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Situation at Orange Coast not as dire as editorial states

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Jim Carnett

I appreciate this opportunity to clarify a couple of

mischaracterizations that appeared in Sunday’s editorial (“OCC should

not fail students by class cuts”).

The editorial states, “It is expected that the college will be

able to offer about 20% fewer sections (next spring).” Not true. If

that were indeed correct, Orange Coast College’s students would have

every reason to be alarmed. Fortunately, your 20% figure is off by a

wide margin.

According to our best estimates, our class cuts for the spring of

2003 will be less than 5%. We’ll be cutting about 20% of the course

sections that are taught by our adjunct (part-time) faculty members.

Since OCC’s adjunct faculty accounts for about 20% of the college’s

total course sections, a 20% cut of 20% of the classes equates to

less than 5% of the total schedule.

We expect to have a classroom seat available next spring for every

student who wants one.

Additionally, you also allude to OCC’s “mismanagement” of its

budget. Orange Coast College has made every effort in recent years to

accommodate a growing student population. We’re up in student

enrollment this fall by a dramatic 7.4%. We expect our final fall

enrollment figure to top 29,000 students. We’re one of the largest

community colleges in the state.

The state of California, however, is not going to fund

three-quarters of that 7.4% fall growth. Because of growth and

funding curbs, OCC can no longer afford the luxury of offering small

classes. This year, Orange Coast College faces $1.5 million in

additional expenses due to changes in the state retirement system and

in health benefits for employees. That $1.5-million expenditure must

come out of the college’s existing budget; the state is not providing

additional funding resources to support those imperatives.

I wish to assure the community that, just as it’s been doing for

the past 55 years, Orange Coast College continues to manage its

budget wisely and with accountability. We take seriously our academic

and fiduciary responsibilities.

* JIM CARNETT is the OCC director of community relations.

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