Employee Resource Center aides students
Volume CXV1, edition 1
Since 1949
September 3. 2008
Fresno City Theatre Hosts Jerry Lewis Telethon
by Ivette Lopez Rampage Reporter Finding the perfect job to fit odd schedules and pay decently is virtually impossible in today’s competitive market. For students at Fresno City College, however, the task of obtaining a job can be very simple with the help of the Employee Resource Center. Whether you are looking for a job on or off campus, the center works with you to equip you with the skills to job hunt effeciently. The Resource center is not a placement agency; it simply guides students to success. By reviewing students’ resumes, giving tips on how to speak, dress and carry themselves during an interview and even providing an interactive website for students to search for a job, the resource center has become a sort of hotspot for students and employers alike. Sean Henderson, a Resource Center staff member said, “We know our students are a commodity in the workforce.” He later added, “Our job is to teach; the student’s job is to choose.” The first step in finding a job at the Resource Center is to log on to www.jobs.fresnocitycollege.edu and browse the hundreds of jobs available. Accessing the website means connecting directly with employers. By giving your email address, the employer contacts you as soon as he/she has a spot available for you. If you need extra assistance, you can talk to a staff member or a student employee to give you further instructions for any questions you might have. According to Henderson, the fastest a student has ever received employment has been within 24 hours, but those results are not guaranteed. For students working on campus, however, the prerequisites to apply for a job often change. Most (but not all) positions available on campus often require the student to qualify for Federal Workstudy, or a federal grant that one applies for when submitting their financial aid application. This pays the student as the source of income is directly taken from the grant. See ‘Jobs’ page two
Fresno City Classified Senate volunteers answer the call of the annual Jerry Lewis Telethon on September 1. by Jeannie Batey Rampage Reporter The Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon was filmed live at the Fresno City College Theatre on Sep 1, 2008. The MDA is a voluntary health
agency dedicated to conquering neuromuscular diseases affecting Americans and people all over the world. “Fresno is in an employment crisis, and despite the economic hitm, people still gave to others,” said Jeff Barrett, theatre manager at FCC.
The event raised more than $219,000. “According to the news reports, the total amount pledged from Fresno was the highest in the US, ” said Barrett. The telethon brought the networks to FCC campus, and it could be a big boost for the FCC theatre. Barrett
Photo courtesy of Jeff Barrett
said that the MDA volunteers worked tirelessly and everyone was dedicated to the success of this event. “I’m hoping that this will increase our continued involvement and support in the community,” he said.
Budget impasse hits FCC hard by Joseph Boone Rampage Reporter Without a State Budget passed, Fresno City College is struggling to pay its bills. According to Douglas Brinkley, the State Center Community College District Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration, it is critical to FCC as well as community colleges statewide that a budget be passed before the end of September. “We have to keep the doors open for students, and the state revenue represents a large portion of our revenue. That’s the dilemma we’re in, is how long we can continue to pay bills; and some districts are borrowing. When we hit September we’ll have to see,” said Brinkley. According to Brinkley, the college has been forced to tap into financial reserves to continue operating, but those reserves will only last FCC until the end of September without the college having to make significant changes. “Our big payroll is not due until the end of September, and the legislatures know this, I guess, unless they
know something I don’t know,” said Brinkley. The California State Budget is to be passed by the State Legislature on June 15, and signed into law by the governor on June 30. Unfortunately for programs and institutions reliant on state funding, the 2008-09 State Budget has still not been passed. On Sunday, California lawmakers surpassed the modern-day record for a late budget set on August 31, 2002, a full two months after the start of a new fiscal year. It should be noted that it is not unusual for the budget to be passed late; the budget has often been passed between July and early August. But as the budget stalemate approaches a third month, the adjustments state-funded institutions have to make in order to keep operational grow increasingly drastic. The Director of Financial Aid, Frank Ramon, said that the budget stalemate only affects state money, which is generally supplementary to other grants (i.e. federal). He added that he is not aware of anyone who has been unable to attend school as a result of the budget impasse. However,
he said, “[the budget impasse] is a serious thing.” Anne Watts, Director of the CalWORKs program, struggles to balance out serving students without having an official budget. “We will receive our funding, it’s just that we don’t know, at this point, at what level we are going to receive that funding,” said Watts. Fresno City College’s Cal-
“It just makes it kind of a nervous time for everybody when you don’t really know what to expect.” WORKs program helped around 800 students last year who were then mainstreamed into FCC’s Vocational Training Programs. The benefits included aid in areas such as financial assistance, childcare, transportation, ancillary funds, enrollment fees, student book accounts and supplies.
But those benefits fluctuate yearly as funding increases or decreases. “One of the things I do is I look at what are our processes are looking like, what are we doing now, have I allocated resources effectively across the program,” said Watts. With the State Legislature in a budget stalemate, Watts has been forced to plan for a number of different outcomes. Scenarios that have been planned for include working with last year’s budget, having to operate with a 10 per cent cut, or a possible but unlikely 20 per cent cut, all of which depend on the Legislature’s final product. “We’re operating under a continuing resolution, and we anticipate that we will serve at least as many students [as last year] because we have a lot more students this year that need services, so it’s our job to figure out how to serve more students at the same or maybe less levels,” said Watts. Dr. Lee Farley, Director of Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOP&S) said that See ‘Budget’ page two