As a result of Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget cuts, the college may have to reduce the number of full time equivalent students (FTES) it can support to 16,005 and reduce course sections by 681.

In preparation for 2011-2012 the budget and planning committee has put together a proposed budget plan that would help them plan for three possible financial scenarios that could arise.

As part of each scenario the college plans to reduce the size of its operation by freezing faculty, part-time, classified, management and student worker positions, Jo Ann Higdon, vice president of  administrative services said. 

“A vast majority of our funding comes from the state, so if the state makes a cut we have no choice, we have to implement those cuts as well, but the most important thing to remember is that these numbers are just projections,” she said. “They will change.”

The first scenario would take place if Brown’s proposed June temporary tax extension passes voter approval in the special election, which has not yet been announced.  The cuts to the general fund would be approximately $7 million.

At this level, the college anticipates course sections offered to be reduced by 195 and the number of full-time equivalent student the college can support to shrink to 18,005.

In the second scenario, EC’s general fund would be reduced by $10.9 million if proposition 98, which according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office ensures  K-14 schools receive a guarantee amount of funding from the state that grows each year with the economy and the number of students, is funded at a minimum. 

The proposed budget plan predicts that EC will have to further limit course sections offered by 370 and full-time equivalent students that the college will be able to support will also be limited to 17,285 students.

The third scenario, Thomas Fallo, president of EC said, would be the worst case scenario and the cuts to EC would be more extensive, the college would lose 17.5 million of its general fund if proposition 98 is suspended. 

In order to compensate the college would have to slash 681 course sections offered and only take on 16,005 full-time equivalent students.

“It’s a terrible thing to say but at this point the $ 7 million cut is our best option,” Higdon said.

As of last Tuesday, Gov. Jerry Brown said he had halted talks with the Republican Legislature after the GOP released a list of 53 demands to be made in order for them to support a special election in June, according to a March 29 article in the Daily Breeze.

Among the 53 demands, Brown said he supported some of the Republican reforms but disagreed with other items that had nothing to do with state budget, the article said.

For students, each level of cuts would translate to fewer classes as well as fewer resources such as counselors, Arvid Spor, dean of enrollment services and chair of the planning and budget committee, said.

“Students might have to wait even longer to see counselors, or they might not be able to see one at all” Spor said, which could potentially delay their graduation date.

Which is why “Students are really going to have to get attuned to registering on time, it’s amazing how many of our continuing students don’t take advantage of registering the first moment they can,” Higdon said. “but they need to because things are getting tighter.”