College Faculty, Staff to Discuss Shortfall

The president of Mission College has called a campuswide meeting to discuss the possible ramifications of the Los Angeles Community College District’s projected $13-million budget deficit.

The purpose of the meeting is to give Mission’s faculty and staff a chance to voice their concerns about the financial crisis and contribute ideas about how the Sylmar college and the district as a whole might cut expenses and raise revenues, Mission President William Norlund said.

The discussion, which Norlund called a “town hall meeting,” will begin at 2:45 p.m. Monday in Mission’s Campus Center.

“People are concerned and I don’t blame them. This is a very serious situation,” Norlund said. “We want to have information flowing in a two-way direction so that everyone knows where we are and what is happening.”

Earlier this month, the Board of Trustees announced that the district’s 1997-98 deficit was likely to reach $13 million, a figure 10 times higher than original estimates.

Since then, the board has been reviewing the budget deficit and looking for ways to improve the financial outlook at the nine-campus district.

On Wednesday, the board voted to freeze expenditures and fire temporary employees. It also intends to ask unions representing teachers and administration and maintenance staff for concessions, including unpaid two-week furloughs.

Mission was among eight schools forced to make deep cuts in classes last year to help make up for the district’s shortfall.

Norlund expressed confidence Wednesday that Mission would find a way to make up its own projected $300,000 budget deficit this year, barring any further cuts from the district.

“If that budget is reduced because we don’t have as much enrollment as we expected, than that’s something we are going to have to face,” said Norlund, who added that final enrollment numbers for the spring semester will be available next week.