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October 1, 2020
News
NEWS BRIEFS Voter Registration The California Students Vote Project, created by Secretary of State Alex Padilla in 2016, is increasing outreach efforts to encourage voting among young adults. According to Padilla’s office, adults between the ages of 18 and 24 are the lowest represented age group in the state. Voter turnout in this age group was only 27.5% during the 2018 General Election. To register to vote, visit registertovote.ca.gov/?t=5.
Secretary of State Town Hall Alex Padilla, California secretary of state, will participate in a virtual town hall with Riverside Community College District students Oct. 1 at 1 p.m. Guillermo Ochoa, Telemundo 52 Morning News anchor, will moderate a discussion about access, equity and voter registration. The bilingual event will be streamed on Facebook. To watch, visit https:// w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / RCCDistrict/live/. To participate, register at https://bit.ly/3mSbkxZ.
MVC DREAM Act Moreno Valley College will hold a webinar Oct. 8 from noon to 1 p.m. for students who may be eligible for the DREAM Act. The session will cover the act’s requirements, eligibility and information from Student Financial Services. To register, visit https:// w w w. m v c . e d u / f i l e s / s f s workshops.pdf.
IMAGE COURTESY OF PIXY.ORG
Riverside Community College District enrollment has dropped 13% this semester after seeing an increase during the summer 2020 term.
District enrollment drops
RCCD leadership investigates which demographics are most impacted CHLOE HUNTER STAFF REPORTER
Enrollment at the Riverside Community College District has dropped 13% this semester. It is the largest decrease in the district’s history. Wolde-Ab Isaac, district chancellor, tasked a research group in the Educational Services and Strategic Planning Department with working on understanding the enrollment decrease. The district aims to identify which ethnicities are most affected and why students have not returned. Results are expected sometime next week. “We are organizing a much better marketing system to encourage that segment of our population to come back,” Isaac said. Jeannie Kim, Educational Services and Strategic Planning interim vice chancellor, did not
respond after multiple requests for comment. The chancellor said the team is working hard to better understand the situation so that the college can develop a plan to support students who have not re-enrolled. Isaac also indicated that there are still CARES Act funds available to help students with school finances and that there may be residual funds at the end of the year because so few students have applied for aid. He encouraged students to apply. “We are really interested to find out who is affected and why might they be affected and how can we alleviate that burden from them,” Isaac said. The California Community Chancellor’s Office reported Sept. 24 that statewide Community College enrollment has dropped by up to 7% this semester. Isaac identified the closure of certain departments, including athletics and fine
arts, as a possible reason for the enrollment decrease within the district. He said COVID-19 magnifies existing social inequalities that disproportionately affect people of color and suspects this is reflected in the demographics associated with the decrease. The district does not expect a further decrease in enrollment and aims to exceed the target goal for mid-fall and spring enrollment. Full credit accelerated eight-week courses will be offered in October for students who missed fall enrollment. “There will be a number of courses offered,” Isaac said. “We are trying to get as many people to take part in them.” Twenty-six on-campus labs are operating district-wide and almost 2,400 Career and Technical Education students are taking face-to-face courses to qualify for credentials and licensing. Isaac said he hopes this information will encourage
more people to enroll. “As soon as they finish these courses, all of these students are going to get jobs,” Isaac said. “And they are high paying jobs.” Isaac said the enrollment decrease has not impacted the district’s budget, but that its mission, which caters to social justice principles designed to provide students with economic and social mobility, has been affected. The chancellor argued that education is the best remedy to the current amplifications of racism and wealth inequality. He also encouraged solidarity and reminded that these times will pass in favor of a brighter future. “We have to be able and our people (have) to be properly educated so they can have opportunities for the good jobs, for transfer, for a good career that will take them out of poverty and into prosperity,” Isaac said.
Disabled students face challenges
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Resource center sees increase in inquiries despite enrollment decrease
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The Disability Resource Center is accommodating Riverside City College students with disabilities despite the campus closure. Students with disabilities continue to learn how to navigate online resources. Remote learning has proven difficult for all students, but students with disabilities face more challenges. Pamela J. Starr, director of the DRC, said that although the district has seen a drop in enrollment, the DRC has seen an increase in activity during the pandemic.
Correction In our last issue, we incorrectly referred to the ASRCC vice president as Shauna Kimm and the former ASRCC president as Angel Conteras. Their correct last names are Kim and Contreras.
ANIELA RUSSO STAFF REPORTER
“Some services will remain remote to reach more students,” Starr said. “To continue to be more engaged and available, we are updating our website with links for scheduling and making more resource information available on our social media platforms.” Lai Saelee, a secondyear student with a disability majoring in communications at RCC, enrolled in DRC services during the pandemic. She is a single mother raising a two-year-old and four-year-old who are not able to attend daycare because of the pandemic. Saelee said the process of registration was simple. The accommodations she needs were identified and implemented
remotely. “It was a difficult process at first, but staff like Diana Decastro and Keith (Coleman) have been very helpful,” Lai said. “I’m on track now.” Lai expressed she prefers to be on campus and learns better in an in-class environment. Tutoring is available online, but she struggles with technology. “I’m a hands-on learner,” Lai said. “I need to be present and learning. I’m overwhelmed and can’t wait to be back on campus.” Many DRC students require a notetaker, but the center is struggling to provide this resource. Starr said they are working on the issue. Disabled students face academic challenges that can
be compounded by mental health issues. The DRC director added that they are working hard to respond to students in a timely manner. Students already in DRC have a variety of options for resources remotely. Drop-in hours for online counseling are available for counselors to support and assist students with disabilities. The process of registration has been simplified, and students are allowed to email their documentation to make an appointment with a counselor. Students can apply online at https://www.rcc.edu/services/ disablestudents/Pages/students. aspx.
