monitor
ohlone college Vol. XLIII No. 2
ohlonemonitoronline.com Fremont, California
February 9, 2012
Racing closer to the finish line Student Success Task Force recommendations move to state Legislature By MANIKA CASTERLINE Editor-in-Chief
The 22 California student success task force (SSTF) recommendations are moving forward in the process toward implementation by going to the state Legislature. In a joint hearing held on Feb. 1, the final report of the SSTF was presented to the State’s Assembly Higher Education Committee, the Senate Education committee and the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review for discussion on the findings and the implications on the package of recommendations. The recommendations call for various changes within the community college system ranging from a student success score card to prioritizing registration for first time students. While the SSTF recommendations have faced an onslaught of criticism from various academic groups and students across the community college system, Peter MacDougall who serves as the chair of the SSTF asserts that individuals within the system subjected the task force recommendations to a comprehensive field review. Ohlone student Kevin Feliciano, who is the Student Senate president for California community colleges and a member of the task force, said there was not enough time given to relay information to the student senate between recommendation drafts. Feliciano represents an organization that advocates for the 2.6 million community college students. Its governing board officially supported 11 out of the GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION AMY SCOTT/ MONITOR 22 recommendations. MacDougall disagreed with discussing the SSTF recommendations the final report states that while community college students successfully navigate the time restraints saying, When their own paths, statistics show that a large populace is failing to make the grade when it comes to crossing the benchmark finish “You can also study things to lines of either transferring or get a certificate from the academic instituion. death and not come up with “There are lots of reasons Lay, president of the league. students are registered in a of implementation if against,” recommendations.” Scott created the 20-mem- class by the third week of the “I want students who come CCSF student senator Jeffrey that students come to community colleges. Certificates ber task force in January academic term. after me to have the same op- Fang said. Liu’s colleague in the state California community col- and degrees make a difference, 2011 as part of a mandate portunities,” Feliciano said. At last month’s Board of lege chancellor Jack Scott, although there is nothing to included in SB1143 by state Legislature, Wesley Chesbro Governors meeting, a small who oversaw the task force suggest that we don’t need Sen. Carol Liu (D-Glendale), (D-Arcata) did not vote in who called for the state to favor of SB1143. contingent from City College said, “We want to start empha- funding,” Scott said. The California Community fund outcome-based edu“I want to make sure we of San Francisco (CCSF) sizing a student’s first year at College League endorsed only cation. don’t lose sight of the uniquevowed that they would be a community college.” Outcome-based funding ness of our community college “By doing this a student is four of the recommendations. back to fight throughout the “It is inconceivable to ignore would mean that funding system and its vision historimore likely to be successful legislative process. “The broad consensus is in in achieving their academic the achievement gap and that would be allocated based on cally and the many different part of fear. The idea of fear of goals whether it be a certifi- there is an incredible divide on how many students complete roles that it plays,” Chesboro the implications,” said Scott a course instead of how many said. being shut out of the process cate or transfer,” he said.
Financial aid not checking in with students Financial Aid Director Debra Griffin explained the conflict about these delays. Three weeks into the new “We don’t have automatic 2012 spring semester, some debit cards for financial aid,” students have been complain- said Griffin. “The checks are ing about not receiving their sent out on the first week of financial aid checks. the semester.” By DEEBA NABIZAD Staff writer
Students who have completed their financial aid paperwork before the deadlines, which are posted on WebAdvisor and on the Ohlone website, received their checks on Jan. 26. said Griffin. The students who delayed
completing their paperwork were not able to receive their checks until about a week after the semester had already begun, Griffin said. Because many students are in a rush to purchase textbooks, the Ohlone book-
store ran out of textbooks before students who have not received their financial aid checks without their required materials for classes. Ohlone College holds workshops all semester long for anyone to attend.