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ranger Serving San Antonio College since 1926
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Volume 89 Issue 13 • March 23, 2015
210-486-1773 • Single copies free
Former student appears in ABC TV series
Campus book fair to help local elementary
online now Page 3
Page 4
Jami Keeton named student trustee nominee Women took ruling role in ancient Egypt, instructor says
Students to protest at board meeting Concerns include majors, performance of chancellor.
District 1 trustee Joe Alderete explains his concerns about budget transparency to Chancellor Bruce Leslie Tuesday during the Student Success Committee meeting of the board of trustees. Alderete said college presidents do not have full control of their budgets because part of the funds for each college goes back to district for information technology costs. Katherine Garcia
Trustee says budget needs more transparency Vice chancellor warns of hiring chill if the district encounters a $2.7 million shortfall. By Katherine Garcia
kgarcia203@student.alamo.edu
District 1 trustee Joe Alderete raised concerns about whether the budget is transparent enough during the Student Success Committee meeting Tuesday. Alderete said the back charges, which are funds given to the colleges but paid back to district IT, are unjust because the money designated to each college in the budget should stay at the college. Chancellor Bruce Leslie said since he became chancellor, the information technology department is housed at district, but each college gives some of its budget back to district to pay for IT services.
Alderete said this wasn’t honest because the money allocated to the individual colleges is not the full amount if it’s going to be given back to district IT. If a college budget is given to a college, then he would hope college presidents “would have full discretion on how they use the money and not have the district intervene,” he said. Diane Snyder, vice chancellor for finance and administration, said the back charge is included in each college’s individual budget to meet a requirement by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Alderete said he expects college presidents to have control over their college and their budgets. He said there’s no reason a college president should come to administration and request an allocation or to hire
See TRANSPARENCY, Page 8
budget lacks transparency, questioning in particular the “back charge” included in each college’s By Katherine Garcia budget. kgarcia203@student.alamo.edu The charge is set aside to The Student Leadership fund the district’s information Coalition at Palo Alto College technology department, said plans to bring 500 students, facDiane Snyder, vice chancellor for ulty and staff to Tuesday’s regular finance and administration. board meeting in Room 101 of The citizens-to-be-heard segKillen Center. ment of the meeting is usually Jose Perez, business managethe eighth item on the agenda. ment graduate of Each person Palo Alto and coalihas three minutes Citizens-to-betion member, said to speak, and repheard signthe coalition plans resentatives speakup is 5-5:50 to address issues ing on behalf of an p.m. Tuesday such as majors and entire group will outside Room the lack of trust for have five minutes. Chancellor Bruce Board members 101 of Killen. Leslie by students, cannot comment faculty and staff on the topics disand District 1 trustee Joe Alderete cussed during the segment unless during the March 17 Audit, Budget they are also mentioned in an and Finance Committee meeting. agenda item. Alderete addressed his own Call Sandra Mora at 210concern during Tuesday’s Student 485-0030 or visit https:// Success Committee meeting. v3.boardbook.org/Public/ He said the district’s fiscal PublicHome.aspx?ak=1000015.
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Campus-to-park bridge proposal put on hold Idea will remain on back burner until City Council election, this college’s president says. By Richard Montemayor
rmontemayor15@student.alamo.edu
To improve the safety of those who cross San Pedro Avenue to reach this college, President Robert Vela will revisit a proposal to build a sky bridge with the new District 1 city councilman after the May city election. The pedestrian bridge connecting San Pedro Springs Park and this campus was originally proposed by former college President Robert Zeigler and Diego Bernal, former District 1 councilman.
Vela said he supports the proposal for the bridge because San Pedro is a difficult street to cross, even in the crosswalks. “I think it’s partly because cars are coming downhill and they’re having a hard time stopping,” Vela said. “We have actually had students that have gotten hit by cars that were trying to cross the street.” With the recent renovations to San Pedro Playhouse, the theater’s owners contacted Vela to ask if they can use some of the college’s parking as overflow.
Plans for a sky bridge across San Pedro are on hold until after the City Council election in May. College President Robert Vela proposed the bridge to provide a safe crossing for pedestrians across the high-traffic street. E. David Guel “We open up our parking to our neighbors all the time; however, there is a danger in crossing the street at
times, depending on where you cross on San Pedro,” Vela said. Along with the playhouse, anoth-
er neighbor to this college that has contacted Vela is Great Hearts Monte Vista charter school, 211 Belknap Place. Vela said the school’s principal contacted him to see if there was an open area at this college so that the children can play rather than having to cross San Pedro. “It’s too dangerous for the children to cross the street in order to get to the park, so instead we let them utilize our front lawn at Koehler House,” Vela said. Having a pedestrian bridge over San Pedro would make crossing safer for the community, Vela said.
See BRIDGE, Page 7
Address change coming for this college 2010 master plan set to flip this college’s address from west to east side. By Kyle R. Cotton
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Administrators decided this college will change its address from 1300 San Pedro Ave. to 1801 N. Main Ave. at a SAC project update meeting Feb. 11. David Mrizek, vice president of student success, said the change is because of the college’s limited access from San Pedro and the construction of the Tino and Millie Duran Welcome Center inside Tobin Lofts Midtown at 1532 N. Main Ave.
“The decision was made as a result of a lot of complaints,” Mrizek said. “1300 is a wonderful address; it has historically been the address of this college for years, but since construction ended in 1992, students haven’t been able to drive onto campus from San Pedro.” In that round of changes, Dewey Place was closed at San Pedro and the college purchased the street from the city. The construction also closed entry at Myrtle Street and egress at Locust Street, leaving the entrance at Park Avenue, which afforded cross-
campus transit. Construction of the nursing complex later blocked that transit. “We are in process of completion of a welcome center,” Mrizek said. “It will be the first place new students will experience Alamo Colleges. The majority of the parking is over on Main, and the master plan from 2010 is going to create a mall entry on campus. This will make finding the new entry area easier.” Mrizek continued, “This is something that has built up with GPS use becoming more prominent.” According to the master plan last updated
See ADDRESS, Page 7
A master plan shows what the campus will look like with the address on Main. One reason for the change is students cannot drive directly onto campus from San Pedro since 1990s construction. Another reason is the new Tino and Millie Duran Welcome Center inside Tobin Lofts, 1532 N. Main. The college’s new address will be 1801 N. Main. Pam Paz