About 300 students, staff, faculty and members of the community chanted, "Cut Chopra, not classes!" and "Hey hey, ho ho, Doctor Chopra has to go!"
Superintendent Dr. Raj K. Chopra and a board majority were unmoved by the throng and said the cuts would proceed. Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Mark Meadows said the cuts would lop 22 percent of the classes from the spring schedule. SWC department chairs said the number was 26.7 percent. SWC has cut more than 40 percent of its class offerings in the last 12 months.
Board members blamed the cuts on the state budget crisis, but faculty and students said there are other options the administration has refused to consider.
Most of SWC's funding is based on a state formula that awards $4,600 for every student enrolled in 15 units or Full-Time Equivalent Student (FTES). Last year the college was funded for 16,074 FTES. This year the state can only afford to fund 15,481 FTES, translating into the loss of about 197 classes. While the SWC student government was able to convince Chopra to dip into the college's general fund and restore those classes at a cost of about $2 million, an enrollment boom will still leave the college 414 sections short of student demand in spring.
Meadows called Chopra's decision "altruistic" and said that class offerings could have been much worse.
Most of the record crowd seemed to disagree. A 22 percent cut in classes equates to approximately 15,000 less seats available for students to enroll in and the elimination or reduction of work for up to 350 part-time professors, inflaming an ongoing rivalry between faculty and upper administration over issues on shared governance, raises and the use of college's contingency fund.
Faculty and students point to a pot of protected money set aside for a rainy day.
"It's raining," said SCEA President Phil Lopez. "In fact, it's a monsoon. This is exactly the situation a reserve is created for."
The district is not budging though. Chopra said drawing on the college's reserve is a shortsighted fix and will leave the college with nowhere to turn if the state's financial crisis drags on for years.
For more than two hours speakers called on the board to use the contingency fund or find other ways to pay for the cut classes. Board member Nick Aguilar was the only board member who agreed with faculty and staff.
"It is clear that we do have sufficient money in our budget to not have to cut the 400 and some sections in the spring semester," he said.
He called for a special meeting to explore alternative strategies to fund classes and create a task force that could look for long-term solutions. His idea was voted down, 4-1.
Viara Giraffe, dean of the School of Social Sciences and Humanities, said the speakers at the meeting had the right spirit but were taking out their frustrations on the wrong people. The governing board and administration were dealt severe budget cuts by the state and are coping with them the best they can.
"(Members of the public) were saying we should be over at Mayan Hall," Giraffe said. "We should be in Sacramento."
She said it was a difference in perspective. While the campus community saw the district cutting classes, administrators saw the district adding 195 sections over what the state would pay for.
"This is a very serious, serious situation," Giraffe said. "There's not one person in this district who wants to hurt students, who wants to cut classes."
Meadows said he saw it the same way.
"If they think it was bad," Meadows said. "It could have been 195 sections worse."
Meadows had suggested that Chopra offer exactly the number of classes the state would pay for and said the superintendent was going out on a limb using the campus' general fund to supplement the spring course schedule.
"I think it was a very altruistic act on his part," Meadows said. "To move that up (195 class sections), I was opposed to it, but he is the boss."
Faculty members pointed to the hiring of three six-figure-salary administrators and said their ideas to balance the budget without cutting classes had been ignored.
"Faculty are talked at," said Academic Senate President Valerie Goodwin-Colbert, "talked down to, told to do the duties without any input or possible buy-in and then we're dragged through the mud with total disregard for worth."
Lopez offered the board a three-point plan to free up $2 million, which would replace the sections cut in spring.
"Hundreds of adjunct teachers will lose their jobs or part of their jobs," Lopez said. "Thousands of students will lose part or all of their classes, but so far, not one of the people who made this decision will lose even one thin dime."
Music Department Chair Dr. Jeff Nevin said the music department was shutting down many classes that were 100 percent full. He said he had just called 20 professors and told them they had no assignments for spring.
"One of them said 'But I've been teaching here for 19 years', " Nevin said.
Art Professor Elizabeth Sisco invited the board to the college's newest art exhibit, "Hit." She gave them a flier for the exhibit, which was picture of a sinking ship named the S.S. SWC. She begged the board not to hurt students by cutting their classes.
Some faculty asked the board to help categorical programs, which will be dealt a $3 million blow, according to an update put out by the president's office.
"Do not forget student services," said SWC Counselor Scott Finn. "And please help replenish our funds cut from the matriculation budget. We are the students' guides on the pathway toward success."
Board members said they were most touched by the student speakers.
SWC electrical engineering major Tamori Tristani told the board she would be deeply impacted by the cuts.
"You're losing students by cutting," Tristani said. "I am an example of that."
Psychology major Christina Kopaczewski said she was a first-generation college student and she was tired of the obstacles being placed in her way by administration.
"Constantly," she said. "Obstacles, obstacles, obstacles…please don't cut classes. I don't want to be a failure."
Student Daniel Harris asked a hypothetical question.
"If you were going to lose your jobs as your teachers are facing, would you not be willing to spend the reserves that are available?" he asked.
The original spring 2010 schedule was created based on a projected 18,000 FTES. State funding, though, will only support 15,481 FTES. Following a request by the student government, the district has offered to fund an additional 195 classes out of the general fund, leaving the spring semester 429 class sections short of the original schedule.
Associated Student Organization President Chris DeBauche suggested SWC use some of the college reserves to fund class sections. He said Mira Costa has used one third of its reserves. The key then would be to focus on increasing revenue, he said. He advised the board to call a special board meeting to discuss options to save class sections.
"Try harder," he said. "I know we've tried not to cut but we need to try harder."
Board member Terri Valladolid called Aguilar's plan "short-sighted" and said she trusted the college's administration.
"We hired our superintendent/president," Valladolid said. "And I trust his judgment. And I trust what the administrators have been doing."
Board member Yolanda Salcido said she sympathized with faculty and students, but said she could not let go of the reserves.
"For us to go ahead and tap into our reserves is very short sighted," she said. "Because not only do we owe an obligation to this district and our employees, but we also owe an obligation to the community that voted on the bond. And the fact that we were able to maintain our excellent bond rating had a lot to do with the fiscal management, how well it has been managed and specifically, the seven percent reserve which gives a better rate to the taxpayers when we go out and sell the bonds."
Aguilar said the California Community College Chancellor's Office recommends a maximum five percent governing board contingency reserve.
"Our budget reserve is seven percent," Aguilar said. "And we're making that decision on the backs of students…I urge you to give us the opportunity to try and not impose that kind of sacrifice and not cheat those students."
Board member Dr. Jorge Dominguez said he voted no because his motivation was to protect the college and its future.
"It's very hard," Dominguez said, "when you have to make decisions using your logic and not your heart."
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