Budget cuts have forced administrators to dip into reserve funds and severely limit class offerings during these hard economic times.
It is still too early to say what the 2010-11 budget cuts will affect, if anything, because the state legislature does not finalize the budget until July, Dr. Arvid Spor, chairman of the planning and budgeting committee said.
The strategy behind the condensed scheule is to cut classes with low enrollment first and to fill the remaining classes to their capacity.
“Though classes have been limited, it means that we now have full classes and have trimmed those with low enrollment to less impact the students,” Spor said, “We’re trying to fix the scheduling so the classes are best utilized by the students.”
Even with classes being cut, federal funding and reserve money has been used to enhance certain services such as special resources, counseling, and supplemental instruction to keep them stabilized as best as the administartion can.
“The (administration) is looking at meeting the needs of the students.” Spor said. “We recognize and value all programs and will look for the best solutions.”
President Thomas Fallo said that while the proposed budgets for community colleges will not get better this year, students may take solace in the fact that there are no proposed fee changes.
Past fee changes included a new tuition increase which was put into effect for the fall 2009 semester for $26 per unit where it will stay for now.
Along with the fee increase came a new fee deadline for students.
Though administrators realize completing courses on time for graduation is increasingly more difficult with less classes to choose from, they do offer a word of advice.
“Students must understand what their core classes are, get a counselor and make an education plan. Students must be flexible, committed, and recognize that there will be changes,” Fallo said.
Administrators have said that the general consensus is good and that the college is in a good positions to the weather the storm.
“There is no better time than now to be investing in yourself,” Fallo said.
