Oscar Ortega / Roundup
The Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles Community College District adopted new resolutions on March 11. The most immediate resolution adopted by the board is to begin handing pink slips due to California’s budget crisis.
This measurement will apply for the 2009-10 fiscal year that begins July 1. During this period of time the academic administrators may have to impose up to 15 days of unpaid leave.
This action is necessary to alleviate a future budget crisis, which the district may face during the next fiscal year.
“We hope that doesn’t happen. Fortunately, we are not anticipating having any actual layoffs. We are preventing that by given the authority to the board to cut days for everybody,” said Deborah Hirsh, senior associated vice chancellor for human resources.
The adoption of the initiative was not unanimous. Trustee Nancy Pearlman abstained from voting and Trustee Miguel Santiago voted against the resolution.
Santiago decline to comment on his decision to vote against the resolution.
Furthermore, the board adopted a new statewide education program implemented by the Board of Governors which asks all of California’s community colleges to raise standards for English and math classes.
The intention of this new resolution is to elevate students’ knowledge of math and English to university levels. Academic staff are concerned whether the students are prepared to pass those levels.
“What Pierce is doing and other colleges are doing is that we have a student success committee that is discussing how we can help students pass those English and math requirements,” said Joy McCaslin, vice president of Student Services.
The new system will only apply to new students starting this fall. Continuing students won’t be affected.
Another issue covered by the board was the Degree Works Project, a program useful for students, counselors and advisers.
The main goal of this project is a student self-help program. Students will have the ability to plan their classes in advance to achieve their academic goals.
It will be available to advisers and counselors as an animated tool, in case the students require more help. The system will be accessible through the Internet, anytime and anywhere, and hard copies will also be available for students who don’t have such access.
This project still has some modification to be done before being fully functional. It is estimated to be up and running at Pierce College by May 29.
In other business, April has been designated “Child Abuse Prevention Month.” The United States Government has declared April as “Sexual Assault Awareness Month” and the Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women has declared April 22, 2009 as “Denim Day.”
