2008 Woodie Awards
Student Newspapers Consolidated
Sergio Lopez
Issue date: 4/27/05 Section: News
Two student news papers where eliminated by The Ventura Community College District board of trustees on March 15.
The Ventura Community College District is comprised of three schools: Moorpark, located in the Simi Valley, Oxnard, and Ventura colleges.
Ventura College President Michael Gregoryk and Oxnard College President Dr. Lydia Ledesma-Reese supported the board's decision to close down The Ventura College Press and The Oxnard Campus Observer as a cost-saving necessity.
The VCCD also voted to lay off faculty members, close campus cafeterias, and eliminate courses with low enrollment.
According to an article from the Ventura County Star, the VCCD faces a possible what $8 million budget shortfall over the next year.
VCCD Chancellor James Meznek said the cuts are being made due to the district facing a big budget gap and he estimates that gap will be $1.8 million by June 30, when the current budget year ends.
In response to the board's decision, students at Ventura and Oxnard colleges have staged walkouts and met with the chancellor to express their opposition.
Oxnard College Campus Observer managing editor Keith Norris said the cutbacks make no sense at all.
"The school should think of alternative spending habits and not make students suffer," Norris said.
Ventura College Press adviser Carol Weinstock, professor of journalism, said she is having difficulty dealing with the elimination of the student newspapers.
"I can't really put it into words how I feel about the cutbacks by the board members," Weinstock said. "The VC Press has been around since 1925, and now that it is going away, it is very hard to swallow."
Officials say they plan to merge the districts three student newspapers into one, to be published at Moorpark College.
"The board has decided to combine the three college newspapers in the district into one newspaper which is a very bad idea," Weinstock said. "They expect the students to submit articles to Moorpark advisers who know nothing about Ventura College."
Around 175 students and staffers of Oxnard College rallied on the morning of the VCCD board's decision in a staged protest.
According to the Ventura County Star, students asked Meznek to use money from the district's reserve funds, estimated to be between $5.5 million and $7 million, to fund the journalism programs in Oxnard and Ventura.
However, if the district does dive into the districts reserves, it would be unable to pay for the heavy enrolled classes like math and English, Meznek said.
In order to save the journalism programs, Meznek said, students should enlist more students to enroll in the journalism classes.
The merging of the three student newspapers into one is expected to be in place for fall 2005.
The Ventura Community College District is comprised of three schools: Moorpark, located in the Simi Valley, Oxnard, and Ventura colleges.
Ventura College President Michael Gregoryk and Oxnard College President Dr. Lydia Ledesma-Reese supported the board's decision to close down The Ventura College Press and The Oxnard Campus Observer as a cost-saving necessity.
The VCCD also voted to lay off faculty members, close campus cafeterias, and eliminate courses with low enrollment.
According to an article from the Ventura County Star, the VCCD faces a possible what $8 million budget shortfall over the next year.
VCCD Chancellor James Meznek said the cuts are being made due to the district facing a big budget gap and he estimates that gap will be $1.8 million by June 30, when the current budget year ends.
In response to the board's decision, students at Ventura and Oxnard colleges have staged walkouts and met with the chancellor to express their opposition.
Oxnard College Campus Observer managing editor Keith Norris said the cutbacks make no sense at all.
"The school should think of alternative spending habits and not make students suffer," Norris said.
Ventura College Press adviser Carol Weinstock, professor of journalism, said she is having difficulty dealing with the elimination of the student newspapers.
"I can't really put it into words how I feel about the cutbacks by the board members," Weinstock said. "The VC Press has been around since 1925, and now that it is going away, it is very hard to swallow."
Officials say they plan to merge the districts three student newspapers into one, to be published at Moorpark College.
"The board has decided to combine the three college newspapers in the district into one newspaper which is a very bad idea," Weinstock said. "They expect the students to submit articles to Moorpark advisers who know nothing about Ventura College."
Around 175 students and staffers of Oxnard College rallied on the morning of the VCCD board's decision in a staged protest.
According to the Ventura County Star, students asked Meznek to use money from the district's reserve funds, estimated to be between $5.5 million and $7 million, to fund the journalism programs in Oxnard and Ventura.
However, if the district does dive into the districts reserves, it would be unable to pay for the heavy enrolled classes like math and English, Meznek said.
In order to save the journalism programs, Meznek said, students should enlist more students to enroll in the journalism classes.
The merging of the three student newspapers into one is expected to be in place for fall 2005.