January 15, 2009

Q: Can we start charging for parking?

A: Fees such as this would have to be adopted by the Governing Board and apply district-wide. Proposals for such things as parking fees, thus, may be being considered by the District but not currently by the College.

Q: Have we thought about closing services 1 hour earlier…closing earlier on Fridays…closing Saturdays? having services in Building E all open the same hours? cross training staff?

A: Reducing hours of service will be considered if budget cuts deepen. As we consider possible reduced hours or days of in-person availability, we will work to develop alternative methods and schedules for service delivery that continue to meet student needs. Cross training of staff might be one way to achieve this.

Q: Can we stop printing the catalog?

A: We recognize that many other institutions have discontinued printing their college catalogs, so we are investigating how to best meet student needs through an on-line catalog and what the related cost savings would be.

December 10, 2008

Q. Why are we looking at additional budget cuts?

A. In light of the state deficits forecast for both the current and next fiscal years, the District has asked each college to plan for up to cumulative cuts of 5% and 12% in fiscal year 2009-10. Based on the college's current fiscal year operating budget of $31 million, these amount to reductions of $1.5 million for the 5% and $3.7 million for the 12%.

December 4, 2008

Q: Why did the College implement a short term hiring freeze?

A: We implemented a short term hiring freeze due to the uncertainties of further state budget cuts which will not be fully known until the middle or end of January 2009 at the earliest. At this time temporary wages are being used to backfill most open positions.

Q: What will happen to the current searches?

A: Searches in progress have been suspended until January 30, 2009. If we are able to proceed to fill the positions, we will not have to re-open the searches.

Q: How will the greater college community be involved in planning for future budget reductions?

A: An expanded Budget Development and Steering Team (BDST) has been convened. Strategies for budget reductions will be developed by BDST and these recommendations will be forwarded to the President’s Leadership Team and the College President for approval. In addition, the College Leadership Council has already provided input on strategies the college can use to become more efficient and reduce costs.

Q: What are the operating assumptions for the college as we proceed with the budget reduction process?

A: The primary guiding principles will include: the core function of teaching and learning remains the highest college priority; the process will be transparent with open communications; operational efficiencies and cost reductions will be achieved; and short term reductions will not harm the long term strategic goals of the college. In addition, we will continue to focus on growth through increased student enrollment and student persistence in a cost efficient manner.