Prop 30: What does it mean for SRJC ?
The passage of Proposition 30 is a great victory for public education in California and for community colleges in particular. At SRJC it will preserve spring classes for students and jobs for teachers that would otherwise have fallen under the budget ax. Also, we will see more of the benefits of Prop 30's success in fall 2013, when SRJC will begin to rebuild the class schedule: course offerings for next academic year will be increased by approximately 7%. AFA should be proud of its leadership in organizing students, faculty, and administration to register voters, and to get out the vote on election day. But it's important to recognize that, although we've been spared further catastrophic budget cuts and will see some restoration of courses in 2013-14, SRJC is far from out of the woods.
As welcome as it is, Prop 30's success does not restore us to the relative fiscal health that SRJC enjoyed before these budget cuts of the last five years. The aggregate reductions in SRJC's funding over that period have created a structural deficit for the College, resulting in salary freezes and reductions, furloughs, hiring freezes, and, most devastatingly, a "workload reduction"—that is, a reduction in the number of Full-Time Equivalent Students (FTES) the State will provide funding for on each community college campus. Prop 30's victory allows us momentary relief, but the College still faces a budget deficit this academic year of more than $6 million. We have much to do if we are to restore the salaries and positions that will enable SRJC to rebuild programs and to serve all of the students who come to us for the high quality of education that SRJC is known for. AFA will continue to work creatively and diligently on the faculty's behalf.
Doug Roberts, SRJC Vice President for Business Services, will be presenting forums on the current state of the College Budget at the times and places listed below. Please consider attending. If you have questions for VP Roberts, please email them to him prior to the forums at droberts@santarosa.edu (and cc Executive Assistant Susan St. Clair sstclair@santarosa.edu).
PETALUMA CAMPUS
Monday, November 26th
3:30 to 5:00 p.m.
in Call Room 657
SANTA ROSA CAMPUS
Tuesday, November 27th
10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon
in Doyle Library Room 4245
with videoconferencing to Call Room 602 in Petaluma
Finally, please stay tuned as AFA will be providing more information on the unfolding consequences of this important election.