Issue 12, March 22, 2012

Page 1

Serving the campus community since 1946 March 22, 2012

NIO U N

Women’s History Month

Page 3

EL CAMINO COLLEGE

Women find common interest in auto mechanics

Torrance, California

Winter session safe for 2013 Roy Moore Staff writer

Manuel Escalera/ Union Rebecca Nunez 31, tire dealer, explains the importance of basic engine maintenance to EC students, advising that as a car gets older, more frequent tune-ups are required as part of the maintanance.

Winter session 2013 was saved from the chopping block, but the board of trustees eliminated winter session 2014 last week due to state budget cuts that have created uncertainty about the college’s future funding. During a 4.5 hour meeting, the board heard from students and faculty who urged that the 2013 and 2014 winter sessions continue. “By maintaining winter session in both 2013 and 2014, the board would be issuing its support for one costneutral way for EC to better serve its current students,” Academic Senate President Christina Gold said. “Winter session allows for quicker student pathways to completion, thereby, opening up spaces for new students and helping the campus begin to work towards the vision created by student task force recommendations,” Gold added. Yet President Tom Fallo said that the state’s current budget crisis has forced the college to take severe funding cuts; these cuts could continue for the foreseeable future. He said that during the current calendar year, the college has lost $10 million from the state, or 10 percent of EC’s overall budget. In addition, just last month, the college took an unanticipated cut of $2.6 million from the state. “My major concern is not putting the district in a position of uncertain times,” Fallo said. “It is clear the state budget situation has deteriorated and we heard that there is a possibility of another cut.” Students like Whitney Blakeman, 19, undeclared major, attended the meeting to express her concern about winter session. She led a group of OccupyECC students who said that they were upset with public education being neglected due to what they believe is greed from corporate America. Continued on page 2

EC back on accreditation warning after year Thomas Schmit Staff Writer Only a year after being taken off of warning, the college’s accreditation may be at risk once again, according to a letter from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC). The letter, which can be found on the college website, lists six recommendations that the college must address by October or else face possible sanction. Jeanie Nishime, vice president of student and community advancement, said the problem is the college is within the two-year period previously given by the ACCJC to meet its accreditation standards.

“You get what they call the two-year rule to alleviate the situation,” Nishime said. “But we were on warning before, so it’s cumulative, you don’t get another two years.” The recommendations given by the ACCJC include the integration of program review, planning and budgeting, Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) and finance management plans for the EC Compton Center. “We satisfied that requirement (in the last review), but we need to consistently show that we are sustainable in terms of the program review, planning and budget cycle,” Nishime said. The matter of program review planning and budgeting has long been a thorn in EC’s side, appearing in accreditation recommendations as far back as 1990, she said.

All colleges are required to meet the ACCJC’s proficiency level of implementation for SLO’s by fall, which may be difficult for the Compton Center, Nishime said. According to an October 2011 status report on the Compton Center’s eligibility for accreditation, this criterion has only been partially met, with the expectation that proficiency would be met at the end of 2012. “Every course and program has an SLO, but we’re probably not where we should be in terms of assessment of those SLO’s,” Nishime said. “It would require close scrutiny in order to make the fall deadline.” While Nishime assures students that the college is fiscally sound, the ACCJC letter mentions that conditions at the Compton Center directly

impact EC’s accreditation status. The Compton Center, formerly Compton Community College, was stripped of its accreditation in 2005 due to financial difficulties and administrative corruption, Nishime said. At that point, it became a satellite to EC in an attempt to avoid closing down the Compton Center. Since 2005, the Compton Center has experienced an unusually high rate of turnover of its chief executive officer, something that’s made fiscal stability a challenge, Nishime said. Another difficulty with the Compton Center is that EC’s administration does not directly oversee its finances--that task falls to the Compton Community College District.

Activities highlighting women’s history to take place on campus Daniela Messarina Staff Writer

NEWS LINE

In honor of Women’s History Month, the college will be celebrating a variety of events and activities that focus on education and empowerment. Many of the events will be sponsored by the Office of Staff Development, Staff and Student Diversity, and the Women’s History Month Committee. Several activities and events will take place in the Alondra Room and Student Activities Center. Leisa Biggers, director of student diversity, said that education is empowerment and should always be a theme. “It’s good to see more females involved in the industry and technology careers. More women are fascinated to take mathematics and institutions are reaching out by learning how to attract those programs to females,” Biggers said. Although people celebrate Women’s History Month in the month of March, EC offers a class in women’s studies every semester and it meets the general education requirement. Professor Maria Brown teaches the has been teaching here for about 37 years and says she enjoys watching her students develop their skills during their time in her class. “You can see the transformation taking place during the semester. It’s their class. I structure things for them, they work

Carina Gomez

within those structures while they grow and develop self- confidence,” Brown said. Not only do female students take her class, but male students do as well. Brown said she gets a lot of men in her classes who enroll for different reasons. “For a long time, education was not accessible to everybody. Public education was an investment in young people, but it was also a benefit to our society as a whole,” Brown said. “I have people from other countries that come with a different attitude toward women. It’s wonderful and exciting to watch young people

grow!” First-year student Brooke Matson, 18, economics major, is enrolled in a women’s studies class this semester and is excited to take part in the upcoming elections in November. “It’s my first year voting, and I already started to appreciate

more what women have done in the past,” Matson said. “If I lived in the past, I wouldn’t be where I am today.” Matson also mentioned she is glad that there is a month where women’s history is honored, but wishes that women’s history was celebrated more than just one month out of a year. “People can learn a lot about women’s history and learn to appreciate some of the things they might not know or understand about women,” Matson said. “If people who fought for women’s right’s saw the women of today not voting, they would be very disappointed.” Associated Student Organization member Mark Zelayaran, 19, business administration major, said he thinks it is wonderful for women to be fighting for their own rights ever since this country was founded. “Men should have more respect for women and the right for women to say something,” Zelayran said. “Now that women have a saying and are able to vote, the discrimination is not as bad as it used to be.” Brown said that when she graduated high school, women would only think about marriage and children, not about going on to college. “These events are important because it really acknowledges the wonders of women and it reaffirms the contributions women have made to society,” Brown said.

Theater panel at Hagg Recital Hall

University fair at the library lawn

Informative workshop for TAG students

Hat show in honor of Women’s History

Project Success hosts Umoja

University representatives from USC, UCLA, UC Irvine and CSULB, will present their theater programs and offer information. The panel will take place on Monday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Hagg Recital Hall.

A Black College Fair willtake place at the Schaeurman Library on March 29, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Various universities will attend and inform students about program options, and financial aid.

A workshop on the Transfer Admission Agreement (TAG) will take place on Thursday, March 29, from 1 p.m. To 2 p.m. in the Distance Education Room. Learn about out-of-state historically black universities and get motivated to transfer.

To celebrate Women’s History Month, a hat fashion show will take place from 12:30 to 2 p.m. on March 29 in the East Lounge of the Student Activity Center. To participate, RSVP at whairsto@elcamino.edu

Presented by Project Success, the Umoja Conference will take place March 30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the East Dinning Room


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.