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College readies for first issue of bond funds By Jason Dunn THE TELESCOPE
KATHRYN CHANDLER I THE TELESCOPE
Students form a line outside the Comet Center during the first week of the semester. The Comet Center sells student IDs. Enrollment at Palomar has increased 5.5 percent this semester from Spring 2006.
Enrollment on the rise By Jason Dunn THE TELESCOPE
Total enrollment increased 5.5 percent at Palomar College this semester as administrators plan for facilities to accommodate a projected 47,500 students by the year 2022. College President Robert Deegan said he did not think the facilities were keeping up with enrollment. "Beginning in fall, we'll be
ready," Deegan said. He said the Natural Science Building, in the final stages of construction in the north of the San Marcos Campus, would increase enrollment capacity at Palomar by 20 percent in Fall 2007, when it is slated to open. Other construction projects are in the works as part of a plan to accommodate students at Palomar over the next 15 years. Students are already feeling
the effects of higher enrollment. "In my math class for the first few days, there weren't enough chairs for everyone," said student Matt Buckley. He said people were sitting on the floor, but the class size has since reduced. Enrollment in credit classes increased 4.3 percent. • SEE
ENROLLMENT, PAGE 12
Administrators at Palomar College are preparing for the first installment of bond money after the passage of Proposition M last semester. Prop. M will give Palomar $694 million to spend on facilities upgrades. "We want to try and maximize the efficiency in spending our dollars so they'll stretch as far as possible," said College President Robert Deegan. The first issue of bond money will be in mid-April. The approach for upgrading the facilities on Palomar's San Marcos Campus is outlined in a facilities master plan, written m August 2003.
Administrators say they are using the master plan as a road map for the San Marcos Campus' renovations. The San Marcos Campus has little extra land on which to build facilities, and the master plan rearranges many of Palomar's existing facilities .
FIRST ISSUE OF FUNDS Administrators need to decide whether to opt for an issue of funds sufficient to cover the first three years of construction projects, or the first five. "It's likely we'll use the fiveyear plan," Deegan said. a SEE
FUNDS, PAGE 6
College settles multimillion dollar lawsuit By Jason Dunn THE TELESCOPE
A settlement agreement has been reached between Palomar and the owners of four homes alongside Lot 12 who sued the college for allegedly causing water damage to their properties. ''We were able to achieve settlement, so we won't go to trial," said Jim Greer, an attorney for the homeowners. The lawsuit originally called for $4.3 million for the homeowners. The amount actually
paid to them cannot be disclosed for legal reasons, Greer said. He added that the agreement is not yet definite, but both parties have agreed to it verbally. The lawsuit was filed in September 2004. The homeowners claimed that renovations to Lot 12 between 1999 and 2001 caused substantial amounts of water to be diverted from a natural drainage course to their properties. • SEE
LAWSUIT, PAGE 6
Students campaign or transfer recognition in commencement By Shahrazad Encinias and Jason Dunn i ll£ TELESCOPE
Members of the Associated Student Government are collecting full-time faculty members' signatures for a petition to allow transfer students to walk during commencement. ASG members have campaigned for transfer students to walk in the graduation ceremony since last semester when they hit an impasse with the Faculty Senate. "We just haven't been able to
strike mutual agreement with ASG," said Brent Gowen, Faculty Senate president. Faculty Senate members passed a resolution last year allowing transfer students to walk in the ceremony, but without a cap a gown, a stipulation to which ASG members and College President Robert Deegan object. "We don't want to embarrass the student or family," Deegan said. "Every student who's participating in commencement should wear cap and gown."
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To get around the impasse, ASG members created a petition that they are asking fulltime faculty members to sign in support of transfer students' full participation. ASG President Michelle Eichelberger said their goal was to collect more than 25 percent of full-time faculty members' signatures. As of Feb. 8, she said 84 signatures had been collected out of 328 fulltime faculty members, slightly • SEE CAMPAIGN, PAGE 7
P11lom111 helps reeord survivors' stories. \
College President Robert Deegan stands among graduates during last year's commencement ceremony. The Associated Student Government is campaigning to allow transfer students to walk in the ceremony in a cap and gown.
VALENTINE'S MOVIES
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STEPHANIE TOMBRINCK I THE TELESCOPE
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Celebr11te the d11y with some rom11ntie movies.