Pierce College’s administration made the decision to cancel the winter session of 2013 due to low revenues and ongoing budget cuts, but they are still planning to have a summer session with reduced classes, the vice president of academic affairs said during an academic senate meeting Monday.
The school wants to keep Fall and Spring semesters as full as possible and make cuts from summer and winter to accomplish reductions to the budget, according to Davies.
The school’s administration announced the cancellation of the 2012 winter session during October due to a loss of almost $400 million in funding amongst California’s community colleges.
Tier 2 cuts will take effect for the year 2012-13, but our district will use colleges reserves to cope with the cut according to Anna Davies, vice president of academic affairs.
“I hope we will discuss how will we maintain our efficiency as a college” said Davies.
There is no option of providing students with a winter session next year either because the state has declared that the school year of 2012-2013 will bring more budget cuts, according to Vice President of Academic Affairs Anna Davies.
“I’m afraid for us,” Davies said during the Academic Senate meeting. “I have never seen so many challenges having to be faced at once.”
With no classes offered in the winter, Pierce students wishing to transfer will continue to face challenges in obtaining transfer classes.
“It’s bad,” said Pierce College student Eddie Torrescano, 20. “A lot of people are trying to finish their requirements and transfer. This is just going to delay us.”
Both Davies and Tom Rosdahl, president of the academic senate, expressed concerns for the future with a growing square footage of classrooms.
“We’re looking at a significant amount of size increase; the problem is right now we don’t have the money to increase students” said Rosdahl, after the meeting.
Contribuiting: Sean Dullaghan