With a statewide budget deficit looming, finances were top of mind at the Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees meeting on March 6. The board discussed several grants that will bring in money to campus programs, but which are projected to not be enough to close the gap.
“The budget picture is getting dire and we might be facing cuts next year, that seems to be the consensus,” said LACCD Academic Senate President Angela Echeverri during a presentation to the board.
As a way to increase funding beyond the district’s initial budget, the Board of Trustees approved more than $10 million in grants from the federal, state and local governments. These grants include allocations of $269,000 to support Pierce’s College’s Umoja program and $150,000 to expand and maintain enrollment in Pierce’s Associate Degree in Nursing program.
“I’m proud that this institution is doing good work to provide these opportunities for higher education,” Student Trustee Alexy Cordova said.
The Board of Trustees also approved an increase in tuition for non-resident students across the district, in a unanimous vote. Starting in fall 2024, non-resident tuition will change to $359 per semester unit, up from $342 per semester unit.
In honor of Women’s History Month this March, the Board of Trustees unanimously passed a resolution affirming the district’s commitment to celebrating and supporting women and women’s history.
“[We have] a commitment to equal opportunity access by supporting and enhancing services, courses and programs that enable women to attain their educational and career goals,” said Trustee Kelsey Iino, who co-authored the resolution.
LACCD Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez pointed to how several campuses are holding Women’s History Month celebrations in the coming weeks.
“These types of events are a reminder of our firm responsibility as educators to counter gender discrimination,” Rodriguez said.
