Due to concerns with the inconsistency of Title 5, the zero-unit ‘L’ courses are being eliminated, said Thomas Lew, acting dean of the Fine Arts Division.

A report released by Dr. Nadine Hata, vice president of academic affairs, showed that there are about six violations of Title 5, one of which includes Section 58172, which requires mandatory attendance of all students enrolled in these courses.

“Our college has always tried to live up to the standard of the law,” president Dr. Thomas Fallo said. “We recognized that we would not be in the best position for claiming full-time equivalent student attendance at the state level.”

Courses with a zero-unit lab require students to attend performances outside of class, Lew said.

“It would be like listening to a speech if you were to take a speech class or a seeing play or musical if you were to take a theater class,” he said.

Although zero-unit labs are being eliminated, the opportunities to experience performances may be substituted in some other way, Fallo said.

“In many of the courses, as I understand, faculty members do not send all of their students to the performances,” he said.

Hada has recommended that the ‘L’ courses be inactivated and not attached to the fine arts, the behavioral sciences, cultural sciences or humanities courses by summer 2004, Lew said.

“We will try to continue presenting some of the events in a reduced number,” Lew said. “However, this may require students to contribute to deter the cost by paying full price for the ticket or part of the ticket.”

One recommendation made by Hata is for the Center for the Arts (CFA) to become more fiscally self-sustaining.

“Because the courses are inappropriate, the vice president has decided to inactivate these courses and to stop claiming apportionment, which will mean less revenue will be generated by the CFA,” Lew said.

Hata recommended that EC subsidize the number of CFA events and claim no apportionment for the ‘L’ courses.

Hata reported that the ‘L’ courses will be eliminated; however, students will still be required to attend certain events as a class requirement.

“All of the courses are going to be eliminated but we are going to try to get at least one or two events for each course program,” Lew said.”We will probably make a decision this spring and implement it next semester.”

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