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Pasadena City College
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Volume 104, Issue 2
The independent student voice of PCC. Serving Pasadena Since 1915.
September 8, 2011
5 new vice presidents appointed
KATE BOUD
Staff Writer
Five vice president positions
were filled by the Board of
Trustees over the summer.
These new vice presidents are:
Richard Van Pelt, vice president of
Administrative Services; Robert
Miller, vice president of
Educational Services; Benedict
Lastimado, vice president of
Human Resources; Dwayne Cable,
vice president of Information
Technology; and Robert Bell, vice
president of Student Learning
Services.
"While I have worked at PCC
for 14 years, the last two of which
included the added duties of being
the interim vice president for
administrative services, I am very
grateful for the opportunity to be
the "permanent" vice president,"
Van Pelt said. "PCC has a very
long and proud history, and help¬
ing to shape the future is an excit¬
ing prospect."
Related stories
/
page 6
Van Pelt holds four degrees
including an M.B.A. and a master
of science from the University of
La Verne. Van Pelt also has
degrees from Walden University
and Ambassador College. His
responsibilities are to oversee the
business and financial activities of
the college.
An alumnus of PCC, Miller has
been with the college for more
than 14 years. Before becoming
vice president of Educational
Services, he served as vice presi¬
dent for INTELCOM. Currently,
Miller is involved with the imple¬
mentation of an Educational
Master Plan. The opening phase
called "Project 90," will launch
during the 2014-2015 academic
year.
"It's about students. Students
first in all we do and every deci¬
sion we make," Miller said. "I am
honored and humbled to have
been selected to serve as the vice
president, educational services in
the utmost support of our stu¬
dents, faculty, staff, and communi¬
ty. I look forward with great
enthusiasm to working with Dr.
Rocha, our new executive team,
faculty, staff, and managers as we
work towards the attainment of
the goals set forth in our
Educational Master Plan. The
Continued on page 7
Lunchtime for Lancers
Student fee
becomes
debate topic
Megan Carrillo
/
Courier
Campus full in first week
Above, students grab a bite to eat and
cool off in PCC's cafeteria. Right, stu¬
dents stand in line in front of Student
Business Services waiting to get bus
passes which were on sale for $30.
More pictures
/
page 4
Gabriela Castillo
/
Courier
Educators support aid for illegal immigrants
Michelle r. brown
Asst. News Editor
California is poised to make history
this week as the first state to pass the
"DREAM Act," a bill that would give
illegal immigrants state-funded finan¬
cial aid for college.
The DREAM Act, also known as AB
131 or California's Development, Relief,
and Education for Alien Minors Act, has
made its way through both the State
senate and Assembly and is now await¬
ing the signature of Gov. Jerry Brown.
"My view is that the Dream Act will
be beneficial for PCC, the community
and the state," said PCC President Mark
Rocha in an e-mail. "It is my duty to
support the opportunity for education
for every human being in our communi¬
ty, regardless of national origin or sta¬
tus."
Student Timothy Carrick cited the
need to educate students regardless of
their legal status.
"I think it's a great idea," Carrick
said. "There are a lot of great students
out there that don't have the financial
stability to go to school ... if this act
passes, they can go ahead and get edu¬
cation."
Associate Dean of Counseling and
Student Success Services Cynthia Olivo
also supports the DREAM Act, both on
Continued on page 7
The year-old $10 Student Activity Fee was hotly debat¬
ed at the Board of Trustee meeting this summer. At this
point, no decision has been made about its future.
At the Aug. 3 Board meeting, Trustees Jeanette Mann
and Geoffrey Baum opposed the fee.
Assistant Dean of Student Affairs Scott Thayer dis¬
cussed some of the programs that were funded by the
fee, like clubs and the Transfer Center and how all the
money went back to the students.
Thayer also talked about the Metro transit pass pro¬
gram and how it helps many students, and told how the
fee helps the performing arts, marching band and foren¬
sic team.
"Since students are paying for this activity fee, why
not also use the money to add more classes during the
semester or have a program that would help the students
get cheaper books?" asked Mann.
Baum and Mann both looked forward to action on the
fee, and proposed an opt-in possibility for it.
Instead of making students pay for it and then having
them get a refund, Baum suggested they could check a
box when registering for classes and decide if they
would like to pay the fee.
"The opt-in action would give students more authori¬
ty over the money they are paying and would give them
a choice on whether they would like to pay it," Baum
said.
If students want to pay the fee to support programs
and clubs, they would check a box, but if they would like
to not pay it they will have the right not to.
The meeting ended without action on the opt-in pro¬
posal.
It seemed clear that the rest of the board and some stu¬
dents were not in favor of giving students the chance to
decide for themselves whether to pay the fee.
Since its implementation in fall 2010, the fee has
brought in $575,000 and from that amount $453,000 has
been spent.
"The money that was left over from last year
Continued on page 7
Speak out!
Do you support
the DREAM Act?
vote at
pccCourier.com
Faculty art
Gallery exhibit
highlights work
of instructors
Page
7»
Textbooks
Buying books
online could
save money.
Page
2»
Trustees weigh $ 1 0 charge
Rosalinda Gonzalez
Staff Writer