thecollegian Issue 5 • Friday, Nov. 4, 2011 • deltacollegian.net
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How much is enough?
More than $13 million in reserves hot topic as budget woes continue to impact campus by matthew wilson
matthew.dl.wilson@gmail.com
San Joaquin Delta College’s reserve fund has grown to more than $13 million provoking controversy over how the money should be used. According to Delta College President/Superintendent Dr. Jeff Marsee, the reserve funds, which currently stand at 12 percent — above the state-recommended minimum of five percent — are to be used for one-time costs and emergency purposes, such as the current situation. “We’re not balanced now,” Marsee said in an interview, adding that Delta College is operating on a $3 million deficit budget, using money from the reserves to cover operating costs. The current controversy surrounds the next two years’ budget. Delta College’s board of trustees has already approved a three-year budget plan which cuts more than $5 million in the next two years in an attempt to balance the budget. This plan would keep the reserve levels close to the current 12 percent. Marsee warns that without cuts, and by drawing increasingly on reserve funds to fill the
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Delta student finds inspiration from the fringe Page 4
UPCOMING Nursing program hosts disaster preparedness fair Nov. 21, 9 a.m. in Danner Hall ‘Portraiture’ exhibit opens Nov. 17, 5 p.m. in LH Horton Galler y
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PHOTOILLUSTRATION BY MATTHEW WILSON
budget gap, the college faces larger problems. “If you’ve got all this money, why make any cuts? And the answer is because we run out of money after next year,” Marsee said. Harry Mersmann, sociology instructor and campus California Teachers Association vice president, is unfazed by the claims. “Since I have been here (1999), I have heard the cries of ‘no money!’ It feels a bit like Chicken Little crying ‘the sky is falling!’” Mersman wrote in an email interview. “For example, in 201011, they estimated an ending balance of 6.8 million, but ended with 13.2 million.” When asked what he thought the reserves should be used for, Mersmann mentioned faculty salary increases, classified employee reclassification and the Delta Flea Market, stating that through use of reserve funds, the Passport to College program could be funded while letting the ASBG retain control over the market. Marsee disagrees stating that issues such as salaries “are ongoing expenditures. These are onetime funds. When they’re spent, they’re gone. To try and deal with ongoing expenditures... with one-time funds automatically puts you into a deficit sooner or later anyways,” he said. Marsee said the bulk in reserves is a sign of good budget management. “It’s not an indication that we should be diverting funds to keep positions that we eventually would have to lay off anyway in order to balance the budget,” he said. Marsee added that despite being above the 5 percent minimum reserve level, Delta College has many non-salary issues such as technology upgrades and offering more classes than those budgeted that would be more suited to the reserve fund’s one-time nature. “Reserves are in themselves a good thing. They’re not just intended to be used to keep people employed, because we do have nonsalary related issues that have to be addressed,” he said.
ASBG constitution changed through online election by james striplin jstriplin1992@gmail.com
A three-day online election at the end of October successfully changed the Associated Student Body Government (ASBG) constitution regarding board member qualifications and elections. The online election, which was open from Oct. 18-20, marked the first time the governing body sent a ballot through student email. “We had a great turn out of votes,” said ASBG President Nicholas Aguirre. “There was a great response from actual students.” The election includes new
changes to the constitution, including allowing students with a 2.0 grade-point average and five units the ability run and be elected for an board position, instead of needing 2.5 gradepoint average and nine units. Anyone running for office only has to meet state and school requirements, and any student can become an interim officer to a vacant position with a majority vote of the other board members. “Really minute things were changed,” said Aguirre. “I imagine the only thing someone could complain about that was changed
is it’s now possible to appoint students without a fall election.” According to Aguirre these new rules will make it easier for ASBG to stay closer to the California education code and fill nine vacancies on the board. Those vacancies are hindering the student government by overloading the remaining officers with work, said Aguirre. The ASBG also hopes this will strengthen support for previous matters regarding the flea market. “It’s hard for us to look at the administration and going ‘oh you’re breaking the law by stealing our flea market’ but then at
the same time were not in accordance to state law or board policy on how to do things,” said Aguirre. “We need to follow the rules, everyone needs to. Plus, it makes it easier for us to hold their [the administration’s] feet to the fire if we’re acting in a proper manner.” Ballots are not the only thing being put online, the ASBG board hopes to put applications for open positions online within the next two weeks. “This is being done because we wanted people to know that we are not like the past ASBG people,” said Aguirre.