Jeff Sandstoe /Roundup
Administrators discussed the future of Spring 2010 classes at an Academic Senate meeting Monday.
Dr. Joy McCaslin, interim Pierce College president, recapped topics discussed this weekend during her attendance at the Community College League of California’s Annual Convention and Partner Conference.
Although California is still in very poor economic health, McCaslin noted Pierce “might get lucky next semester” due to an approximate $1 billion still accessible to California community colleges from Prop. 98.
Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh, vice president of Academic Affairs, addressed senate concerns over section reductions for the Spring 2010 semester.
“Once we offer a class, we try to protect that class as much as possible,” said Abu-Ghazaleh, noting that the cutting of 175 sections was inevitable.
The departments of social and behavioral sciences as well as arts and languages suffered the highest amount of cut sections during the spring semester.
According to Abu-Ghazaleh, the departments of mathematics, science and nursing suffered little, if any, cuts. This was due to a “narrower pyramid” of available general education classes in these departments.
“We’ve crossed a line that’s….causing harm to the institution,” Abu-Ghazaleh said as he lamented over the issue of teachers accepting students above class enrollment caps.
Although he applauded teachers for caring about their students, Abu-Ghazaleh noted that this action caused the need to cut an additional 50 sections from the semester.
When asked about summer school, Abu-Ghazaleh said that while the administration is planning a summer session, “We don’t know yet.”
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