AVC: DAVIS BUDGET UNFAIR COMMUNITY COLLEGE CUTS HURT POOR STUDENTS.

Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer

LANCASTER - Antelope Valley College officials presented civic leaders Friday with an overview of their issues, proudly talked about some of their success stories, and complained that the governor's proposed budget treats community colleges unfairly.

In what they billed as Legislative Day, AVC officials and studentstalked before a gathering that included state Sen. W.J. ``Pete'' Knight, R- Palmdale; members of the Lancaster City Council; and Larry Grooms, an aide to Assemblywoman Sharon Runner, R-Lancaster.

A key topic during the morning-long meeting was the state budget deficit and the actions AVC is taking in anticipation of severe cuts. In anticipation of cuts of $2.2 million this school year and between $4 million and $5 million next year, AVC has imposed a hiring freeze, cut about 200 courses from its spring schedule and is planning to reduce its summer session by 50 percent.

College officials said the community college system gets the least funding of the state's higher education systems, and yet is being cut the most. Before this budget crisis, community colleges received an average of $4,408 per full-time student compared with $8,470 per student in the California State University system and $19,320 per student for University of California students.

Under the governor's proposed budget, the community college system will be cut $1 billion over the next 18 months. Davis' budget proposal actually increases funding for the CSU and UC systems.

``We want to be treated fairly by the state,'' said AVC President Daniel Larios. ``The cuts need to be equitable.''

Knight said he does not believe the governor's proposed budget will be approved. Republicans in the Legislature have presented their own proposal that calls for across-the-board cuts of 7 percent, balances the budget in two years, according to their estimates, and does not raise taxes or fees.

Democrats are expected to respond to that proposal Monday.

``Both Sharon (Runner) and I are supportive of the programs here,'' Knight said. ``We will do what we can to make sure the cuts are minimal. Because of the position we are in, there's going to be cuts.''

Much of the morning was devoted to success stories of AVC students.

Dorothy Williams, president of AVC's Academic Senate, told the audience some of those stories, including one of a woman from a migrant farm worker family who is now a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, and another of a woman who went through AVC on the Calworks program, a welfare-to-work program, and has recently graduated from UCLA.

Williams told of hearing one state official remark that community colleges were being targeted for harder hits because they were so flexible and could meet the cuts by dropping courses such as Italian for Travelers. Williams said AVC courses are geared toward college transfers and vocational training, and that the college has never offered Italian for Travelers.

``What makes for an excellent institution? It's taking them (students) from wherever they are and taking them as far as they can go,'' Williams said. ``By the way, none of these people I have mentioned has ever taken Italian for Travelers.''

Also speaking at the event were 2002 AVC graduates Brian Dillard and Guadalupe Sanchez. Both students used AVC as a steppingstone to attend California State University, Bakersfield, and both aspire to be teachers.

Dillard, who was abandoned by his father at birth and whose mother died when he was 13, said he grew up poor. AVC gave him an opportunity to begin his higher education.

``I grew up thinking I would never go to college,'' Dillard said. ``I'm proud to be part of this system.''

Sanchez, a widow who returned to the classroom after a 32-year absence, said she was able to continue her education with the help of the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services, a program aimed at helping low-income students by paying for enrollment fees and books.

EOPS is slated for a 40 percent cut under the Davis budget proposal. Such a cut would force AVC to drop about 500 of the 1,100 students in the program.

``Quality education must be a priority,'' Sanchez said. ``Courses and financial aid cannot be cut back so they can never recover again.''

AVC officials said the day's event was aimed at getting information about the college out to the public.

``We want to create a greater awareness of Antelope Valley College and what we're doing,'' said AVC spokesman Steve Standerfer. ``This is our first attempt at doing this and we want to build on this. This is our way of building bridges within the community.''