Budget and Finance

Whereas, There have been recent Title 5 changes in how districts should address their respective state mandated full-time faculty obligation, including their progress toward achieving a ratio of 75% of classes taught by full-time faculty to 25% taught by part-time faculty (Title 551025);

Whereas, There is tremendous confusion and misinformation about how the new guidelines should be applied locally;

Whereas, Some administrators and local boards may be tempted to restrict the number of full-time faculty being hired in misguided effort to save money; and

Resolved that the Academic Senate, in support of adequate funding for learning resources and innovative technology, recommend to local senates (a) that they be fully informed of learning resources/innovative technology budgets on their campuses and support adequate funding as appropriate and (b) be aware of the members of the accrediting team visiting their college and consider requesting that a learning resource/innovative technology specialist be included if appropriate to meet college concerns.

Whereas K-l2 has a mechanism to supplement shortfalls from property tax, and

Whereas community colleges have an inequitable fiscal burden as a result of property tax shortfalls, and

Whereas at the request of California Community Colleges, Assembly member Jack O'Connell has introduced AB 3474 which will require the State of California to automatically increase the general fund allocation to community colleges corresponding to any shortfalls in property taxes, and

Whereas many citizens require job retraining because of the present downturn in the California economy, and

Whereas the present fee structure of the California Community Colleges has caused a curtailment of retraining opportunities for Bachelor's Degree holders, and

Whereas the differential fee structure represents discrimination against a sector of the educationally needy and a de facto discrimination against older students,

Whereas many instructional programs which require state-of-the art equipment to provide adequate instruction are working with equipment which is out of date, and

Whereas there has been no categorical state funding for instructional equipment in five years, and

Whereas capital funding through budget change proposals does not provide adequate funding for instructional equipment , and

Whereas funding through the Instructional Support Services category of Program Based Funding has been reduced by the state from 57% to 54% of the level needed by community colleges,

Whereas, California Community College vocational programs depend heavily on federal dollars generated by Carl D. Perkins Vocational Technical Education Act (VTEA), and at many colleges, these funds are the only source of funding for equipment and supplies;

Whereas, Public access to vocational education is critical to maintaining a robust economy and trained workforce; and

Whereas, Board of Governors (BOG) waivers include a waiver for all regular community college fees including fees that support college health and wellness services;

Whereas, Funds to supplant the money lost by these fee waivers have not been provided by the state and are not available from local sources in most community college districts; and

Whereas, Health and services essential to the well-being of the students of each community college are seriously threatened by the loss of funds from the BOG fee waivers;

Whereas, California community colleges have received annual Telecommunications and Technology Infrastructure Program (TTIP) categorical funds for Internet connectivity and systemwide technology projects since 1996;

Whereas, The use of TTIP funds on a systemwide level has permitted Internet connectivity for all colleges regardless of location and relative cost;

Whereas, The use of TTIP funds on a systemwide level has permitted educational programs and projects of benefit to all colleges, such as CCCConfer, CCCApply, and @ONE; and

Whereas, Electronic information resources include periodical and newspaper databases, online encyclopedia resources, online bibliographic verification resources, and other online databases that are necessary for the research needs and the development of information competency skills of California community college students, and provide a means of updating the resources that we offer to our students and equalizing access to information; and

Whereas, California community college libraries have received annual Telecommunications and Technology Infrastructure Program (TTIP) categorical funds for library automation and electronic information resources since 1996 ($36,364 per college in the 2003-04 budget year);