Mt. SAC is currently undergoing budget cuts that have resulted in reduced classes.
According to enrollment records collected by the Natural Sciences Division, as of September 9, 84,379 students have enrolled over a class limit of 81,689.
Vice President of Instruction Virginia Burley said that Mt SAC went through a series of class cuts over the last three years.
Burley said, “We’ve cut everywhere.”
According to Burley, the departments wanted to make sure students have enough choices so they can get all their credits for all the different general education areas. Burley said that areas involving counseling and learning assistance are not being cut.
Burley said, “When we talk about reductions in programs, it’s not something we want to do. The state says you are required to cut this many full time equivalent students because we can’t pay you to teach these students, so we try not to cut that many. ”
Ambar Fernandez, 20, music major, said it is not fair to cut classes.
“Well, I think it’s not very fair for us students who try to get into more classes and we can’t because the classes are either too packed and some of the times, we can’t get into them, they’re very spaced out.”
Burley said, “They [the state] said you have to cut 1,800 full time equivalent students, well we didn’t cut quite that many.”
According to Burley, the departments try to spread out classes in a way that helps students who need career training, or transfer credit.
Kristina Allende, 41, English professor and English Department chair, said that her department suffered cuts.
“In the fall semester, we cut some of our literature, and creative writing, and specialty courses; and now in the spring, we are cutting composition courses,” Allende said.
The cancellation of classes can make it difficult for students to get the courses they need to transfer. Burley said that it could take a student up to two years to get into a science lab class they need for transfer.
Danelle Villatoro, 20, music major, said that she waited for a year to get into a class for radiology.
“Even if you wait for a year, if the class is full, you’ll have to wait for another year,” Villatoro said.
Larry Redinger, dean of natural sciences, said that classes are being cut due to a lack of vision on the state level.
“A lot of the state’s management is pathetic so people in charge make decisions based on their little world and they don’t see the bigger picture. That’s why we are so terribly funded in public education in the state of California,” Redinger said.
Redinger added, “When you look at the K-12, community colleges, 50 states were in [ranking], 37 on a good day, 47 is probably where it really is, so funding per student for education is an issue, and they [the state] haven’t figured it out in Sacramento and they get to tell us what to do.”
Burley and Redinger both agreed that reducing the amount of course repeats to two is in the works and that students should really take their education more seriously if they want to succeed and not waste time.
As a student wanting to transfer, Villatoro said that restricting the amount of course repeats is both fair and beneficial.
The ones who go to school to just to “kick it” are simply wasting time for those who really want to learn and study, said Villatoro.
There is also talk of a fee increase. Students like Allen Ng, 21, an environmental studies major, has heard that that classes are going to go up to $46 per unit but that he is fortunate.
“I do complain, but I don’t think I have much of a right to complain, because I’m privileged to have the Board Fee Waiver, but some students aren’t as lucky as I am, they deserve to have an education as much as I do,” Ng said.
Redinger said that people that students should always stay optimistic. Burley agreed. “Motivation and clear goal make a really big difference for students,” Burley said.
- Alex Kchouri
A&E Editor
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