Vol.39 , No, 10
Serving San Jose C ity C ollege
Friday, September 19, 1986
City College receives over 140 computers By Brenda Yesko San Jose City College received new computer equipment valued at $240,000 from the state this fall. feel g?Od about the set up w~ ve received from the state," satd Dean of Administation Richard Casey. . The ne_w computer equipment IS set up mto four centers which are located in the busin~ss and general education buildings. The college recei\fed over 140 Apple and IBM personal computers, along with some interesting equipment to go with them. . For example, the computer lab m room B-6, which is known as the "Apple Orchard," contains computers that have screens w~ich can enlarge for persons with poor eye sight. There are also computers that can project the image from the screen onto a wall size screen for the viewing of larger groups, as well_ as special computer termmals for the handicapped with wheelchairs.
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Photo by Luzmaria V. Martinez B · S ery1 palding works on an accounting program on one of the new Apple Tie's in room B-6 of the Business Education Building.
both hard and software, were the old Apples, except that I can't purchased by the state in what do my homework on them _ Mr. Casey called "a game of because I have an Apple catch up." Meaning that the computer at home," said Rivera, state had finally caught up to the indicating that she couldn't interchange storage disks with the needs of the college . Casey had a lot of praise for IBM. the audio visual department who Database Application Instructor managed to have all four centers Tom Ensign believes that the new set up and working perfectly on · IBM computers will be beneficial the first day of school in spite of to students once they to into the recieving them the same day, real world of business. "They did a terrific job!" he exclaimed. "Working with the new IBM is Students and staff had nothing good experience for students but good things to say about the because that is what they will be addition of the new computer using in the future," he said . centers arid believed that the computers will be making life much easier and more productive City College offers over 31 in the years to come. computer sections with an Yvonne Rivera, a computer tnrollment of approximately science major, who spends 1,050 students this semester. Two english classes with between four and five hours in the computer lab, bas used both computer lab options will be of the college's old and new offered this spring. computers . She stressed _her The· computers are a major preference for the new IBM investment, said Casey. They computers with one exception. will be something that the college "I really like working with the will continue to benefit from in
EngIish pre ~eqursrt·es!BMooman aat'e ry By Deborah Kerr City College students are no longer free to enter the English class of their choice. Beginning this semester, students are only admitted into classes for which they meet the prerequisites under a pilot program which is designed to c~tail the high student drop and failure rate. The present rate of student drops is in excess of 20 percent and the failure rate is appro~imately 13 percent, accordmg to Dean of Instruction Leo E. Chavez. . The ,Program, appropriately titl_ed Mandatory lockout," is bemg tested by the English D~partment and, if successful, WJ!l eventually spread to all other departments of the campus according to Charles H.' Southward, assocrate dean of studentS.
"There has always been the concern by faculty members that students were entering classes without the ability to read the required materials," he said. "At the same time, a statewide plan called 'matriculation', which means skills required to pass the class, was inaugurated." "The ideal goal," according to Southward, "is to have students placed into classes in which they succeed by having them possess the necessary skills before they enter the class in which those skills are required." The process begins when the first time college student takes the Stanford Diagnostic entrance exam. The result of 'the exam will place him in either English 310, 92, or 1A, according to Mary Jane Page, assistant dean of language artS. When the student then registers for his English class in
admissions and records, the computer will indicate whether or not the student has met the required prerequisite, according to Maida Naden of admissions and records. If the computer indicates that the student has not met the prerequisite, the student is advised to see his counselor, she said. "Sometimes the student has met the prerequisite, but the information is not made available to the college," said Naden. In that case, the counselor will code in the correct information to allow the student into the class, providing the student has the proper identification. In other words, "the counselor has the official say-so," Naden continued. In the past, according to Page, students were able to get around prerequisites and often were
placed in classes they were not prepared for. This created extra work and confusion for English teachers and administrators who had to go to lengthy procedures to move studentS around. T~e task of appropriat~ly placmg English students now stops at admissions and records. This, in turn, causes less conhsion for English students, teachers, and administrators, she continued.
On occasion, according to Page, a student's entrance test result lands right on the border between one level and another. In such cases, the student is still allowed to take the writing sample, just as in past semesters. The results of the writing sample will then place the student in the appropriate level. "I think the program is working pretty well," said Page, althougl': she feels the prerequisites are sti 11
"soft." "I don't think the cut-off scores on the Stanford Diagnostic are high enough," she explained. "I don't see any difference in enrollment," she said. "We had to open another section of English 92 this semester." Page also praised the program for eliminating overenrollment. John Kangas, district dean of academic standards, said that there has been a 10 percent drop in enrollment in the English dei ·artment, which he feels is a result of the mandatory l~kout. Although he said that it was hard to calculate the impact of student lockout in all disciplines, he estimated that City College c0 ld lose about 31 percent of its slu.!ents. "I should have a good picture at the end of the Fall semester, when grades are in, as to what the results of the lockout are," sa: l Kangas.
SJCC joins SCt:J to better educate minorities By Marie.Yoder
we're excited about it." He indicated that it may be the first in ~ity College and Santa Clara Um~ersity have joined forces in . the nation. City College and Santa Clara an n;movative program that is are both participating ill the "2+2" first m the state of California and program, which will be pos_sibly first in the natio~, in implemented by the fall of 1987. which 10 qualified minority Minority studentS at City College students can enroll concurrently who are interested in science, at a four-year college and a math or engineering careers can community college. _ ' Joseph Subbiondo, dean of apply for the program to attend Santa Clara University and City arts and sciences at Santa Clara University, said "This program is College. The program is designed to the first kind in California and
Inside SJCC'S Pg. Student Union
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encourage students to complete four years of undergraduate courses and give them university experience while maintaining their ties to a community college. StudentS will be enrolled in three math or science classes at Santa Clara. Course credits that students receive at Santa Clara will transfer back to City College and can be used toward a degree. "We are looking for
Jags open with win
mo1 1vated minority studentS whu arc mterested in transferring to a University," said Zee Gibson dirc::tor of the transfer center at Cit~ College. General Telephone Electric Corp. funded this two-year, $30,000 project under a granl called "Focus." Dr. Bryon Skinner, president of City College, was just one of many supporters. "We want to be an open
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acl·ess college and quality college as well," Dr. Skinner explained. There will be a representative of Santa Clara University on campus from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 23, in room GE-109 to discuss information about the cost of tuition and requirementS. The representative will be available again 5:30 - 9 p.m. Nov. 13, in the Career Center for individual student appointments regarding planning and evaluation of transcripts.
Campus loses an eyesore