|
September 2005, Volume 16, Issue 1 - College Rolls Snake Eyes |
 |
 |
 |
By Lantz Simpson
Two years ago, the District threw a big pair of dice in the air, gambling with the future of the college. (See reprinted accompanying article.) The dice have now landed with a muffled thud on a pair of snake eyes.
The college has failed to return its enrollment back to the level of 2003. This means the college has permanently contracted with a $2 million net loss in state revenue for next year. This also means that the college teeters on the edge of a death spiral of funding cuts, lay offs, and further enrollment drops. Only a massive transfusion of more equalization money or a brand new funding system can save SMC now.
From the beginning of the cuts, college officials were confident that the students would return. Santa Monica College is so great, the argument went, that when SMC rolls the dice, it always comes up seven. But semester after semester, the dice only passed. When the confidence strategy failed, the college then tried several other strategies to regain the lost students, but all of those have failed, too.
The next to fail was the Field of Dreams strategy-- build it and they will come (back.) We were told that the new library and the Bundy campus would cause new students to magically appear. After spending $45 million in precious bond money on Bundy, the site with no easement and no direct student access, enrollment is still short of 2003.
The next strategy to fail was the student success strategy. If only counselors and classroom faculty tried harder to help students succeed, the argument went, the increased retention would help get the college back to base enrollment. Indeed, there has been a reduction of students on academic probation, but base enrollment still lags below 2003.
The next strategy to fail was the hospitality strategy. If the college were only more student friendly, the argument went, they would come back. After I made repeated trips to an empty welcome center to see the lack of new students, I could see the dice were still passing.
The final strategy to fail was the acres of free parking strategy. When the college lost its shuttle lot at the Santa Monica airport, it offered free parking at the current shuttle lot down at the beach. Not enough new students took the free parking, however, and I still can't find a place to park on campus after ten a.m.
What's clear is that the huge cuts of 2003-04 and the loss of vocational programs should have never occurred. Massive cuts were unnecessary and caused permanent damage to the college. The students, community, staff and faculty all begged the trustees to say no to the death spiral plan of the administration. Those same four stakeholders are the ones who have suffered from loss of classes, loss of opportunity, loss of jobs, and loss of income.
When are those responsible for gambling away the college's future going to be held accountable?
|
