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Huge Budget Cuts Will Affect APAs at City College

Dr. Philip R. Day, Jr., CCSF chancellor, welcomes the press, public and and invited guests.

By Ji Hyun Lim | AsianWeek Staff Writer

In a time when the economy is in a recession and many are uncertain of job prospects, thousands of prospective students hope their education might help get them a leg up for job training — resulting in a boom in community college enrollment. However, this year, Gov. Gray Davis — facing a $35 billion state deficit —proposed a budget that would cut $530 million or 10.5 percent of funds from community college programs for the 2003-04 year, leaving educational institutions in a panic about how to meet demands for more classes.

On Jan. 15, City College of San Francisco (CCSF) held a press conference calling attention to the devastating impact of Davis’ proposed budget cuts. Representatives, including Chancellor Philip Day, and CCSF trustees Milton Marks III and Julio J. Ramos, voiced concern that such cuts would displace some 16,000 students and force city colleges to eliminate programs that would train workers and prepare students for four-year universities.

The January budget proposal includes plans to cut the statewide community college budget by $275 million this fiscal year, which includes a $5 million dollar cut in the City College of San Francisco (CCSF) budget alone. By next year, Governor Davis proposes to cut another $250 million statewide and $8 million at CCSF.

Changes will include an increase in fees from $11 to $24 per unit, a 45 percent decrease in funding for disabled student services, a 20 percent decrease in funding for matriculation and a 26 percent decrease in student health services, by the 2004 fiscal year. The statewide Extended Opportunity Program and Services (EOPS) will also see a 45 percent cut. This program provides services to low-income and academically challenged students, giving them everything from book grants to vocational internships.

City College student Sonia Menjivar tells how Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) helped her make the transition to college after being on welfare and caring for three children after her husband was killed.

Currently, CCSF is estimating a loss of over 269 staff positions, which include full-time and part-time positions, and foresees an increase in class sizes that may be detrimental to providing services for some 146,000 students who enroll at CCSF at any given time.

“It’s devastating to us,” Chancellor Day expressed with dismay. “We’re all shell shocked after the numbers came in. It’s hit the morale of the faculty and staff.”

The dean of student affairs, Frank Chong, said that the budget cuts will affect all students — especially Asian Pacific Americans, who make up 45 percent of the CCSF student body. He argues that the drop in funding for EOPS will directly impact 1,200 students — more than half of whom are APA.

He points out that many of the immigrant students are going to be hit especially hard by the lack of services available in the up-coming year.

“We should look at all our priorities in a time when the economy and the state are in a recession and we have many people who are unemployed and coming back to community colleges for re-training,” Chong said. “The students who have the greatest ability to pay are being given a free ride and those with the least ability to pay are taking it in the chin.”

Day agrees that the governor disproportionately rationed out funds to higher education institutions. He points out that both the University of California and California State University received an overall increase of 2.5 percent in the budget while community colleges were hit by 6.2 percent reduction.

“It’s not fair,” Day protested. “We’re the safety net to provide the backbone for the workforce when the unemployed are dislocated. CSU and UC don’t want to teach remedial courses or raise tuition.”

Day points out that the cuts will result in combining classes, eliminating smaller classes and cutting 50 percent of the summer courses, which will directly impact thousands of students. CCSF will face difficult decisions about which programs to keep and which ones to remove.

State Assemblyman Leland Yee, who was a CCSF graduate, argues that budget cuts would affect the quality of education by increasing the student-to-instructor ratio and create a greater barrier for those with financial difficulties.

“Many students of color rely on the community college as their entree to higher education,” Yee said. “It’s absolutely unconscionable that we would somehow deny youngsters a chance to better themselves.”

Ann Bancroft, the spokesperson for the governor’s office, agrees that the cuts result from “one of the most difficult budgets in 50 years” but claims that the governor is committed to protecting the core curriculum in community colleges. She argues that the cuts will help eliminate the concurrent enrollment problem, where some $80 million was appropriated for classes that were not “legitimate.”

“Community colleges were getting money for students enrolled in high school classes,” Bancroft said. “For example, high school football teams were practicing on campus and that was being called a class. They were getting double funding.

“We would hope that they know that they have to make strategic cuts — for example, a class in photography or Italian for Travelers might be cut instead of prep courses.”

These cuts will come out of money guaranteed by Proposition 98, passed in 1988. Prop. 98 is a state constitutional amendment which guarantees minimum funding levels for both K-12 schools and community colleges.

Bancroft adds that 40 percent of students at the 108 community colleges can have their fees waived based on their low-income status under the governor’s fee waiver program. The state also provides financial aid, Cal and Pell grants to cover the tuition increases.

Still, many argue that student outreach and education about the financial aid system may not be enough.

“One in six people in San Francisco are attending or have attended City College,” Chong said. “They should talk to their legislators and call, write and e-mail the governor and let them know that community colleges are the important lifeline of San Francisco. California [community colleges] serve 2 million students. It’s an institution for the working poor — eliminating classes sends a negative message to the students.”

Reach Ji Hyun Lim at jlim@asianweek.com.