undocumented aliens would not want to advertise their status and may think that filling out the form to apply under AB540 would expose them to immigration services. Kaser stat¬ ed that students “need to know they can come forward and sign this form and it is totally confidential.” At Mt. San Antonio College, students are required to fill out the application and submit their high school tran- jscripts, proving they have graduated. According to I Michael Ostccgh, admissions and records clerk, the stu- Jdent “also needs to be petitioning to ch'lnge his/her status Jand show documentation from the INS.” In addition to completing the application form, Glendale City College requires students who apply under AB540 to bring in an official high school transcript along with their diploma to show they have graduated. Bobbie Strandquist, supervisor of enrollment services specialists, stated that once students are accepted under AB540, she encourages them to file an application to legalize their status. Currently, there are between 100 and 150 students enrolled at GCC under AB540. Citrus Community College also requires students who apply under AB540 to submit transcripts along with diplomas. The AB540 students are not eligible for state and federal financial aid. Kaser see AB-540, page 3 4 I