The Script
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Student News at Foothill Community College / Winter Quarter 2018
Winter Quarter Edition Student perspectives, stories, and experiences A look into changing cultures at Foothill College
Enrollment drops at Foothill College: Classes and budget at stake By Clayton Nagle and Liza Turchinsky As a public institution, Foothill College is dependent on enrollment to receive funding from the state. In line with trends amongst a majority of community colleges across California, the Foothill-De Anza College District has suffered from a decline in student enrollment in recent years according to Foothill President Thuy Nguyen. The effects of such phenomena are great: students may notice class cancellations, fewer students on campus, and, in time, a reduction in the yearly budget. A Foothill Planning and Resource Council presentation during a budget town hall last November equated lower enrollment levels to decreased tuition and government funding, meaning the district is primed for a massive budget cut. In order to sustain, the Foothill-De Anza college district must eliminate $10.4 million from the structural budget within the next three years. Foothill will host 35% of the cuts, with De Anza taking 50% and the district taking 15% of reductions. To make a smooth transition, Foothill will cut an increasing amount each year, graduating to maintainable levels rather than making
KATHY HONCHARUK | THE SCRIPT
Elected student body representatives, faculty, and students gather in the ASFC office during finals week.
an abrupt $3.5 million cut. Were enrollment to increase, however, the school could earn back the funding it missed out on from the three previous years -- relative to the increase in enrollment.
Foothill postponed a $700,000 cut this academic year, meaning $1.75 million must be reduced yearly until 2020. The decision was made in order to give the administration time to both better assess
Where would you report sexual harassment?
By Devaki Dikshit
Accord i n g to t he US Department of Education, all educational institutions must enforce Title IX, a federal law that guards students from gender based discrimination. The law is often cited when discussing protections for transgender students, but also serves as protection against one of the most common at tack s on college g rounds: sexual assault and harassment. As one would assume, Title IX requires every campus to have a standard sexual harassment repor ting procedu re. But with that requirement comes the responsibility to make the information widely known. That responsibility, under
Title I X, is referred to as “The Dissemination of Policy.” It calls for all campuses to make their sexual harassment reporting procedures well known and easily accessible to a ll students. At Foothill though, there seems to be an overall lack of a w a re ness around procedure. S e x u a l h a r a ssment a nd assault are dangerously prevalent on nearly every college campus — according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 1 in 5 female college students are assault-
areas in which cuts should be made and promote programs increasing enrollment to increase funding -- additional online and Sunnyvale center classes, late-start and second term alternatives, heightened financial
aid, and dual-enrollment options for high schoolers are all projected to leave a positive impact. President Nguyen expressed her desire to make sure budget decisions are made correctly, rather than quickly during a recent town hall. Per the plan, cuts to Foothill’s Finance and Administration would represent 10% of the total. The President’s Office and Marketing would account for another 10%, Instruction and Workforce would take 40%, and the last 40% of cuts would be from Student Services. But $3.5 million isn’t nearly as scary as it sounds. To put these numbers in greater perspective, Foothill’s projected annual budget for 2017 is $188.9 million -meaning cutting $3.5 million amounts to only approximately two percent. Student Services, the largest category in the budget cut balance, includes programs like EOPS, the Disability and Veterans Resource Center, Psychological Services, learning communities, Health Services, and more. Though Chinwe Idikia explained these programs aid retention and are “hands down the most crucial services that we have at Foothill,” the budget balance prioritizes see Budget on pg. 6
Winter Quarter survival guide By Cynthia Li
ed at one point during their higher education. However, the most dangerous aspect of molestation on school grounds is the rarity of disclosure. In fact only 20% of college st udents who ex perience assault ever report the incidents to law enforcement, let alone school off icia ls. A nd i f t he st atistics behind reporting sexual assault are so troubling, imagine the ones behind sexual harassment. Though often
1. First and foremost, you have to be prepared. Getting a sense of what you will be studying this term will help you feel prepared and ready to kill this quarter. Look through the syllabus to see the requirements and due dates of papers, homework assignments, quizzes, midterms, and finals.
see Harassment on pg. 5
see Coping on pg. 6
Be realistic. Try to follow your calendar goals, but do not
2. On a piece of paper or an application like Google Calendar, list out:
• • • • •
your weekly class schedule your work and life schedule (don’t forget to include appointments) time for sleep and getting from place to place time for meals time for when you plan on studying — be specific (location, length of studying, breaks, study pal) • time for club and student activities • time for resting and fun
be dismayed or give up just because you miss a deadline. Give yourself opportunities to make up for it.
3. Pack your bag with study materials you will need and carry these items wherever you go
• School supplies such as textbooks, syllabi, folders that contain class handouts, notebooks, laptop, writing tools, etc. • Essential crisis items like tissues for runny nose, medications, sanitary pads, etc.
Letter from the editor
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Angel Tecuahutzin Muñiz on beating the odds PAGE 9
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Why we need net neutrality PAGE 20
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