Cutbacks: Automotive class on the chopping block

Donavan Caver and Preston Pierce both approached The Breeze several weeks ago with regard to doing a story about the budget cuts affecting the Business and Applied Technology. Although The Breeze has published numerous stories on budget cuts to programs on campus, this marks the first time this semester that students have proactively come to newspaper office with a desire for their plight to be heard.

For this particular department, it is a sticky situation as full-time professor Bob Carlson has accepted a retirement package effective at the conclusion of the spring 2010 semester. With the backdrop of a hiring freeze occurring throughout the college due to budget cuts in education, it seems that the classes Professor Carlson instructs are on their final weeks of life support. 

The college administration has set to hold an evaluation meeting for these classes, but no dates or times for when these evaluations will take place have been given. Although it has been stated that the administration will pursue one of three options that include placing the sections taught by Carlson on an "indefinite hold," "winding down the department" or closing the program down all together.  

In the meantime Caver and Pierce have approached the college president with a 120-signature petition. But in light of the fact that none of the sections currently being taught by Carlson are being offered on the Fall 2010 schedule of classes, it is highly unlikely that those signatures will make a difference as to whether or not his classes will be resuscitated.

Such cuts in education and increases in tuition have been occurring statewide as the effects of the recession continue to be felt. On March 4th  organizers declared "strike and day of action to defend public education." 

The ensuing March 22 rally in Sacramento that included 27 Chaffey College students.

For students currently attending the Chaffey School of Business and Applied Technology, transferring to other colleges such as Mt. San Antonio College and Riverside Community College that offer similar programs, is an option.

However, doing so seamlessly is difficult as the curriculum of other programs vary at each institution. To this end, they may find themselves having to repeat classes, prolonging their graduation.

As demand for education continues, students face continued obstacles for supply at Chaffey College as summer curriculum has been reduced from a robust 490 sections to an anemic 162 sections. But as the statewide budget crisis persists, it seems that all academic programs at Chaffey will be subject to some form of ligation, resection or excision.