Heavy cuts effect student services

Many classes were cut this fall semester and more will be cut in spring. However, the budget crisis is not only impacting courses, but student services as well.

While reduced funds that affected the categorical programs in fall were still covered by some federal stimulus money and district support, the same amount of allocation is not guaranteed for future semesters.

Programs, such as matriculation, Extended Opportunity Program Services, Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education , Disability Support Services, and California Work Opportunity all aim to connect and recognize the educational goals of the colleges' students.

EOPS and other programs were cut 32 percent while matriculation — which helps students with assessment, admission and records and counseling — was reduced the most with a 62 percent cutback in funds this year.

"It's unfortunate that these programs that support students got cut," said Bob Miranda, dean of student support and services. "But I'm trying to be optimistic that the college and the district will come together to support as we've done so in the past."

Though the district was able to provide backfill for the shortage, it only covered for full-time positions.

"I believe the District's contribution to categorical programs shows a great respect for the services offered because of categorical funding and an understanding of the importance of these services to FC students," said Toni DuBois, vice president of student services.

Rolando Sanabria, the high school outreach coordinator who gave a presentation to the senate last Thursday, said because matriculation funds got the most cut, it will negatively impact the students most because it serves the entire student population on campus.

"I'm not trying to say that matriculation is the only victim in this crisis," Sanabria said. "But because matriculation has to handle all types of students such as an EOPS or a CalWorks student, our big finance reductions will impact the students the most."

But what the school is most concerned about is how to endure through the next semester.

Though student services requested a fund of $26,100 to the President's Advisory Council to carry out spring semester outreach programs, the results will not be out until 3 p.m. today.

If approved, the money from the budget will allow the school to provide summer registration and some spring events, Sanabria said.

"It'd be great if we get support, but whether we get the subsidy or not, the service we have to give during spring registrations or counseling will only be 50 percent of the
regular service we gave in the past because there isn't enough money," Sanabria added.

Administrators are anticipating the same percentage of cuts next year, but no federal stimulus dollars are certain, according to DuBois.

President of the faculty senate Marcus Wilson — who also had to cut a number of classes and turn away hundreds of students in his division — said these budget cuts were poor planning by the state by not prioritizing the necessary funds appropriately.

"It looks like it's going to be worse next year and I'm kind of disappointed and think the state level and district level need to put college courses on the top of the list," Wilson said.

Some of the potential impacts that could happen in future semesters include a loss of up to five to six positions in the counseling department.

Cal Works will lose around 55 percent of its counseling hours along with a decrease in staff members.

EOPS will have to cut seven part-time staff members along with four full-time employees.

The DSS program will also endure an ineffective delivery of authorized accommodations for the disabled students as well as an unavailability of learning assessments.

"Each of the managers in these programs has worked very hard to keep core services available to our students," DuBois said. "Hopefully the legislature will restore some of this critical funding by the 2011-12 academic year."