Vol.45, No. 9
Serving San Jose City College
Thursday, Sept. 5, 1991
Huge enrollment straining campus by Heather Wells Staff Writer
The high cost of full time college tuition per year:
Registration lines are lengthy. Counseling appointments are hard to come by. It is hard to find a space in any English 1A classes, not to mention in the parking lot. All ESL classes are full. Evergreen Valley College now has closed over 500 sections, and San Jose City College has closed over 300. "0 c Over 1,000 new students have "'c ~ enrolled. As of Aug. 26, there ~ were 10,900 students enrolled at ;u City College, with 6,333 in day ~ classes, and 4,567 in night classes. li&illillll. ~ This is an increase of 11% over last Swce: Califorria Post·Searldll)' EliJcajon Cornminee fall. Evergreen counts 6,285 day students and 3,490 night students, are no monies available for additional faculty. "There is no way the 9,775 altogether. An increase in students is not teachers and other staff can meet necessarily good for the school, the demands created by the new according to Dr. Martha Kanter, students," she said. None of this fazes Southward. dean of administration. "In three "I think the campus is more alive words, we are packed!" she said. with more students. I like the addi"We are servicing more stutional students," he said. dents, and I don't see any new "Of course some things will buildings, no new faculty, no new have to change," he added, sections opening, and no money available to do any of these things!" "schedules will have to be adjusted, The state provides funding for an but I think it's fun." increase of only 1 1(2%. "I believe we can handle the Financial aid applications are increase of students adequately," also up 40 to 50 percent. said Robert L. Brown, district di"The rise in enrollment is not rector of admissions and records. the only thing affecting the rise in "Of course, it will press ev[aid] applications," said Chuck eryone," he said," and because we Southward, associate dean, stu- don't have the funds for more facdent services. "The recession, un- ulty, we won't be doing as good as employment and the fact that fees we want, but we will be doing the are on the rise elsewhere all con- best we can." tribute equally to the problem," he Over 14 other community colsaid. leges have experienced enrollment Fees in the increases, inCalifornia State cluding San University sysFrancisco City tem and the College, also University of with 11% more California went students, and up by 40% this College of year in an effort Alameda with a to compensate 35% increase. for funding cutAdditionbacks at the state ally, 40 camlevel. puses in the San Faculty Dr. Martha Kanter Jose Unified cannot be exSchool District panded proportionately with the have higher enrollments this fall student population. City College semester. has hired 11 new faculty. But five The school district, which laid of those replace instructors who off 132 teachers over the summer, retired last semester. reported 225 more enrolled in elThe other six were all that could ementary grades, and 400 more be hired to begin to cope with the enrolled in the middle and high increase, and according to Dr. school grades. Kanter, " ...they are being paid with City College is among those money that is supposed to fund schools experiencing the greatest reforms on campus ... " since there increases in enrollment this fall.
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Counselor Priscilla Santos and a student patronize one of the campus' three catering trucks. Photo by Kristin Kirst
State of the (student) Union by Michelle Gray Staff Writer
The remodeling of the Student Union, originally scheduled to begin last summer, won't get underway until at least November and won't be completed untillatespring semester '92. The Student Union remodeling project, which is estimated to cost $1.3 million, includes filling in the "Pit" area outside the Student Union and repaving the surrounding walkways, installing a roof over the small courtyard off the Faculty Lounge, removing the food service grill in the south end of the building and extending the cafeteria hours to compensatefor the loss of service. In addition, the Associated Student Council (ASC) offices will be rebuilt. While the Student Union is closed, three catering trucks are stationed around campus vending food and beverages, ASC meet-
Editorial Taxing the press
ings are held in Room S-9, and two rooms in the Science Building (S2 and S-10) are available as student lounges and house the video games and vending machines formerly located in the Student Union. According to Phil Mowry, District DirectorofFacilities and Planning, the delays were caused by a prolongedStateplan-checkingprocess and the withdrawal of the State Fire Marshal's approval. Mowry said that getting the approval from the State has been a "long and cumbersome process." According to Mowry, the construction drawings were completed in January and sent to the Office of the State Architect and the State Fire Marshal for approval. The drawings received preliminary approval from the Fire Marshal. That approval was later withdrawn, however, though the drawings hadn't been changed. The State Fire Marshal now requires that a stairway and a sprinkler system for the second floor be added to the
plans. The architect has amended the plans to meet those requirements. Plans were resubmitted to the State to be "back checked" by the Office of the State Architect and the State Fire Marshal, and the District has received approval. Mowrysaiditcouldtakenearly two months for the project to go out to bid, receive District Trustees' approval, and for the completion of necessary paperwork. Although the remodeling of the Student Union has been delayed, another part of the project, theremoval of asbestos floor Li lc and all of the equipment, was completed over the summer. The building is now gutted out and ready to undergo the remodeling. Meanwhile, the renovation of the campus' Moorpark Avenue entrance, which cost approximately $240,000, is nearing completion. The installation of landscaping and a "San Jose City College" sign still remains.
Football team in transition
____ ,, ____ There's no way teachers ... can meet the demands created by the new students.
Wind --~; Symphony's ~ Swiss trip