According to Monday’s Academic Senate meeting, summer and winter sessions are facing elimination after the upcoming winter 2011 session.
The budget set for California Community Colleges is roughly $500 billion, leaving the Los Angeles Community College District $50 million. Pierce College would be left with 12 percent of that.
In addition to cutting these sessions, there is also talk of reducing athletic programs and upper division courses.
“We cannot continue to do more with less. We have to protect Fall and Spring [semesters],” said President Kathleen Burke-Kelly, during the meeting.
With the college facing these hard challenges, the Academic Senate is seeking out strategies to help students and faculty to make it through the difficult year to come.
One goal that was emphasized during the meeting was to establish a clear path for students to transfer with an associate degree and have a guaranteed university admission.
“[It is] a strategy to improve student performance and hopefully numbers would turn around,” said professor Joseph Perret
The ideal situation for students to transfer is to take at least 12 units each semester for fall and spring. The council believes that by having this momentum students will get into the habit of taking more classes, thus leading to a better success rate.
“Students have the freedom of choice, which is great, but it doesn’t give them a clear pathway of what [general education] classes would be best for their degree,” said Burke-Kelly, during the meeting.
The council is trying to gear students towards events such as “Meet Your Major,” to have a better insight for a pathway of success.
Priority enrollment procedures are also being considered for honors students and Bridge to Success students.
“The effects of these budget cuts lasting until 2015 seems realistic. It’s best to start facing and discussing these problems now,” said Burke-Kelly.
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