El Camino College
Serving the campus community since 1946
The truth about college students and HPV
Union
Thursday, Sept. 15, 2011
Page 3
Torrance, Calif.
International club recruits new members Budget
finalized Ashley Marie Patterson Staff Writer
After two hours of dispute and discussion, the EC faculty and president Tom Fallo finally came to an agreement as the college’s budget was finalized. Discussion and arguments from the public and unions delayed the approval, as many faculty members and employees joined the audience to refute the budget. “This budget has been reviewed over and over again by the administration and the budget committee,” Fallo said. “I think this plan holds a lot of integrity and I am proud of the hard work the committee has put into creating it,” he added. As the year passes, there will always be room for corrections, he added. Please see ‘BUDGET’ Page 2
Vanessa Adams /Union Helping his friend get involved, Anthony Diaz, 22, sign language interpreting major, asks International club volunteer, Richard Luers, about the club, while two others listen.
New trustee appointed for Compton College Tayani Davis Staff Writer
A newly appointed interim special trustee for Compton Community College District, has been determined. With Henry in place, President Fallo notified Chancellor Scott that the agreement between CCCD and EC has been finally resolved. Friday, it was announced that Henry will be the new interim special trustee, but those who previously knew him know he’s not an unfamiliar face around campus. Henry actually worked as a trustee for Compton College before and now he has returned. Some people believe Henry will be the one to pull this college back where it needs to be, including Saul Panski, Compton Center Academic Senate president. “He has a vast wealth of experience in these types of situations,” Panski said. “With his experience in aiding
other colleges and even grade schools K through 12 that were also in this same situation, I believe Henry will be the one to get this college on the right track,” he said. President Tom Fallo said he was not pleased with how Compton College was not accredited and that its accreditation was revoked. However, Fallo said even with Henry’s hiring, Compton College is going to have to go through a long process to attain accreditation. Panski wasn’t the only person who supported the Chancellor’s decision in appointing Henry. The new appointee also had support from colleagues at the EC campus. “I am confident that the returning Special Trustee Tom Henry and EC President Tom Fallo will have a strong working relationship that will benefit the fiscal soundness and academic progress of the Compton Educational Center,” Christina Gold, EC Academic Sen-
ate President, said. According to the Compton Educational Center (CEC) Academic Performance Profile, a new category of transfer rate has been added to the peer group report this year using newly available data from the Chancellor’s Office. Tracking first-time, full-time transfer-directed students through six years, Compton College’s transfer rate has steadily increased over the last three years. “The EC Academic Senate is pleased to see clear academic gains made at the Compton Center since the beginning of the partnership,” Gold said. “As far as the agreement between EC and Compton College, it will remain the same and in good standing now that they found a replacement,” she added On another note, no one formally said that Compton College was moving toward its accreditation but that did not keep Panksi and Gold from believing that the college can work its way there
toward being an accredited college. “With Henry’s experience, I see good things with Compton College, and I see us obtaining accreditation in the near future,” Panksi said. With Gold in agreement she added that, “it will be a long journey back to accreditation for the Compton Center, but our faculty colleagues at Compton are making steady progress and Torrance campus faculty is here to support and assist them. Gold also said that EC and Compton College are now in “good standing” after finding a new trustee. Faculty members, including Panski, at Compton College can now look forward to growth, change and a better future with Henry there to assist. “I believe the chancellor chose Henry because his past experience in working with troubled school districts, he is knowledgeable of the situation, understands accreditation and partnership,” Fallo said.
Club aims to make campus green Ashley Curtin Arts Editor
Aluminum cans and plastic bottles are mixed together with slimy banana peels, used ketchup packages, dirty napkins and half eaten sandwiches in the trash bins throughout campus. With the Associated Students Organization’s (ASO) recent approval for the Sustainability Committee, several students are working to bring environmentally sensitive practices to campus. “We want to focus on the initiatives we can do to make progress and teach the community how to reduce the ecological footprint,” Irene Graff, director of institutional research and staff organizer of the sustainability group, said. This group put together a progressive aluminum can and bottle recycling program as well as launching a successful waste management project, Dave Murphy, computer lab specialist of the Business Division and Sustainability Committee member, said. Please see ‘RECYCLING’ Page 2
Winter session gets reinstated after a year of debate Andrew Lim News Editor
Winter session is back. Well, kind of. While last year’s winter session had more than 150 sections, this year’s winter session was reduced to 75 sections. “Finally, the administration did what all the students, the faculty at EC and the faculty at Compton College said had to be done and that was to offer a winter program,” Lance Widman, political science professor, said. The reinstatement came after a new budget deal was approved from the legislature and the governor, which freed up money for the community colleges, Widman said. “The administration determined that we would be allotted more students,” Christina Gold, Academic Senate president, said. “We would be get-
NEWS LINE Free flu shots available in the Health Center Flu shots are available in the Health Center daily Monday through Friday. The shots are free for students. Check the ECC Student Health Services newsletter for the exact times.
ting more money from the state next year than we and that things are tenuous. thought. So they were able to rebuild some of the Even though some of winter has been reinstatclasses.” ed, Widman said Jeanie Nishime, he is still not “Finally, the administration did what all vice president of pleased with the Student and Comamount of secthe students, the faculty at EC and the munity Advancetions in winter faculty at Compton College said had to ment, said that there session. be done, and that was to offer a winter were three different “I’m not program.” budget scenarios and pleased with depending on what the magnitude happened, it would of the offering,” —Lance Widman, political science determine how many Widman said. professor students EC can “For my money, serve; she added that I don’t think offering 75 sections is viable.” the budget was not as bad as was expected. However, Nishime also said that the latest reHowever, Joe Holliday, Honors Transfer Coorports indicate that another budget cut is possible dinator, said that his honors students are ecstatic
about winter session coming back. “Winter classes have the highest success rate and the highest retention rate,” Holliday said. “That’s our mission statement. That’s what we’re all about, which is to get students through classes. And by having them shorter, it is a really good way for students to get through.” According to the overall success and retention rates of 2010, which was put together by Institutional Research, winter session has a success rate of 83.8 percent and a retention rate of 91.6 percent. With still a lot of unknowns with the current economy and the budget, Holliday said that a vast majority of the students want winter and that their needs should come first. “Decisions on campus are always in a state of flux,” Holliday said. “And this is the biggest of them all.”
Financial Aid Online Workshop to take place
Transfer workshop for students is today
ICC Club Mixer to take place in Activities Center
Workshop for CSUs will be next Thursday
The Financial Aid Office will have a Financial Aid Online Workshop Monday at 2 p.m. in the Student Services Center Room 204-G. It is designed to help students complete the financial aid application online.
Students who are looking for guaranteed admission can go to the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) workshop today from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in the Math and Computer Science Building Room 8.
The Inter-Club Council will host the ICC Club Mixer on Sept. 23 at noone. It will take place at the Activities Center East Lounge. Students will be able to socialize with different club members from the campus.
The CSU Basics Workshop will be next Thursday at 1 p.m. in the Music Building Room 211. Students will learn about the different admission requirements as well as transfer tips and strategies. -Jorge Camarillo