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Palomar College, San Marcos, Calif. monday oct. 4, 2010 Vol. 64, No. 5
the-telescope.com
College plans on adding classes
Admin addresses concerns kelley foyt the telescope
ian chalmers | THE TELESCOPE
Students in Professor Ray Wolcott’s Oceanography 100 Monday/Wednesday class begin to view his presentation. The Oceanography class is located in the NS Building. sydnie taylor the telescope
New sections for next semester: Accounting, Africana studies, automotive technology, child development, drafting, English, fashion, Japanese, mathematics, music (instrumental and theory), nutrition, psychology, reading, Spanish, U.S. History, world history/ western civilization *According to an announcement by President Robert Deegan at the All College Forum on Sept. 23
Palomar President Deegan announced that 70 new classes will be added in the Spring 2010 semester. The new classes are a balance of mostly general education classes, with a few electives, he said. Studentswelcomedthechanged, but didn’t feel like the right classes were picked. “I think it’s a wide variety of classes. The problem is those aren’t the hard classes to get into,” stu-
dent Jordan Fell said. He explained that he is currently enrolled in Japanese (one of the classes that is being added) and that it is a small class. Student Jovan Damjahovich agreed. “I think its messed up that they (Palomar) aren’t adding any science classes. If there are no science classes we (students) are going to have to go somewhere else and it’s going to be more expensive,” Damjahovich said. “They need to meet the students’ demands.”
Deegan said he will be working with Berta Cuaron, the Vice President of Instruction, to determine exactly which classes are in high demand and necessary to add. He said that they will analyze classes from this semester to find out the student need. The pair will compare the cap of the class (how many students can be enrolled) versus the fill (how many students are actually enrolled). Palomar already has the secturn to classes page
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Palomar administrators addressed concerns that the school held back funds they could have spent this semester in a standingroom-only, all-college forum held on Sept. 23. School officials have made plans to add 70 new classes and 20 new hires next semester, but some felt the college should have made the changes sooner. Palomar began this semester with a $14 million budget surplus, a sum that was larger than usual but should be saved in the face of a shaky economy, said Palomar President Robert Deegan. “The idea is that because of the economic crisis that we’re in, we need to hold on to these funds,” Deegan said. Shayla Sivert, the president of the Palomar Faculty Federation, held a sign throughout the meeting that read “Shame on Palomar” and “Why are we sitting on a $14 million ending fund balance?” “I do feel that some of the money could have been let go of earlier to put classes in for the students,” Sivert said after the meeting. “We saw the need and turned down a lot of students.” Sivert did, however, acknowledge the need to conserve during the recession, but believes that Palomar could have used a portion of the sum sooner. She said that she supports the decision to add classes in turn to forum page
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melissa caston the telescope
Students who used the Escondido campus library before the summer remodel will be in for a shock during their next visit. The Ernest J. Allen library went through a sixweek, $60,000 makeover that included new windows, reconfigured spaces and over twice as many computers. Before the remodel, only nine computers were available to students who attended classes at the Escondido Center. Now there are 23 computers and a built-in display projector. Students have been receptive to the change. “There used to be a limited amount of tables and computers in the library. I think the fact that there are more computers is the best thing
about the new library,” said student Raul Pantoja, 22. “It helps a lot that you can go into the library and use a computer instead of having to wait for a computer at the computer lab, which is always full of students.” Another student, Crystle Guevera, 22, agreed. “I like that there will be more room. It was always crowded before, so just being able to go inside the library and being able to get a seat is something that it really needed,” she said. One of the biggest improvements of is the ability to teach library instruction classes without closing the library, according to Palomar assistant professor and librarian, Marlene Forney. Library instruction classes are programs designed to teach users how to location information quickly and effectively. The library collaborated with Pal-
omar faculty from different departments to create a set of learning outcomes. Librarians use this information to assist students who need help in each department. They also teach and assess information literacy skills and create research assignments. Fordyce Construction Company,the construction company that performed the remodel, knocked down the walls and reconfigured the space, doubling it in size, according to Forney. In addition, students now have an outside view when inside the library. One new floor-length window was added to the library wall turn to library page
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jen bacon | THE TELESCOPE
Escondido campus opens new library