PROP. 174
Just Say no YES D to 174 NO 00
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Campus Life
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Serving San Jose City College
ol. 47, No. 10
Women's Volleyball
Thursday, September 16, 1993
District cuts $1 million; more cuts expected· by Julie A. Galvan Editor-in-Chief
Jane Morris can remember when an education at San Jose City College was free. "I've been going here off and on since 1966. I resent having to pay $50 a unit just because I have a degree... but in general I don't think young kids these days realize they're still getting a bargain," she said. But with fees on the rise, a $1 million cut in the San Jose/Evergreen Community District budget this year and a $1.2 million cut expected next year, no one is sure how long that will be the case. :e "The problem of funding California community colleges will be difficult I· throughout the rest of the nineties," Mike I· Hill, Vice Chancellor of the district Valley !· District said. The district has run three of the last
four years at a deficit. Fortunately, these overruns are covered by the district's reserve fund, which is similar to a savings account. The Board of Trustees can also allocate funds in case of an emergency. This year's budget of $3.8 million is expected to run a $450,000 deficit "We're making a myriad of small reductions ... contract services, supplies, etc." said Hill. ''We're cutting the budget, but it hasn't been enough." Even though City College's student population has risen one percent since last fall, the expected revenue from increased fees, including the $50 per unit differential fee imposed on students who hold a baccalaureate degree, has left City College and the rest of the California community college system in the red. ''We know the $50 per unit increase has had a significant impact on community
colleges," Robert Brown, district Director of Admissions and Records said. According to Brown, Cai'lada Community College in Fremont lost 20 percent of its enrollment last spring when the differential fee was enacted, and Skyline Community College in San Bruno has also lost a significant number of students. "At the end of fall, 1992, the district had 1,600 students enrolled who had degrees," Brown said. "San Jo~ City College didn't have as many people with baccalaureate degrees to begin with, but we did lose 400 in in the spring and even more from spring to fall." Brown pointed out that although the college can verify if students who have previously attended City College hold a degree, there is no way to account for those who have not, or who choose to withhold that information.
Students who believe they are erroneously listed as holding a degree have the opportunity to change their records. "I'm sure that some people took advantage of it," Brown said. According to Brown, the average student course load this semester is 9-10 units. In addition to the differential fee and higher fees per unit, the absence of a cap on on the cost of enrollment is also having an impact on students. "The cost has cut down how many classes I want to take a semester," said Cindy Smedley, a general education student. "This is my first semester, so I can't say I've noticed any change. But it is painful," said Doug Lorenz, a biology major. "It's been bard on the students. A three dollar increase per unit isn't a big deal ... but the absence of the cap is what hurts," said Brown. ''Money's hard to come up with."
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by Margaret Bethel
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Opinion Editor
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P~maps hoping to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Zoreh Pnbazari's son has all the comforts of home on wheels. She and her husband take turns babysitting while the other is in class. Son Ngyuen/ The Times
When San Jose Cit College's 11,000studentsreturned to campus this fall, many of them were unaware of the efforts of the Associated Student Council. In a random poll conducted by TheTimes, about 90 percent of the students dido' t know that a student council existed. The ASC, the official voice of the student body at City College, consists of five student-elected board members, appointed commissioners and club representatives. The council discusses and evaluates matters and activities . which concern the student body. The council's agenda includes chartering campus clubs, distributing student activity funds and organizing the student body as a whole. Last semester the ASC was involved in planning a rally on the steps of the capitol building to protest the $30 per unit fee hike pro-
posed by California Governor Pete Wilson. Although the amount of student influence at the state level is questionable, one look at your enrollment printout will show that the rally was not in vain. The ASC also adopted Santee elementary school last semester to encourage literacy and higher education in children. During the semester, members of the student body volunteered once a month to appear as guests and to read to the children of Santee Elmentary School. But all of the ASC' s efforts and services don't come for free. The Associated Students' budget or the 1993-94 academic school year is $34,950 . With this budget the ASC funds a myriad of student activities, scholarships and other operating expenses, including $5,550 for student activities, $2,650 for the student accounts office, $2,900 in memorialscbolarshipsand$11,400 to run the student government This last item, the largest of all
ASCexpenditures,includes$2,650 in salaries for the student officers, $1,000foranASCawardsbanquet and $5,650 for the California Student Association of Community Colleges and the CCCSAA Conferences. Included in the CCCSAA/ CalSACC expenses are allocations of $1,500 for registration fees, $2,7 50 for transportation and lodging and $400 for club advisor appreciation. "I feel that it's very important for us to facilitate the (other) clubs on campus," said ASC President David McKague. The ASC does so by encouraging the clubs to promote and support themselves. The ASC is the voice of the entire student body and awareness of the elected student council's efforts involves participation. Students interested in the governance of City College are welcome to attend the meetings, held every Wednesday in the ASC chambers, located above the San Jose qty Cafe.
OWer outage shuts down campus . Facilities in theW-building were thout power last week because of dy functional transformer on the Uth end of campus between the ·anal and arts buildings. 1be problem had to do with a se holder on the transformer itlf. The transformer had to be en apart so power was shut off classes on Sept. 8. After the outage reoccurred on llrsday, a technician specialist
was brought in at 2:30p.m. Mowry, Director of Facilities said. Del Anderson, the president of Power was completely off at 11 San Jo~ City College, decided to p.m., but was turned on again at 4 turn the power off after 3 p.m. a.m. except for the W-buiJding. Thursday. Evening instructors Fuse bolder in theW-building are were then notified of cancelled too old and have yet to be replaced. classes. This is the third time in the last At 4:30p.m. the technician in- four years City College has bad a dicated that power could be left on, power problem. The other two were but it was too late to notify in- the result of a high voltage cable structors of the decision. shortedtotbeground.Maintenance "I hope it never happens again. workers are regularly scheduled to It is unfortunate it happened, al- check high voltage areas because though I believe we used the best the sy tern is old. judgement at the time," Phillip
1993-1994 ASB Budget Total :$34,950 Studentgovenunent
§ Activities [I] Scholarships
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Student book loans
lnfographic by Allan Angel