College to Cut Half Its Summer Courses

Financially strapped College of the Canyons will offer 50% fewer classes in summer school this year in an effort to save money for the fall semester.

In addition, all classes will be held in one building to save energy costs, James Walker, college vice president, said Tuesday.

Instead of the 38 or 39 classes normally offered in the summer session, the college has scheduled only 17 this year.

“They’re going to be basic skills and general education types of courses,” Walker said. “We’ve eliminated the sections we feel are the least important as far as students being able to continue their education.”

The announcement that the college is holding summer school at all is good news. When 37 classes were canceled for the spring semester, college administrators said they were considering dropping the summer session altogether.

Administrators were faced with the decision of whether to put $75,000 into the 1991-92 class schedule or to use the funds to run the summer school, Walker said. By scheduling fewer classes, he said the college will save $30,000 for fall classes.

In addition to the $30,000, holding summer classes in one building will save an undetermined amount of money. “This will allow us to shut down the other buildings and conserve some energy,” Walker said. “We don’t want to have to cut anything in the fall.”

The 6,000-student college grew about 15% this year and that rate is expected to continue, Walker said. But state funding, which is based on average daily attendance, commonly called ADA, allows for only a 1% annual growth rate and has not kept pace with enrollment, he said.

“We’re trying to hold the line on enrollment until our funding catches up with growth,” Walker said.

Administrators are asking faculty members to cap the number of students in their classes, rather than crowd enrollment.

“About 19% to 23% of our ADA is unfunded. We’re the second highest in the state in terms of unfunded ADA,” Walker said.

For the summer session, English, math and science classes have been kept intact, as well as some science classes required in the college’s nursing program. Classes that are not required to obtain an associate of arts degree or to transfer to a four-year college were eliminated, Walker said.

“There are fewer classes in all areas,” he said. “We’ve tried to spread out the disciplines so that students have what they need.”

In an announcement to the faculty, Walker said the summer classes were carefully selected “as those which best meet the needs of students in order to satisfy the general education requirements and at the same time provide a broad selection.”

Walker said he believes that few students enrolled at the college will be turned away from summer school because they will be able to preregister.

Last year, Walker said, the college took money from its reserve account to pay for summer school.

“You reach a point where you have to say that’s enough,” he said.