By Staff Editorial
More money needed (Jarred Jackson / Multimedia Editor)
By Staff Editorial
Without the help of the state, community colleges are scrambling to figure out how they will absorb the massive budget cuts of California.
Many decisions are being made with little time to discuss and the students are the ones being struck by the effects head on.
Students are finding out that they are not getting into the classes they need, and they are not finishing community college in two years, like past students were able to do.
Santa Monica College has decided on a plan that has every community college in the state talking.
The administration at Santa Monica College has made a plan to offer the high demand English and math classes to its students for $200 per unit.
The plan is that the college will offer the classes in the summer and winter sessions after the state-fund English and math classes fill up. The college said it will offer these classes if the plan is a success.
The problem with the idea is that aside from the limited English and math classes that are available, not every student is able to get into the class and if a student with a low priority registration date is not able to get into the class-that student is cheated out because now that student has to pay for a class that is $200 per unit to stay on track with his or her graduation class.
Why should students, who are in the back-of-the-pack, have to pay extra to take a class, which the college cannot provide?
The cost per unit for classes was $36 entering the spring semester and the cost per unit for classes will be $46 in the summer.
In 2008 the cost per unit for classes was $16!
There is no need to add insult to injury to community college students, after the administration at the community colleges have limited classes and the state has increased the cost per unit, practically each semester.
Community college is not honoring its mission of serving the community and its students, when it says it is affordable for students.
Community college is the only place of high education, where students, of all kind and all classes, can come to and give themselves a chance to receive an education for an affordable cost.
With insane plans and ideas like the one of Santa Monica College, the community colleges will deliver a negative thought in their students and students will feel discouraged to continue their education.
Community college administrators have to show they are protecting the students in some way by sacrificing on their end.
Students might not feel they are capable of demanding a fair result or might think things will get better if they ignore the problems, but nothing can be done if they do not stand up for themselves.
Students at community colleges need to understand that they are in a period of time, where they have to become activists and do something about the problem, because administrations at community colleges will continue making unfair decisions, even though they do not know how much the decisions affect students in a negative way.
