CROSS COUNTRY:
[SPORTS, PG. 7]
THE CITY SCENE:
[A&E, PG. 5]
FOCUSED ON PALOMAR
the telescope Monday, Aug. 29, 2011
Vol. 65, No. 2
Palomar College, San Marcos, Calif.
Budget forces state schools to limit total applications
Palomar meets standards Sydnie taylor The Telescope
Shaun KaHMANN The Telescope
The state budget crisis that led to $650 million in cuts to the California State University system will force schools throughout the state to limit total number of applicants they can accept for the 2011-2012 school year, according a press release from the California State University Board of Trustees. In addition to the 12 percent tuition increase and employee furloughs enacted by the California State Board of Trustees, many California State Universities (CSUs) have put into place enrollment impactions that limit student access to certain fields of study depending on demand. The Student Transfer Achievement Act – or S.T.A.R act – that will be going into effect this fall, promises to streamline the transfer process. One way the S.T.A.R act will make transferring a bit easier is that it will permit students to enroll into CSUs without having to complete local requirements or repeat similar courses. Palomar Articulation Officer Gloria Kerkhoff said that most courses will not be supported by the S.T.A.R act for a while, so it will take time before its effects are felt. “We currently have only two transfer degrees which fall under (the S.T.A.R act), Psychology and Sociology,” Kerkhoff said in an email. “I don’t anticipate any increase in transfer numbers for some time.” Kerkhoff also said that the reasoning behind the S.T.A.R act was to eliminate courses not necessary for a four-year degree, thus allowing students to transfer more efficiently without degrading the quality of their education. In spite of this, many schools have opted not to participate in the S.T.A.R act. Kerkhoff said she believes this may change if the bill is able to achieve higher transfer rates. “The UC system does not like to be told what to do. They are very protective of their degrees and their major prep,” Kerkhoff said. “These degrees required a great deal of compromise on the part of the CSU
Due to a voter-approved, $694 million bond, renovations for the Natural Science, Health Services and Multidisciplinary buildings are complete. The new planetarium is expected to be finished this fall. Construction on the new wing of the Howard Brubeck Theatre and Industrial Technology Center are underway. Phase two of the ITC is currently under review and design work for the Child Development and South Education Centers will be starting this semester, according to Donna Renner, Facilities Coordinator. The Humanities Building is set to begin construction either late September or early October. (Kristin Campbell/The Telescope) system – compromises the UC system was not prepared to make.” Students intending to transfer to San Diego State University (SDSU) and pursue impacted degrees such as business, nursing, and communications may have greater difficulty
than other students getting in, according to Ethan Singer, associate vice president for Academic Affairs at SDSU, the S.T.A.R act may not always help. The problem is that the S.T.A.R act may not be able to do much
to increase the overall number of transfer students as CSUs can only take as many students as there are slots available in impacted fields of
go online
turn to TRANSFER, PAGE 2
Palomar’s accreditation has been reaffirmed and the college is now compliant with all standards given by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC). Previously, Palomar’s accreditation status was placed on warning because the college failed to complete all required standards. However, Palomar has implemented the required standard of Integrated Planning, Evaluation, and Resource Allocation Model in 2010-2011. “The model ensures that collegewide planning and its priorities are identified prior to resource allocation each fiscal year,” according to Vice President for Instruction and Accreditation Liaison Officer Berta Cuaron. “The goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meets acceptable levels of quality,” according to the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation ultimately affirms that student’s degrees and credits are able to transfer to other schools. The ACCJC decides whether or not schools are accredited and if their priorities are in the right place. Palomar was put on warning status in June of 2009. The college failed to meet one requirement –a better plan for money and resource management. The college worked for two years to get the warning status removed. Palomar would not have passed the test without the hard work of all faculty, staff and administration, Cuaron said. Students should be confident in Palomar’s accreditation according to Cuaron. Palomar now has an excellent model that will “…further support the success of students in the classroom as well as in all the support service areas necessary to assist students in their educational goals,” Cuaron said. Reaffirming accreditation has been a process that Palomar was committed to finishing, according to Caron. “Palomar College continues its strong presence in North County as an educational leader dedicated to meeting the needs of its broad and diverse student community,” Cuaron said. Contact Sydnie Taylor, news editor, at staylor@the-telescope.com
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