City College will be able to bring back tutoring and expand counseling as early as this semester, according to the new school budget discussed at last Thursday’s Board of Trustees meeting.

“In a time of a budget crisis, we have the money to restore and not cut further,” said Superintendent-President Andreea Serban.

Executive Vice-President Jack Friedlander also attended the meeting, held by the board as a study session for their upcoming agenda.

 He said $29,000 would go to a “partial restoration” of academic counseling. Specifically, more one-on-one counseling would return after the group version recently employed as a time, and dollar, saving measure.

Friedlander also said he’s received positive feedback about the group counseling that’s been administered as a part of orientation for first time students, but acknowledged the administration’s concerns over whether it was an adequate solution on its own.

Chris Brown is a student worker in academic counseling and agrees with Friedlander.

“Most of the more general information that applies to everybody could be taken care of all at once. That way, more time is available when you actually sit with a counselor to talk about specifics,” Brown said.

Those specifics, Brown explained, may be options for your course load or transfer strategies.

Tutors will also benefit from the new budget. Friedlander said the college’s new tutorial budget is $126,000. However, specifics about which departments will get them and how many there will be were not provided.

The Student Services Center hours will be extended during the week before and the first two weeks of the next semester. Students crammed with classes and work will benefit from the Student Services Center opening one hour earlier, Friedlander said.

Politically, the budgetary boosts come at an important time. Four trustees are up for re-election in November, and criticisms about how the board handled the college’s finances, as well as issues of shared governance, have fueled the campaigns of the four challenging candidates, including former Mayor Marty Blum.

The board meets again Thursday afternoon in the Administration Building. Among the agenda items will be a vote on whether or not to authorize student representation for City College’s continuing education students.