Wednesday, February 24, 2010
No Truancy Tickets for High School Students on March 4th!
As the headline says, the LAPD has agreed not to give truancy tickets to high school students who walk out on March 4th! This is excellent news indeed!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Our Flyer Is Out!
First day of school. First day of work. First day of our struggle. Our flyer is ready and it's making its way to the hands of PCC students. Thanks to all of our friends in struggle. Your work inspires us all! Download the flyer, print it, distribute it!
Click here to view and/or download our flyer.
Come to our on-campus meeting to learn about what you can do fight against the state budget cuts!
When: Thursday, February 25th, 2010
Time: 12:00pm
Place: C-351
Friday, February 19, 2010
IMPORTANT! SUNDAY MEETING LOCATION CHANGED.
Because of the Pasadena Marathon on Sunday Feb. 21, access to Sabor y Cultura will be limited. We are changing our meeting to the following location:
Coffee Table Lounge
1958 Colorado Blvd.
Eagle Rock, CA 90041-1246.
The meeting is still set for 1pm. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Coffee Table Lounge
1958 Colorado Blvd.
Eagle Rock, CA 90041-1246.
The meeting is still set for 1pm. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
No Cuts for PCC Coalition Meeting - Calm Before the Storm
Date: Sunday, February 21, 2010
Time: 1:00-3:00pm
Place: Coffee Table Lounge - 1958 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock CA, 90041
Hey everyone, So we are having another meeting this coming Sunday, February 21st, 2010 to discuss and prepare for PCC on-campus mobilizations, leading up to March 4th. At our last meeting, the following plan of action was drafted:
1.) The demands established by the Los Angeles County March 4th committee are somewhat broad. While we embrace the spirit and ideology of the demands, we will be amending them to make them more specific to the particular needs of Pasadena City College. These will be presented at the meeting on Feb. 21.
2.) Because March 4th will take place during the second week of PCC's Spring semester, we do not have sufficient time to gradually build up to it (unlike UCs and CalStates who are in the middle of their quarters.) To address this issue, we are employing the following actions:
2.A.) During the week of February 22-26, we will begin a campaign to bring awareness of March 4th to the general student population and what the role of PCC will be. Our strategies include:
2.A.1) By Sunday, February 21, we should already have a flyer ready for distribution by Monday, February 22.
2.A.2) We will compile a list of PCC professors who are friendly to our cause and would allow 1-2 students from our group to address their classes on the first day of instruction. That way, we can capitalize on speaking directly to the maximum number of students, both registered and those trying to add.
2.A.3.) Given that the Spring semester will have an overflow of students who could not get classes in Winter, but also students from Cal States (which reduced their populations due to budget cuts), we would be wise to talk to students out in the hallways trying to add and let them know that they can take action.
2.A.4) On February 25th, 2010 at 1pm, we will be having a major on-campus meeting to introduce new students to the coalition and present our demands are and what actions we will take on March 4th.
2.B) Beginning the week of March 1-March 3rd (the second week of Spring semester), we will have a table out during Club Week. A few of our members will have percussions instruments to gather attention and be ready to speak to any passerby.
2.B.1) Club Week will also be a great opportunity to approach some of the student clubs on campus and get their support to join the movement.
2.B.2) If necessary, we will continue to address classes wherever faculty permit us.
3.) On March 4th, we will have a rally to gather all of our PCC forces from 12pm-1pm. Before 2pm, depending on how many people we have, we will all march together to the Metro Gold Line (Allen Station) and get to Downtown, where we will link up with all manner of students, workers, and faculty from high schools, community colleges, and universities through out Los Angeles!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
This plan of action is not necessarily set in stone. If you have a different approach, strategy, or idea, please, come on down to the meeting and give your two cents!
Time: 1:00-3:00pm
Place: Coffee Table Lounge - 1958 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock CA, 90041
Hey everyone, So we are having another meeting this coming Sunday, February 21st, 2010 to discuss and prepare for PCC on-campus mobilizations, leading up to March 4th. At our last meeting, the following plan of action was drafted:
1.) The demands established by the Los Angeles County March 4th committee are somewhat broad. While we embrace the spirit and ideology of the demands, we will be amending them to make them more specific to the particular needs of Pasadena City College. These will be presented at the meeting on Feb. 21.
2.) Because March 4th will take place during the second week of PCC's Spring semester, we do not have sufficient time to gradually build up to it (unlike UCs and CalStates who are in the middle of their quarters.) To address this issue, we are employing the following actions:
2.A.) During the week of February 22-26, we will begin a campaign to bring awareness of March 4th to the general student population and what the role of PCC will be. Our strategies include:
2.A.1) By Sunday, February 21, we should already have a flyer ready for distribution by Monday, February 22.
2.A.2) We will compile a list of PCC professors who are friendly to our cause and would allow 1-2 students from our group to address their classes on the first day of instruction. That way, we can capitalize on speaking directly to the maximum number of students, both registered and those trying to add.
2.A.3.) Given that the Spring semester will have an overflow of students who could not get classes in Winter, but also students from Cal States (which reduced their populations due to budget cuts), we would be wise to talk to students out in the hallways trying to add and let them know that they can take action.
2.A.4) On February 25th, 2010 at 1pm, we will be having a major on-campus meeting to introduce new students to the coalition and present our demands are and what actions we will take on March 4th.
2.B) Beginning the week of March 1-March 3rd (the second week of Spring semester), we will have a table out during Club Week. A few of our members will have percussions instruments to gather attention and be ready to speak to any passerby.
2.B.1) Club Week will also be a great opportunity to approach some of the student clubs on campus and get their support to join the movement.
2.B.2) If necessary, we will continue to address classes wherever faculty permit us.
3.) On March 4th, we will have a rally to gather all of our PCC forces from 12pm-1pm. Before 2pm, depending on how many people we have, we will all march together to the Metro Gold Line (Allen Station) and get to Downtown, where we will link up with all manner of students, workers, and faculty from high schools, community colleges, and universities through out Los Angeles!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
This plan of action is not necessarily set in stone. If you have a different approach, strategy, or idea, please, come on down to the meeting and give your two cents!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Pasadena City College Faculty Association Newsletter Winter 2010
Winter’s Cuts leave many students classless!
The following numbers reveal a winter of discontent as hundreds of students were denied classes because of PCC’s downsized Winter Session.
**50 students tried to add a Macro-Economics class
**54 students sought to add a Speech 1 course
**52 students attempted to add Psychology 1
**90 students (!) sought to add a Political Science 1 course
Thank you to the teachers and students who helped compile these numbers. Thus, while early indications are that PCC’s Spring 2010 course numbers will be roughly equal to Spring 2009, student demand will exceed offerings. Given the current Sacramento budget projections (see below), PCCFA strongly urges the District to expand classes to accommodate student need.
Proposed Sacramento Budget (subject to much revision):
Historical Perspective: In 1980, 10% of California’s General Fund was assigned to Higher Education, and 3% went to prisons. By 2010 (30 neo-liberal years later), 11% of the state budget goes to prisons and 7.5% to Higher Education (LA Times 1/7/10).
The Governor’s Proposed 2010/11 budget has a number of striking features:
The Good:
A) There were NO Mid-Year Cuts! Thus, PCC will not have any fiscal surprises from the state through the end of 2009/10 fiscal year.
B) 2.21% increase in growth funds will offset costs of adding 26,000 (FTES) community college students statewide.
The Bad
A) Student fees will remain at $26/unit (fees do not generate major state revenues, but fee reductions would ease the financial burden for Californian’s 2.9 million community college students).
B) A minus .38 % Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) amounts to a loss of $22.1 million.
The Really Bad
A) Cuts in Part Time faculty supplemental funding and language seeking to ‘release’ districts from the 75/25 law which aims to guarantee that 75% of all classes be taught by Full time teachers. Currently, there is little compliance statewide, but to remove the law would open the
door to ending Full Time Teachers’ jobs. At PCC, approximately 65% of classes are taught by Full Timers. In contrast, Santa Monica CC, considered a flagship institution, now has a paltry 45% of its classes taught by Part Timers. However, PCC remains the only community college of its stature and size with no compensated conference hours for Part Timers and their students.
B) Increased Categorical Flexibility” (aka “shift happens”). “Flexibility” is the operative euphemism to make the system leaner and much meaner. Effectively, the new ‘masters’ plan, while paying lip service to basic skills, undermines service to students most in need of help and jeopardizes faculty and staff jobs. Districts will have the “flexibility” to transfer funds from various Categorical Programs and avoid compliance stipulations. Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) will suffer cuts of $10 million. Programs like EOP&S, MESA, PUENTE, Early College High School, and Basic Skills could all have their funds transferred at a District’s discretion. Finally, a considerable portion of the state budget relies on Federal support which means that further cuts could be coming.
Proposed Federal Budget:
On February 1, 2010 President Barack Obama formally released his FY2011 Budget Request. It provides $49.7 billion (7.5% increase over the FY2010 budget request) for the Department of Education, The Department of Education FY2011 budget request also includes "$10.6 billion over 10 years for the President's American Graduation Initiative (AGI), to strengthen and support community colleges, focus on college completion, and graduate 5 million more students by 2020." The House passed version of H.R. 3221, "Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act," provides $9.5 billion for AGI. The AGI funding amount is expected to increase in the Senate bill, which still has not been released.
Now, this hardly compares with the $700 billon bank bailoutlast year, and the $900 billion spent on war funding annually. Also, Pell Grants will likely suffer cuts; thus our students will increasingly be compelled to borrow which means they will need to work and likely cut their college class loads, delaying their completion dates.
(All state and federal budget data supplied by the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges—FACCC)
The following numbers reveal a winter of discontent as hundreds of students were denied classes because of PCC’s downsized Winter Session.
**50 students tried to add a Macro-Economics class
**54 students sought to add a Speech 1 course
**52 students attempted to add Psychology 1
**90 students (!) sought to add a Political Science 1 course
Thank you to the teachers and students who helped compile these numbers. Thus, while early indications are that PCC’s Spring 2010 course numbers will be roughly equal to Spring 2009, student demand will exceed offerings. Given the current Sacramento budget projections (see below), PCCFA strongly urges the District to expand classes to accommodate student need.
Proposed Sacramento Budget (subject to much revision):
Historical Perspective: In 1980, 10% of California’s General Fund was assigned to Higher Education, and 3% went to prisons. By 2010 (30 neo-liberal years later), 11% of the state budget goes to prisons and 7.5% to Higher Education (LA Times 1/7/10).
The Governor’s Proposed 2010/11 budget has a number of striking features:
The Good:
A) There were NO Mid-Year Cuts! Thus, PCC will not have any fiscal surprises from the state through the end of 2009/10 fiscal year.
B) 2.21% increase in growth funds will offset costs of adding 26,000 (FTES) community college students statewide.
The Bad
A) Student fees will remain at $26/unit (fees do not generate major state revenues, but fee reductions would ease the financial burden for Californian’s 2.9 million community college students).
B) A minus .38 % Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) amounts to a loss of $22.1 million.
The Really Bad
A) Cuts in Part Time faculty supplemental funding and language seeking to ‘release’ districts from the 75/25 law which aims to guarantee that 75% of all classes be taught by Full time teachers. Currently, there is little compliance statewide, but to remove the law would open the
door to ending Full Time Teachers’ jobs. At PCC, approximately 65% of classes are taught by Full Timers. In contrast, Santa Monica CC, considered a flagship institution, now has a paltry 45% of its classes taught by Part Timers. However, PCC remains the only community college of its stature and size with no compensated conference hours for Part Timers and their students.
B) Increased Categorical Flexibility” (aka “shift happens”). “Flexibility” is the operative euphemism to make the system leaner and much meaner. Effectively, the new ‘masters’ plan, while paying lip service to basic skills, undermines service to students most in need of help and jeopardizes faculty and staff jobs. Districts will have the “flexibility” to transfer funds from various Categorical Programs and avoid compliance stipulations. Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) will suffer cuts of $10 million. Programs like EOP&S, MESA, PUENTE, Early College High School, and Basic Skills could all have their funds transferred at a District’s discretion. Finally, a considerable portion of the state budget relies on Federal support which means that further cuts could be coming.
Proposed Federal Budget:
On February 1, 2010 President Barack Obama formally released his FY2011 Budget Request. It provides $49.7 billion (7.5% increase over the FY2010 budget request) for the Department of Education, The Department of Education FY2011 budget request also includes "$10.6 billion over 10 years for the President's American Graduation Initiative (AGI), to strengthen and support community colleges, focus on college completion, and graduate 5 million more students by 2020." The House passed version of H.R. 3221, "Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act," provides $9.5 billion for AGI. The AGI funding amount is expected to increase in the Senate bill, which still has not been released.
Now, this hardly compares with the $700 billon bank bailoutlast year, and the $900 billion spent on war funding annually. Also, Pell Grants will likely suffer cuts; thus our students will increasingly be compelled to borrow which means they will need to work and likely cut their college class loads, delaying their completion dates.
(All state and federal budget data supplied by the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges—FACCC)
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
PLEASE ATTEND THE PCC BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING - WED. FEBRUARY 17TH
I know this is somewhat short notice, but we will be attending tomorrow's Board of Trustees meeting to network with other PCC students and let them know of the events to happen on March 4th. Hope to see some of you there! Below is the date, time, and location for the event as well as a description:
Date: Wednesday, February 17th, 2010Time: 7:00-9:00pm
Location: Pasadena City College, Campus Center, Second Floor, Creveling Lounge
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello All,
I just received an email from Dr. van Pelt, Pasadena City College's Vice President of Administrative Services and it looks as if the Bus Pass Program will be implemented for Spring, pending approval by PCC's Board of Trustees.
We need all students to come out to the Board of Trustee’s meeting this WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH to push the program through. THE MEETING WILL BE HELD IN THE CAMPUS CENTER ON THE SECOND FLOOR IN CREVELING LOUNGE. THE MEETING BEGINS AT 7 PM.
PLEASE PASS THIS INFORMATION ALONG TO EVERY PCC STUDENT YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGE THEM TO BE THERE, AND MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT IN YOUR CLASSES AND CLUBS.
See the information below to learn more about what the Bus Pass Program can do for you and your fellow PCC students.
The Program will promote Bus Ridership which will in turn has the potential to improve the parking situation, reduce traffic, reduce PCC's Carbon footprint, and SAVE STUDENTS LOTS OF MONEY in transportation costs.
In negotiating with METRO, it looks as if we will be able to provide all full-time students with a BUS PASS (in the form of a sticker affixed to a student ID) which can be used ANY DAY OF THE WEEK to ride practically ANY METRO LINE IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY and will be GOOD FOR THE ENTIRE SPRING SEMESTER STARTING MARCH 1st.
Because we do not yet have a student activity fee, the Associated Students cannot yet fund the program. As a result, it looks as if the School will be funding it for the initial semester pending Board of Trustee’s approval. Although with a student activity fee we hope the program will be nearly free or reduced in price even further, there will likely be a small charge (Between $20 and $40) for the pass this initial semester so the school can get its money back. This is still a EXTREME SAVINGS as the MINIMUM that some students can obtain a METRO pass for, for the entire semester would be between $140 to $240!!!
Please let me know if you have any questions or need any further information.
Oh, and please send an email to chiefjusticemichaellance@gmail.com with your name, ID number, and a quick statement of support, if you think this program should be approved.
Thank you all and I hope to see you there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sincerely,
Michael Lance
Welcome to Our Blog!
Greeting fellow Students, Workers, and Faculty at Pasadena City College!
It was brought to our attention that many of you are not on Facebook and so are unable to be updated on what's going on with the budget cuts, how they affect PCC in particular, and what the coalition is planning on doing about it.
To remedy this situation, we have created this blog as a companion to our Facebook page. All the information posted there will be mirrored here and vice versa.
So be sure to check this page routinely to get the latest news and meeting announcements.
March 4th Day of Action is just around the corner, so be sure to get involved!
If you have further questions or comments, please write a comment below, email us at ssjpcc@gmail.com, or leave us a message at our Facebook page.
It was brought to our attention that many of you are not on Facebook and so are unable to be updated on what's going on with the budget cuts, how they affect PCC in particular, and what the coalition is planning on doing about it.
To remedy this situation, we have created this blog as a companion to our Facebook page. All the information posted there will be mirrored here and vice versa.
So be sure to check this page routinely to get the latest news and meeting announcements.
March 4th Day of Action is just around the corner, so be sure to get involved!
If you have further questions or comments, please write a comment below, email us at ssjpcc@gmail.com, or leave us a message at our Facebook page.
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