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Volume 87 Issue 18 • April 15, 2013
210-486-1773 • Single copies free
Heads up
HR seeks cuts to tuition assistance program By Alma Linda Manzanares
amanzanares6@student.alamo.edu
File FAFSA by May 1 May 1 is the deadline for guaranteed processing of FAFSAs for fall. To complete an online application, visit www.fafsa.ed.gov. Assistance is available in the student financial services office, Room 101 of Fletcher Administration Center 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday and Wednesday through Friday, 8 a.m.7 p.m. Tuesday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. the first Saturday of each month. For more information, call the office at 210-486-0200. Rebecca Salinas
/readtheranger
Cuts to the Employee Tuition Assistance Program, or ETAP, for fall are being considered and expected to go before the Alamo College’s board of trustees in May.
Linda Boyer-Owens, associate vice chancellor of human resources and organizational development, said the program recommendations are part of a human resources audit to improve the efficiency and cost of the program.
She could not provide amounts for how much the program costs or projected savings from the cuts by press time. The program, detailed under Procedure D.6.1.3 Educational Assistance, was approved April 28,
2009, and amended Jan. 13, 2010. Boyer-Owens said a problem with the program was employees or their dependents withdrawing from or not successfully completing a course.
See ETAP, Page 14
Friday drop deadline Friday is the last day to drop a class in the 16-week semester. Students enrolled in Spring Start 2 have until April 25 to decide and the last day to drop for Spring Flex 2 classes is May 3. Students must go to the professor or chair to drop a class. Although course drops do not affect GPA, they do affect financial aid and academic progress. They can also lead to extra tuition expense to repeat a course. Three-peat tuition requires paying three times the cost of the in-district rate the third time a student attempts a course. The six-drop rule prevents students from dropping more than six classes over the course of a bachelor’s degree. For more information, call 210486-0333. Alma Linda Manzanares
Orientation stories in The Ranger Online For help in finding your way around college, read stories on Pages 3-5. Although this is the last print issue of the spring, The Ranger Online will continue to post breaking news, slideshows and video. The first print issue of the fall semester is Sept. 13. Alma Linda Manzanares
Dean, director hire announcements soon President Robert Zeigler said he plans to announce two hires. He said to expect an announcement regarding student life Tuesday, but offered no date for dean of performance excellence. Dean duties include oversight of the SACS accreditation process and developing student learning outcomes. It pays $64,811-103,748. The director of student life supervises activities and serves clubs. It pays $49,242-76,373. Faith Duarte
Psychology sophomore Mariana Sanchez, distinguished graduate of the dance program, leads an April 4 rehearsal for a flash mob on the west side of Moody. The mob, set for 1 p.m. Tuesday in the mall, is Sanchez’s service project for the distinguished graduate program. Faith Duarte
What’s an associate degree? Council Although underestimated, an associate degree leads to middle-class.
really sure,” for people who do not know what they want to be. There is a personality quiz in the “I’m not really sure,” category, there By Jennifer Luna is a list of occupations in the “I’ll jluna217@student.alamo.edu know when I see it,” category and Community colleges are the there is a search box for the “I want “gateways” to higher education and to be a …” category. can help create a stronger middle Using the search box and typing class for Americans. in the jobs that support this city’s According to thewhitehouse.gov economy, was the starting point of the Obama Administration invested the data collected. $8 million in community colleges to My next move website was partner with busidesigned to assist nesses to train people who are For most students, employers in high seeking careers. it’s a milestone. For demand and high For each occusome of the students, pation provided, growth areas. they will be the On cityinfo. there is a list of first in their family com, the econoexpectations and my for this city is criteria someto graduate from a based on governone would need college. ment jobs, tourRosa Maria Gonzalez, to follow. There ism, health care Counselor is also a section jobs, financial providing the service jobs and kind of education manufacturing jobs. someone would need for each career According to mynextmove.org in choice. The career options range this city, a student with an associfrom waiters to company CEOs. ate degree can automatically be in There is a section that shows the middle class starting at a salwhether the job has growth in each ary of about $47,300 a year, which of the 50 states. is $22.72 hourly, working as a regA career choice that is labeled as istered nurse. This job usually asks a bright outlook, means that career for an associate or bachelor’s degree. has growth, a career choice with an On mynextmove.org there are average outlook, means a career has three categories on the site, “I want fair growth, and a career choice with to be a…” for people who know what a low outlook means there are not they want to be, “I’ll know when I see many opportunities for that field. it,” for people who have an idea of The outlook that is provided on the what they want to be, and “I’m not site is national outlooks and can vary
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by state. There is also an approximate salary rate per year for each career choice. Manufacturing engineering pays an average of about $102,850 a year, 42.26 hourly in this state. To be in this field, an associate or a bachelor’s degree is required. This field has an average outlook in Texas. No information was provided for the average salary paid in the city. Property real estate and community associate managers acquire some college or associate degree. In this city, the occupation pays approximately $46,000 a year, which is $22.11 an hour and has an average outlook. Career and technical education teachers for a middle school acquire between some college and a bachelors degree, this job has an average outlook of opportunities. In this city, this job pays approximately $54,500 an hourly wage was not provided. Val Calvert, department chair for business administration, said 100 percent of the students who graduate get a job in their field of study or transfer to four-year universities. Calvert said business administration is the second largest department on this campus. She said there are close to 300 graduates this semester in the department. The students getting jobs in the field varies, students can find jobs
See ASSOCIATE, Page 4
mulls F-T adjunct cuts
President wants to limit full-time adjuncts to 10-12 a year. By Faith Duarte
fduarte3@student.alamo.edu
As a result of decreases in state funding and contact hours, the college must accommodate a $2.4 million budget cut for the fall and cut back on full-time adjuncts, President Robert Zeigler said during a College Council meeting Tuesday in Room 120 of visual arts. Zeigler said that although the head count remained steady from fall to spring, contact hours have decreased this semester. “There are more opportunities available for students to work, so students are working more and going to school less,” he said. Zeigler said the growth of the Eagle Ford Shale is a possible factor for losing contact hours because “it gives people an opportunity to work and make a lot of money.” About 60 full-time adjuncts work at the college, Zeigler said. “In order for us to make the budget, we have got to significantly reduce full-time adjuncts, period,” he said.
See COUNCIL, Page 4