The news site of Santa Barbara City College.

The Channels

The news site of Santa Barbara City College.

The Channels

The news site of Santa Barbara City College.

The Channels

SBCC Academic Senate prepares for future budget cuts

Funding priorities and discussions about budget cuts were the focus of this semester’s first Academic Senate meeting last week. Depending on how the governor’s budget will look, City College has to do some severe savings.

Three possible scenarios were presented at the senate meeting. The choice will depend on the decision of the governor’s office, and how the referendum goes in June.

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It is clear that there will be millions in drawbacks.

In the best-case scenario, City College will be $3.9 million in red figures. The number could even climb up to as much as $ 11 million.

The senate urged to its members that each department should start looking on what cost savings that can be made. This might include cutting classes.

“We might cut classes that are near and dear to our heart,” Library Director Kenley Neufeld said at the meeting.

Dr. Jack Friedlander, executive vice president for academic programs, stressed the importance of saving, saying that every department has to go over what they might be able to save money on.

“We need to streamline the curriculum,” Friedlander said. “You have to look on what four classes you need to have.”

Other issues that were discussed were Planning and Resources’ and Instructional Technology Committees’ rankings of budget posts. Requests for expenses in facilities, equipment and staff had been made and set up in a list of priorities, giving the listed items the title 1-3, 1 being of the highest priority.

The senate also said that they would immediately start to look for two successors for the EOPS program to fill the empty spots from the late Henry Reed and the soon-to-retire Janet Shapiro.

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