ROUND OUNDUP www.theroundupnews.com
Woodland Hills, California
A FIRST AMENDMENT PUBLICATION
Volume 116 - Issue 1–
February 29, 2012
One copy free, each additional copy 50¢
Possible reduction of deans on campus Brittany Blust
bblust.roundupnews@gmail.com A dean reduction program that would put deans back in classrooms to ease budget deficiency was proposed by the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) Feb. 15 and could affect Pierce College administration if put into action. “[It’s] not a formal targeting of just the deans,” Pierce College President Kathleen Burke-Kelly said. The LACCD Executive Committee recommended the District Budget Committee (DBC) community colleges in the district hire only a number of deans, but has not voted on the proposal yet, Academic Senate President Tom Rosdahl said. “But what tends to happen is colleges like to hire administrators, and when times are good and you have money [the colleges] generally start loading up with deans and vice presidents and associate vice presidents,” Rosdahl said. The LACCD is now looking at their formula for how they disburse the funds they get from the state to the colleges and proposing to change it. “This task force that looked at the allocation formula looked at how many [dean] positions a college should have ... they give each college a chart and say ‘in the amount of budget you get you can afford this many deans, vice presidents, presidents, etc.’,” Rosdahl said. The proposal or a dean reduction program would not increase the number of classes and would have no other effect on the number of classes Rosdahl said. In 2003, Pierce College enacted a similar program. Burke-Kelly said there’s a different chancellor now than there was in 2003, which means that the situation today is not like it was then. “Any reduction is difficult because we can’t provide management, and that requires a full cadre of administration,” Academic Affairs Dean Paul Whelan said. Burke-Kelly is putting together a small team to look at the budget. “When you cut classes you don’t have as many Indians but you still have the same chiefs,” Rosdahl said. “So if we’ve reduced sections by 20 percent, we haven’t reduced the other areas of the colleges.” In 2010 the average gross pay for the eight deans on campus was $113,010.63. Deans who were professors before they were in their current position may have retreat rights, and be able to return to their previous job if the proposal is voted in, Rosdahl said. Community colleges have a Faculty Obligation Number (FON), which the state provides the district. The FON is a ratio of full-time professors to part-time professors. Pierce needs to hire nine fulltime professors to meet state law requirements, or the district can be fined $65,000 per missing full-time professor by the state for falling below the FON.
Ava Weintraub
Construction stopped: The North of Mall project was left unfinished last year after the district suspended its contract with FTR International November 2011.
FTR leaves jobs incomplete
Stadium still unfinished as construction company walks out Michaia Hernandez
mhernandez.roundupnews@gmail.com The future of Pierce College’s football stadium and the faculty offices north of the Mall undecided after the district’s Board of Trustees voted to terminate its contracts with the main contractor Feb. 22. Four settlements with Irvinebased FTR International were terminated for convenience two weeks following the contractor’s debarment from the district for five years. FTR headed the 14-year, $6 billion LACCD Building Program, which aimed to renovate academic buildings, sports complexes, and administrative buildings, among other structures, in the nine campuses in the district. The debarment did not have any legal effects on FTR’s existing projects, but the contractor walked away from construction efforts for Shepard Stadium weeks prior to the termination of the contracts, according to Pierce Athletic Director Bob Lofrano. “I’m very disappointed that they just walked off,” Lofrano said. “They’d been giving signs. Things were moving very slowly.” FTR refused to comment on the
issue. “F T R, those are three letters I don’t want to think about anymore,” Lofrano said. “My goal is to remove the FTR sign [at the stadium construction zone]. That’ll be down pretty soon.” The $8.9 million Shepard Stadium renovation project was originally supposed to be completed by Dec. 28, 2011. However, late approval of the initial project drawings by the District State Architecture moved its completion date to February, Swinerton Management Team Project Deputy Director Ed Cadena said. The only stadium parts left undone by FTR are the walkway between the home and visitors’ sides, the restrooms on the visitors’ side, and the field house, Lofrano said. “We’re 90 percent done,” Lofrano said. “We’re relatively confident that we can play this year.” The North of Mall project, on the other hand, was shut down and repackaged late last year after the district suspended its contract with FTR in November for change order work, according to Cadena. The termination of all contracts between FTR and LACCD finalizes
this move. “We recommended the termination [last year], but that doesn’t mean it was going to get done right away,” Cadena said. “The district will execute it when convenient.” The decision to debar the contractor was brought upon by a recommendation made by a hearing committee comprised of two LACCD trustees based on findings that proved FTR to be an irresponsible contractor. “This is the last step of the district taking action to debar [FTR],” LACCD Inspector General Christine Marez said over the phone. The district alleged that FTR submitted fraudulent documents with regards to construction projects in both Los Angeles Mission College and the Los Angeles Valley College, and failed to adhere to building standards outlined in its contract with the latter campus. “It always costs something to make the decision to terminate a contract,” Goulet said. “But it doesn’t make sense to keep it [if you know there are problems].” The contractor has, in turn, filed a petition for writ of mandate against the district days after the debarment decision was finalized.
Kristen Aslanian
Lockedout: Construction area locked up after FTR International was suspended from work in the North of Mall area. A hearing is scheduled for March 13, according to Goulet. In the meantime, the district is allowed to hire a different
construction company to complete unfinished work. Contributing: Rodrigo Carbonel
Program helping to pick up the P.A.C.E. Accelerated classes are available for students looking to graduate earlier Brent Spector
bspector.roundupnews@gmail.com
Integrating school and work can be challenging, but the Pierce College Program for Accelerated College Education (P.A.C.E.) helps make that possible for several students every year. Feb. 29:
High 59, Low 40 Winds SW, 10 mph
P.A.C.E. is available to all students who want to finish classes in half the time of regular Pierce classes while still retaining the same academic value as regular courses. The P.A.C.E. program started 30 years ago aimed at helping working adults complete college classes while working during the day, according to
March 3: High 77, Low 49 Winds NE, 8 mph
March 1: High 69, low 45 Winds NNW, 11 mph
March 4: High 79, Low 48 Winds NE, 10 mph
March 2: High 71, Low 46 Winds NNE, 9 mph
March 5: High 73, Low 48 Winds ENE, 10 mph
P.A.C.E. Consultant Ryan Son. Currently P.A.C.E. has approximately 4000 students enrolled in it today, said Son. “[For students, the best part about the program is that it’s] accelerated and condensed,” Son said. With the accelerated courses, P.A.C.E. students are able to get their
The Job Center will be closed effective March 30 as an “unnecessary unit”, according to an e-mail sent by instructor of business administration Richard Skidmore. More information will be available online at www.theroundupnews.com.
associate’s degree and transfer in two years due to classes fitting into 8 week quarters, rather than taking 15 week long semesters. Along with Ryan, Lupita Narkevicus is the other P.A.C.E. consultant and senior office assistant at the P.A.C.E. office. Both are available to answer student questions
about the program. “Students can find a lot of information about the program on our website, including the frequency and availability of classes,” Narkevicus said. The next scheduled orientation is March 26 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Great Hall.
Did you know? There were 29 days this February.
Happy Leap Day!