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A FIRST AMENDMENT PUBLICATION Volume 119- Issue 2
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PHOTO ESSAY: FRIDAY NIGHTS AT THE FARM . . . PAGE 6
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
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Winter intersession may be restored
100 winter courses may be restored, enrollment may be open as early as Nov. 11
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Jasmin Miko Roundup Reporter
roposition 30 granted Pierce College the proper funds to add 100 sections to this past fall semester and on Monday Sept. 23, the Academic Senate discussed the possible arrangement establishing a campus winter session. Pierce College President
Kathleen Burke opened the discussion regarding 399 new enrollments for this fall semester, which equals a 1 percent rise, falling short of the 6 percent expected increase in enrollment. In hopes of making up for this loss, Burke opted for the approval of opening a winter session to the students. “We’re going to be doing a little bit of catch up here,” Burke said. “I told them to consider at least 50 sections for the winter. In fact, I
think we can go up to 100.” According to Burke, rather than add sections to the spring term, an open winter course would give the college the statistic they’re looking for in an increase of enrollment and registration numbers. There are 28 departments which in turn contain their own disciplines that would be spread among the 100 sections. “We have a short window to get this done. We could ramp this up pretty quickly,” she said, “We want our students to enroll.”
If these plans are adopted, enrollment is expected by early Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11. “I think winter classes would benefit students a lot. I’m only taking one class this semester and I’d need that opportunity to get those classes in,” said freshman Marie Flores. “I was busy during summer so I wasn’t able to take classes here and I was really bummed. Winter isn’t such a busy time.” There were circumstances where students exiting high school and
entering Pierce weren’t able to register for any classes, according to Burke. These students ended up going to other schools, going out of state, or going to work instead. “Even though they were squeezed out a year or two ago, they don’t realize those opportunities are opening up again,” Burke said, “They haven’t come back to us.” According to Distance Education Coordinator Wendy Bass, online classes could be an option over the season.
“They do rather well for winter classes,” said Bass. “There can be two online classes as opposed to one face to face class.” The Los Angeles Community College District is pushing to open more opportunities. According to Burke, in order to push the enrollment numbers, campus Senate will have to increase community outreach, marketing, and scheduling to bring information about the available Pierce opportunites.
Cal State Northridge freezes enrollment
Brahma Soccer // #LAPCsports
Budget woes affect university Kat Wilson Roundup Reporter
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Pierce falls to Cerritos
Bobak Radbin / Roundup
KICKING IT: Pierce College women’s soccer goalkeeper Jenna Koziol (right) reaches out to save the ball against Cerritos College on Sept. 20. Pierce lost 0–3. [Visit theroundupnews.com to see a photo slideshow from the Sept. 20 game]
Campus voted top place to be employed
Daily News readers vote Pierce College the No. 1 place to work
Kashish Nizami Roundup Reporter The Daily News awarded Pierce College the “2013 Daily News Reader’s Best Choice” award for its readers’ favorite place to work. Vice President of Advertising for the Daily News Paul Ingegneri explained that the acclamation is given after readers populate a ballot in print, where they can simply hand in their nominations, or online, where they can type in whichever establishment they wish during the month of June. “On an annualized basis we do the Reader’s Choice Poll, which is a combination of in-print and online ballots of about 200 different categories,” Ingegneri said. “We’re
RUONLINE?
simply a vehicle by which [to] show the results of the poll.” Pierce College Public Relations Manager Doreen Clay explained that the newspaper often calls her to let her know that the contest is occurring, and though Pierce won the best college or university in 2010 and 2011, it lost in 2012. “This year I found out we could again vote, so I sent everybody an email in the college and said, ‘Come on you guys, let’s all vote that we’re the best college and/or university,’ and instead we won for best workplace,” Clay said. “So I was very surprised and pleased.” However, while Clay believed that “as far as community colleges go, Pierce is definitely at the top,” she still feels that it deserves the recognition that it did receive.
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“I actually do [think this a great place to work] because I’ve worked at a lot of places in my life,” Clay said. “I’ve been here at Pierce College for 11 years in a couple of different roles, and every place has its beauties and its challenges, but I think overall Pierce College is definitely my favorite place to work—no question. “ Garrett Wein, a 19-year-old psychology major who is a student worker in the Academic Counseling Office likes to help people and was given a lot of assistance when he first started attending Pierce. “It’s really confusing for a lot of people at first,” Wein said. “So being able to help new students in a way that I was first helped when I came here is pretty cool—I would say that’s the most rewarding thing.”
The Pierce College Weather Station has provided meteorological data to national agencies since 1949.
Bookstore assistant and Freudian Sip worker Genesis Sierra, an 18-year-old nursing student said that she feels the same kind of support from her co-workers on a daily basis. “Honestly, my co-workers are part of my family,” Sierra said. “I’m really attached to them—just knowing that this is my last week hurts me a bit, but it’s fine.” Clay suggested that it is because of this family-natured atmosphere that she remains an advocate for the school. “I almost feel like it’s a small town,” Clay said. “There are just so many interesting people and things and departments that [makes the campus] just a pretty fascinating place.”
alifornia State University, Northridge will not be accepting new students for the upcoming spring 2014 semester due to budget cuts, according to CSUN officials. The decision was made by Dr. Timothy White, chancellor of CSUN and 22 other state universities, according to Carmen Chandler, the PIO and director of media at CSUN. “This was not our decision. It came to us as a bit of a shock,” Jennifer Cai, an Admissions and Records representative, said. Although this change of enrollment was implemented, it ensured that there would be enough money for CSUN to offer necessary classes in the spring, according to Admissions and Records representative Jean Ross. “The main reason this decision came around was because there are more than 38,500 students enrolled this fall. That’s a record,” Chandler said. With the ample enrollment, cuts needed to come from somewhere, according to Chandler. “Most of us are unhappy with this decision, and it doesn’t help that we are one of the only schools that need to close enrollment for this spring,” Ross said. “There’s lots of anger and sadness.” New students, both freshmen and transfer students, will be affected, but there are some exceptions to this spring closure, according to Ross. “The students going for their AAT (Associate of Arts Transfer) and AST (Associate of Sciences Transfer) degrees will still be admitted,” Ross said. “It guarantees that they get their full B.A.” The AAP and AST degrees require that a student begins two years at a community college and continues for two more years at a CSU to finish the degrees off, according to Ross. Although the halt of enrollment is unwelcome, it shouldn’t have that much effect on those who tried to apply for the spring semester, according to Chandler. “We only get a handful of
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“Most of us are unhappy with this decision.” -Jean Ross CSUN Admissions and Records representative
applicants each spring,” Chandler said. “The majority enter in the fall, so we want as many resources available to them as possible.” Therefore, Doctor White, chancellor of CSUN, decided to cut back with enrollment this coming spring to further allow current students to get classes they needed, according to Chandler. “We’d be cutting back on a minor loss, further allowing new students to enter CSUN through the fall semesters,” Chandler said. “Enrollment for next fall opens Oct. 1.” Chancellor White was unavailable to discuss CSUN’s change in enrollment.
Pierce to CSUN Transfers
–Compiled by Tim Toton http://calstate.edu/as/stats.shtml
R E P O R T
Wednesday Sept. 25 High: 80° Low: 56°
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