State budget crisis results in fewer classes

With California more than $20 billion in the hole for the 2010 year, the state legislature is debating what to cut next. The reduction of the number of classes being offered at Citrus College is a good example. The state budget crisis is unlikely to get better anytime soon. 

Fortunately, students can feel reasonably sure that there will not be any further cuts throughout the spring semester. 

“Our intention is to maintain the current schedule since registration for spring is almost completely full,” said Irene Malmgren, vice president of academic affairs.

During the spring 2009 semester, 1,086 classes were offered at Citrus.  However, students are contending with a reduction of 169 classes for spring 2010, resulting in a total of 917 available classes.

Enrollment management has become a top priority at Citrus.

There were 3,468 students for spring 2009, but enrollment for spring 2010 has jumped to 5,116.

“We have more students than we can accommodate, than we are funded for by the state, so we have to change our model,” said Sam Lee, dean of language arts and enrollment management.

In the past, classes used to be scheduled based on student demand.  For example, if there was a demand for 30 sections of English 101, then there would be 30 sections scheduled for that term. 

“Now we can’t do that,” Lee said.

Instead, higher priority is placed on classes that will meet the needs of the most students who are trying to transfer or complete their degrees. 

“We know that we’re not satisfying the needs of all the students—not even close,” Lee said.

In past years, the state has funded Citrus  based on the number of full-time equivalent students (FTES) from the year before, plus an additional amount for growth, which was around 2 percent, Lee said.  But that number changed to reduce classes and stay within the budget.

Last spring, the state provided funding for 5,200 FTES, then reduced that amount to 4,400.
The budget is unlikely to improve until the 2013-2014 school year. 

“Right now we’re trying to stay flat and not have to go down anymore,” Malmgren said.
Fewer classes mean that some students are unable complete their requirements in a timely manner. 

“These cuts have set my transfer plan back a whole year because I could not get all of the classes I needed,” said advertising major Christian Ramirez, 21.  “I’ve even had to take classes at another school to make up for the classes I could not get at Citrus.”

The students are not the only ones being affected by the reductions.  The faculty is also dealing with the strains. 

“Now more than ever, the faculty is really feeling the pressure of students trying to add their classes,” Malmgren said.

In order to comply with budget constraints, full-time faculty are assigned classes first, part-time faculty second.  Whatever is left over is offered to adjunct teachers. Most of the sections that were cut were taught by part-time faculty.

The number of part-time faculty has already decreased by a lot, and will decrease a little bit more by next year, Lee said.

Managers are very aware of how important a class is when they schedule it and who will be assigned to teach it. 

“We are now more deliberate about what courses we offer and how many sections we offer because we know every section will be filled to capacity, or even over capacity,” Lee said.

In an effort to maximize access for students, administration attempted to space out classes by the hours and days so students can have more opportunities to take classes.

 “In addition, we are trying to re-allocate the same number of classes throughout the whole year, instead of one term being larger than the other,” Malmgren said.

As for summer 2010, there are no talks of eliminating the term.  However, summer 2010 offerings will be reduced from summer 2009 in order to try and keep the fall and spring terms as even as possible. 

Lee used the analogy of an individual who falls behind on credit card payments in comparison to the budget deficits Citrus has had to face. 

“Let’s say you spend $500 on your credit card before you get paid, with hopes of paying it back when you get your check. Then you find out your employer is reducing your pay or cutting your hours. That is like what we are going through,” Lee said.  “So we have to make cuts in all places.”

Although the state budget cuts might seem nothing but bad news, the administration sees some advantages to the current situation. 

“It’s made everyone just much more serious about what they’re doing,” Lee said.  “In some ways, it’s healthy.”

Malmgren notices a trend that students are enrolling earlier, staying in classes longer, and not dropping out as much. 

“Students are seeing classes more as a valuable asset now,” she said.

Students need to get started on their student education plans and know when they are ready to transfer or getting close to a certificate, she said. 

Malmgren has an important piece of advice for students to succeed: “Take the courses that you need and hit your goal.”