COLLEGES MUST CUT MILLIONS CAFETERIAS AND ACADEMIC PROGRAMS ARE LIKELY TRIMS.Byline: Eric Leach Staff Writer OXNARD - The Ventura Community College District board faces difficult choices Tuesday when members consider ways to deal with a $1.6 million deficit and millions of dollars in budget cuts next year. Proposals include reducing academic programs and closing cafeterias at Ventura, Oxnard and Moorpark colleges Moorpark College is a California-state funded community college located on a 134 acre (542,000 m²) property reclining on a hill in Moorpark, a town in Ventura County, California. . ``We have to look at ways to cut back without impacting the courses we really need,'' said Cheryl Heitmann, president of the college board. She said the Ventura district receives less state money than most other community college districts in the the state because of formulas developed decades ago. And Ventura County may lose $3 million it received last year from the administration of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German pronunciation (IPA): [ˈaɐ̯nɔlt ˈaloɪ̯s ˈʃvaɐ̯ʦənˌʔɛɡɐ] to help equalize e·qual·ize v. e·qual·ized, e·qual·iz·ing, e·qual·iz·es v.tr. 1. To make equal: equalized the responsibilities of the staff members. 2. To make uniform. the funding statewide. ``The state has cut back $3 million we got last year,'' she said. ``And we actually have declining enrollment, which affects our budget tremendously. ``I think part of it is the fees have been raised (to $26 a unit), and this makes it difficult for many people. ... We've lost enrollment from the part-time students, which indicates to me those folks are having to work or don't have the luxury to come back to college right now.'' Sue Johnson Sue Johnson is one of the creators of Emotionally Focused Therapy or EFT. She is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at The University of Ottawa and Director of the Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy. [1] References 1. , associate vice chancellor vice chancellor n. Abbr. VC 1. A deputy or an assistant chancellor in a university. 2. A deputy to or a substitute for a head of state or an official bearing the title chancellor. 3. of business, said officials have already identified potential cuts of $1.2 million in cuts for the current year, including freezing vacant positions. Closing the cafeterias and cutting academic programs would be considered for the the 2005-06 fiscal year, she said. ``We are recommending closing the cafeterias at the end of June, and spending several months considering alternatives,'' she said. Some academic programs will be offered differently, some would be reduced and some eliminated. Heitmann said she hopes academic programs can be maintained. ``We really do provide a fine education.'' She also said she hopes something can be done to reorganize re·or·gan·ize v. re·or·gan·ized, re·or·gan·iz·ing, re·or·gan·iz·es v.tr. To organize again or anew. v.intr. To undergo or effect changes in organization. , rather than close the cafeterias. ``We're trying to look at ways to be more creative to keep the cafeterias open,'' she said. ``We're guessing in some ways, because the truth is we don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. yet how much money we are going to get from the state.'' Greg Cross, senior field representative for the Service Employees International Union Local 535, said the potential layoffs have been deeply disturbing. ``It's a huge blow for some of the (cafeteria cafeteria: see restaurant. ) employees who have worked there for decades,'' he said. ``There is very little of anything nearby for food. Moorpark is in the middle of nowhere. So students and staff who are there full time are going to be out out luck if the cafeterias close.'' Eric Leach, (805) 583-7602 eric.leach(at)dailynews.com |
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