Community Colleges to Vote on AIDS Testing

The Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees will vote Tuesday whether to allow the colleges to conduct on-campus testing for the AIDS virus as part of the district’s AIDS awareness efforts this month.

In previous years, the colleges have simply gone ahead with the testing.

But recent board debates over the district’s policies and guidelines on AIDS have prompted Moorpark College officials to ask the district’s permission before proceeding with testing, college President Jim Walker said.

Because board President Gregory P. Cole said he has reservations, the issue will be debated by the entire board at its monthly meeting.

“I am asking if it is appropriate to do public health services on campus,” Cole said.

“We have enough of a challenge involved in educating the students that we don’t need to involve ourselves in peripheral issues of public health.”

The testing would be done by a Ventura County Public Health Department unit, at no cost to the district, and would be both free for the students and anonymous, Walker said.

Officials at Ventura College could not be reached for comment.

Two other board members said they would have no problem with on-campus testing for the AIDS virus.

“The board is trying to promote AIDS awareness . . . “ said board member Timothy Hirschberg.

“I can’t think of a better way to promote AIDS awareness than to promote testing on campus.”

“As long as it’s free and voluntary and confidential, I don’t have any problem with it,” said board member Allan Jacobs.

Board member Karen Boone said she would wait for Tuesday’s board meeting to decide on the issue.

Board member Pete Tafoya could not be reached for comment.