2 College Districts OK ‘Free Flow’ Policy : Two College Districts OK ‘Free Flow’

Glendale residents who want to attend classes at Pasadena City College will be able to do so without any restrictions as of July 1, under the terms of an agreement approved by the Glendale Community College Board of Trustees.

Previously, students from Glendale and Pasadena who wanted to enroll in more than 10 hours of classes a week at the other city’s college had to obtain permission from their resident district.

The new “free-flow” agreement approved by Glendale trustees was passed by the Pasadena City College Board of Trustees last month.

Glendale Community College President Rex Craig said the pact will not significantly alter the enrollment at either college. About 330 Glendale residents now attend school in Pasadena and about 290 students from Pasadena are enrolled in Glendale.

Limits on Recruitment

In approving the agreement, the board of trustees said in a written statement that education is best served when students are allowed to attend the community college of their choice rather than being forced to enroll at any one school. The agreement, however, prohibits either school from recruiting students within the other city’s borders.

Meanwhile, Glendale college officials are still at odds with the Los Angeles Community College District, which has announced it will no longer allow residents to attend classes outside Los Angeles.

The move by the Los Angeles district, where enrollment has plunged by about one-third since 1982, could cause a 25% student loss at Glendale Community College over the next two years and a considerable decrease in state funding.

Glendale officials are trying to persuade Los Angeles officials to allow about 1,300 residents of Highland Park, Echo Park and Silver Lake to continue to attend classes in Glendale.