BeftNeen
leeping in class?
Closses
Palomar instructors don't dig drooling students.
Photo essay of Palomar students outside the classroom.
Feature, page 9
Monday, Nov. 1 S, 1999
page 8
Palon1ar College- San Marcos, Calif.
PeopleSoft problems fade Michael Paisner News Editor
Palomar College is experiencing fewer administrative problems as the computer program recently installed to run the college gets its wrinkles ironed out. While other colleges around the country are taking five times as long and spending ten times the money, the PeopleSoft software package Palomar purchased two years Inside: ago has been running the school for • Palomar staff copes with soft· almost a year. "I know there ware changes and are a lot of grum- problems. bling on campus and I know that • Other colleges ,there is a lot of face bigger probpeople saying that lems during it was a mistake implementation. and we shouldn't have spent all tlus page 11 money. I don't think we spent enough money and I don't think we had enough time," said Lynda Halttunen, matriculation director. Palomar put Halttunen on a committee to explore the need for new software in 1992. At that time, the college knew its existing software would not function in the year 2000. "If we had 12 million dollars and we had eight years to do this implementation we probably would have ample time to do testing and to make sure all the bugs are out of the system before we make something go live," Halttunen said. She was referring to the expense other colleges have incurred converting to PeopleSoft. According to Stan Malley, director of information services, Palomar purchased three modules from PeopleSoft - the student records module, the fiscal services module and the human relations module
Photo Illustration by Robert Chu' is I Tile Telescope
(which includes a payroll module). Although PeopleSoft has installed the fiscal services and human relations module in the corporate world for many years, they recently came out with the student records module in an effort to get the education market. It wasn't completely new territory. Malley
Sean Colhurn I Tile Telescope
New desks were installed in the office of the president and vice president of the student government at a cost of $2,500.
Student government buys new desks
New desks were installed in the Associated Student Government offices two weeks ago, but ASG members didn't know why. The desks were installed in the offices of the president and executive vice president. "We weren't told that they were getting new desks," said Erica Olvera, ASG senator.
ASG President • resigns
Editor in Chief
said about 400 schools run the human resources and fiscal services modules. "It's a great program. This is where PeoplcSoft got a reputation," Malley said. The student records module was another story. "We tried to find out what other schools are using PeopleSoft (for student
Copy Editor
Editor in Chief
10
Tom Chambers
Amy Bolaski
Tom Chambers
Nu~nber
Student government head leaves, cites family emergency
records)," Malley said, "Not many." Since the student records package is so new, most early versions of the software had problems. Some of the problems have to do with how PeopleSoft designed the package. Malley said the software "has a four-year see PEOPLESOFT, page 11
Smoking debate lights up at Palomar
Members didn't know about $2,500 purchase
Volun1e 53,
According to Marilyn Lunde, student activities adminstrative assistant, the money for the desks came from the ASG wish list. Any money in the ASG budget not used each year doesn't roll over to the next year, Lunde said. ln order to usc the money, the ASG makes a wish list of items they would like to have if there is money left over. Items on the wish list for this year included the desks, red ribbon week, officer training, a water bottle give away and ASG T-shirts, Lunde said. Lunde spoke with ASG members on campus at the end of last spring and this past summer to make the list. see DESKS, page 10
Two petitions regarding smoking on the Palomar College campus are circulating among students. The first calls for a "smoke-free" environment. The other would to keep Palomar's current smoking policy as is. Smoking on campus is permitted, except within seven feet of buildings. Palomar student Bryan Johnston, who began the petition with help from several faculty members said, "As it stands, it's not even a policy. People lean against the buildings and smoke." Johnston said the petition was created specifically to bring the issue before the Governing Board in order to have the current policy reviewed, not necessarily to ban smoking entirely. "We're trying to find out what the students want ... if students want smoking on campus, there will be smoking on campus. If (they) don't, there won't be." Signatures of three percent of the student body are required in order to bring the petition before ASG; the first step in getting the policy reviewed. Johnston estimated that would require about 600 signatures. Loretta Murillo-Colton, vice-chair of the Inter-Club Council, began the second petition (to keep Palomar's current smoking policy) in order to protect what she believes is an infringement on students' rights. "Smoking is legal everywhere else; why shouldn't it be here?" Murillo-Calton asked. According to Marilyn Lunde, student activities administrative assistant, if the
initial petition is presented to the ASG, it will have to go through several college committees before it reaches the Governing Board where policy changes are actually implemented. Lunde said if both petitions garner the three percent of signatures needed, it's likely both petitions will go to committees. "It's good politics. We'll see what happens;' Lunde said. Although the original petition calls for a " smoke-free environment," Johnston worked with faculty and students to get the issue addressed. "Reasonably, smoking areas would be designated. The petition was worded the way it was in order to bring the issue before the Governing Board. A completely smoke-free campus is all or nothing." Johnston maintained there would be student representation through every step of the process, and insists the policy will only change if it's what students really want. Those backing Palomar's current policy see it as an issue of freedom and stated so in their petition. Murillo-Calton said, "My goal is to keep student rights, and I have the strength ingrained in me to stand up for those rights." ASG Senator Michelle Arce agreed: "What is this, high school? We're all adults here." Lunde mentioned those who started the initial petition hoping to have all their signatures collected by Dec. 2 in order to present it to the ASG this semester. No policy changes will be made during the current semester. "If the petition gets its initial start, it will go all the way to the Governing Board."
Buddy Rabaya, president of the Associated Student Government, resigned on Monday, Nov. 8, citing a family emergency in an email to Student Activities Director Bruce Bishop. "I was surprised, I didn't expect it," said Executive Vice President Diane Vasquez, who assumed the presidency. "It seems everyone else expected it before I did." "He hasn't been here for a while," said Shannon Gyde, vice president I chair of the Inter-Club Council. "We know there was something going on with him." Rabaya was absent from the Nov. 3 meeting, and ASG members hadn't seen or heard from him in over a week. "I'm concerned about Buddy's resignation," Bishop said. "I hadn't seen Buddy in a week and I get a message about family emergencies. Then I get a message saying he's going to have to resign. There's a lack of closure." The ASG president also represents the students on the Governing Board. Vasquez was sworn in as student trustee at the Nov. 9 Governing Board meeting. "I'm looking forward to working with the Governing Board," Vasquez said. "I'm excited and somewhat nervous." Bishop said he looks forward to working see RESIGNATION, page 10
Students apply to California Universities Applications due during November Michelle Yates Staff Writer
For many students trying to juggle homework, lectures and a job, procrastination is often routine as students scramble to cram for a test or complete a last minute project. But when transferring to a California State University (CSU), students should make applying early a priority, said Tim Hernandez, director of the Palomar Transfer Center. Students can apply online or pick up an application in the Transfer Center on campus. Students will need to pay a non-refundable $55 application fee that they will include with their application. Priority application dates for the fall 2000 semester are Nov. 1 through Nov. 30. Hernandez said submitting applications early will speed up the application process. "Most students wait until the last minute," he said. "The sooner, the better because it (early application) speeds up the turnaround time and the university's computer system is bogged down when students wait until the see TRANSFER, page 11