‘Students 1st’ Policy

Finally, the Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees and administrators are waking up to the disaster of declining student enrollments that have been plaguing higher education for the past 18 months.

Forgotten by them is the basic fact that our students are the lifeblood of the educational industry. Simply, more students mean more money.

Therefore, when we begin to treat our students less like tokens and more like customers, our enrollments will start to increase. When we give better service and more value to our students, they will return to the classrooms.

How? By instituting “student first” policies such as registration by phone, no lockouts on core curriculum classes, and reduced prices at our campus bookstores.

These “student first” policies have the power to turn this nasty student decline around if the trustees and administrators have the will, ability and energy to implement them.

JIM HIBBS

Ventura