CYPRESS : College Scales Back Summer Schedule

In an effort to offset potential state budget cuts, Cypress College will reduce summer courses by 10% and hold classes only four days a week, college officials have announced.

Faced with a projected loss of $500,000 from next year’s budget, the college was forced to reduce classes, said Cherrill Amador, vice president of instruction. Common courses that all students must take to graduate will still be offered, she said.

“We just cut out the specialty courses that a fewer number of people would be interested in,” Amador said. “We are running a more efficient schedule.”

The class schedule was reduced to four days a week to lower operating expenses such as running air conditioners, one of the largest expenses in the summer months, Amador said.

Officials estimate that only 200 to 300 of the college’s 16,000 students would have selected the courses being eliminated.

Last month, the North Orange County Community College District announced it had issued layoff notices to six employees in anticipation of a $3.5-million cut in state budget allocations. The state allocation will be divided between the district’s two facilities, Cypress College and Fullerton Community College.

Under a plan proposed by Gov. Pete Wilson, college districts will not receive a cost-of-living increase or extra funding for increasing enrollment.

If the budget picture doesn’t improve, said Amador, the cutbacks could carry over to next year. “It will be more severe next spring if the budget doesn’t turn around,” she said.

The current measures are expected to save the college about $70,000. However, it is anticipated that the college will need to shave about $500,000 in expenses to keep the district within its goals.