Subject: Instruction Notes 02/26/04
From: Jack Turner
Organization: Cabrillo College, Office of Instruction

Instruction Notes
2/26/04

My personal thanks for all your efforts to launch a successful spring semester. At this time, enrollments (FTES) are approximately 4% below last spring, but as the semester continues enrollment numbers should improve.

Cabrillo College’s budget for 2003-04 is still uncertain, and the budget projection for 2004-05 is even more speculative. A recent “State Budget Update” from the Community College League provides the best insight into the financial picture for both this year and next (see below).

March 15 March to Sacramento
Several buses are scheduled to carry Cabrillo College faculty, staff, administrators, and students to Sacramento for “Keep the doors open – the missing students.” As a word of caution, please be aware that college employees cannot participate in a political, lobbying activity during a regular paid workday. At the same time I know that many of you plan to participate. I commend you for that. Be sure to follow the leave requirements in the contract and file an absence report if you are planning not to meet your class. If your course’s curriculum includes material about the political process, you may legitimately use this event as a part of your class. If students should opt not to go on this field trip, please provide them with an alternative assignment. Some students are planning to attend and will miss your class. Please be as flexible as possible. The College will not be closed on March 15th.

State Budget Update, February 20, 2004
Legislative Analyst Office Recommendations
The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office released its analysis of the Governor’s budget proposal this week. On community colleges, the LAO reported:
Categorical Programs: Recommends that the Legislature adopt the categorical consolidations proposed by the Governor, and recommends that provisional language limiting the expenditure of funds among programs be deleted.
Equalization: Recommends that the Legislature review the various equalization methodologies that have been proposed and adopt a plan for permanent equalization. Recommends against funding for equalization in 2004-05 and instead using the funds to repay a portion of the $200 million deferral.
Financial Aid/Outreach: Recommends redirecting $30 million of the community college financial aid and outreach funds to K-12 to provide a block grant for college preparation at high schools with low college participation rates.
Noncredit: Recommends rejection of the earmarked funds for noncredit growth. (The LAO analyzes the budget as introduced, so it didn’t comment on the proposal to shift these funds to increase the noncredit rate.)
Student Enrollment Fees: Supports the $26 per unit enrollment fee, and recommends increasing fees in future years to 50% of the total cost of instruction (which would be $2,300 for community colleges in 2003-04; current fees are $540).
Capital Outlay: Recommends that the Chancellor’s Office review its enrollment growth projection methodology and report to the Legislature, and recommends deletion of the City College of San Francisco joint use project.
What happens if Proposition 57 fails?
With public opinion polls raising uncertainty whether voters will approve Proposition 57 on March 2, budget watchers this week began evaluating the consequences of failure of the $15 billion bond measure. Most Capitol insiders believed (and many continue to believe) that, if Governor Schwarzenegger actively campaigns for the measure, the voters will approve it. A poll released today by the Public Policy Institute of California, however, indicates that he has a significant gap to close in the ten days remaining before the election.

If Proposition 57 fails, the “fallback” is the deficit reduction bond included in last year’s state budget (the “statutory bond”). While the statutory bond has lingered in the courts, its borrowing power has declined from $10.7 billion to $8.6 billion, because of a provision in the enacting legislation limiting the borrowing to the actual deficit as of June 30, 2003. The Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates that, if Proposition 57 fails and the Legislature relies on the statutory bond, the budget deficit would increase by $5 billion. This is due to the smaller borrowing authority ($3.7 billion) and increased debt service costs ($1.3 billion). The increased debt service costs would affect the budget each year for five years. If Proposition 57 fails, creating a $5 billion budget “hole,” the Legislature will have three choices (or a combination thereof): 1) make $5 billion in additional budget cuts beyond the Governor’s January budget; 2) increase taxes by $5 billion; or 3) place additional borrowing on the November ballot. Each of these assumes that the courts do not rule the $8.6 billion statutory bond unconstitutional; if so ruled, the budget “hole” increases to $13.6 billion. Community colleges receive about 3.2% of state general funds (excluding property taxes). Therefore, the community college “share” of $5 billion is $160 million; the “share” of $13.6 billion is $435.2 million. If the Legislature were to consider the property taxes and student fees received by community colleges, the “share” would double. Policy decisions made in the political environment of the Legislature are impossible to predict, but these numbers are provided to put the impact in general perspective.

Evening Duty Hours
Weeknight Evening Duty hours are from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Faculty should have the cell phone number for their reference, which is 809-0363. It is the same number for both weeknights and Saturday duty.

To contact the Sheriff's Officer on duty at the Aptos campus, 7:00 am to Midnight, Mon-Sun, call 212-8464 (cell phone). After midnight, dial 688-1117 and the Sheriff's Office Dispatch will contact the duty officer.

For any emergency situation, anytime, call 911.

A&R
A reminder that the last day without full-term course appearing on academic record is 3/6/04.

Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management
The Pino Alto Restaurant is Opening February 24th, Tuesday!
The restaurant is open for lunch & dinner, Monday to Thursday from 12 noon to 1:30 pm and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm. Lunch entrees include bread, soup, and salad for the extraordinary price of $7. Dessert is an additional $2.50.

Celebration of the Muse
This is the 22nd year of IN CELEBRATION OF THE MUSE, the outstanding women writers' event which this year will feature Cabrillo's own Marcy Alancraig and Helene Jara (and former Cabrillo faculty member Gabriella Gutierrez). It'll be Saturday March 6, 8pm, at the Cabrillo Theater. Get your tickets ($15) at the Cabrillo Ticket Office (6331) before it sells out! This is sponsored by Cabrillo College, and will be a benefit for Fast Track To Work.

Suds 'n' Spuds (Car wash at the Market!!)
Saturday, March 6
Have your CAR WASHED WHILE YOU SHOP the renowned Cabrillo College Farmer's Market, 8am – Noon, Cabrillo College, Parking Lot F--just above the Farmer's Market. Good Clean Fun!!...and good for you, too. Proceeds to benefit students of the Cabrillo College Dance Department on their way to perform at the American College Dance Festival at the University of Utah.

"Out of the Classroom" Workshop
On March 12 and 19, the FACCC Education Institute is holding a workshop designed for Librarians, Counselors, Health Services faculty, EOPS, DSPS, and other faculty who are not in traditional classroom roles. An information sheet is attached to this e-mail - please spread the word to your faculty about the workshops, and encourage their participation. (Just $59, or $25 for members of FACCC)

Faculty Scholarship Concert
Cabrillo College Visual, Applied and Performing Arts Division presents the Music & Theatre Arts Departments’ 10th Annual Faculty Scholarship Concert, Friday, March 5, 2004 at 8:00 pm in the Cabrillo College Theater. An evening of Classical, Jazz and original Music, performed by Cabrillo College Music, Theatre Arts and Dance Faculty, and featuring works by Chopin, Debussy, Sondheim, Bernstein, and more, including L. Mozart’s “Toy Symphony”. Tickets are $10.00 general admission; $6.00 students; $4.00 SAC. All proceeds are given as scholarships to Music, Dance and Theatre Arts students.

VTEA STUF Surveys
Every year Cabrillo College receives approximately $325,000 in funds that directly support our occupational programs. This dollar amount is in direct proportion to the special population data that we provide VTEA (the Vocational Technical Education Act) from the STUF (Student Update Form) surveys. The accurate, timely and thorough job that we do in administering this survey to all our students benefits our programs to an even greater degree where budget cuts have become the norm.
Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the dates that we are requesting for implementing this survey. A packet with instructions and supplies sufficient for all your classes will be in your mailbox (or below if too large) by February 27th. We are asking that you please return the surveys and any unused materials to the large, white cardboard box clearly labeled “VTEA STUF Surveys” in the mailroom by Monday, March 8th.

This year the surveys will be in both Spanish and English, per your request. Both languages will be provided in each packet you receive. Should there be any questions or requests for additional supplies, please contact Evie Alloy at x6481. Thank you for your generous cooperation and class time.