As the end of the semester nears, EC students may have to fight to get their classes for future semesters with more than 200 sections being cut for the upcoming winter, spring, and summer sessions, Lance Widman, Vice President of finance and special projects for Academic Senate, said.
“All online classes (for winter session) have been cut,” Widman, who is also a political science professor, said. “There will be a minimum of 200 sections cut in the spring, and anywhere between 150 to 200 sections cut for summer.”
Cuts are running across the board with no regard for division or major. While the cuts are going to occur, the college and the deans are trying to create as comprehensive of a program as possible, Widman added.
The state’s financial crisis has continued to affect the college, and students are going to feel the pressure in the upcoming semesters with no solutions in the near future.
“The state isn’t out of its fiscal mess,” Widman said. “The word on the street is that there will be mid-year budget cuts, which will trickle down to us and the (Kindergarten through 12 system).”
“The numbers still depend on enrollment in winter and spring,” Widman said. “(This situation) eliminates a lot of the part-time instructors as well.”
While there may not be much space left at the EC campus, there is still room at the growing Compton Center.
“The Compton Center has a professional program and staff,” Widman said. “With Pierce College, L.A. City College, Southwest College, and Harbor City College all cutting winter and summer sessions, (we are urging) students to take classes at Compton. It still has room to grow.”
Growth has become a problem on EC’s campus, with recent reports of the student population growing more than 20,000 individuals. With the cutting of classes, EC now has to deal with an excess number of students who can not get into their desired classes.
“Originally, we thought we could handle 19,700 students,” Widman said. “We were then told 19,300, which soon after became 18,700. Now we are going with 18,300.”
With the state supplying money to EC for only 18,300 students being taught, EC is still planning on having an excess of 20,000 students.
“We’re still planning on enrolling more students than the running number allows for,” Widman said. “The faculty is going to add students regardless of what they’ve been told. While the deans have been given direction to hold the line on adding students, we still bend the line.”
The excess number of students will not only put a strain on EC financially, but make it more difficult for students to get into their classes.
John Dinh, 18, undeclared, believes that a struggle for classes is eminent.
“I will have to fight for my classes,” Dinh said. “It’s supply and demand. I think it will be a lot more difficult since other schools aren’t offering what EC has to offer.”
Brett Martinez, 18, Sign Language interpretation major, feels that due to these recent cuts, his time at EC may be extended.
“It’s hard enough to get the classes that are required being a working student,” Martinez said. “Even this semester, my classes had at least 10-15 people trying to add, and none of them were accepted.”
Although students know the campus will be overcrowded, they believe it will be the same at every community college in the area.
“I will stay here due to the convenience,” Dinh said. “There’s going to be challenges either way, but I’ll take my chances (here).”