Expansion of Mission College Urged

Mission College’s interim president called Wednesday for expanding the 22-acre campus into adjoining parkland owned by Los Angeles County.

Thomas Oliver told the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees he had the support of county Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky to build joint college and community recreational facilities at the county-owned El Cariso Regional Park and Golf Course.

In an interview later, Yaroslavsky said he had no problem with joint recreational facilities as long as the college pays for them.

The supervisor, however, said he was baffled as to why the college would want to focus on recreational growth when its academic needs were so desperate.

“Money from the Legislature is hard to come by,” Yaroslavsky said. “And we’re not going to pay for these things.”

Oliver proposed building gymnasiums and fitness centers for mutual use on the parkland, as well as expanding county parking lots for college use.

The interim president also proposed developing college property in the Pacoima Wash into “high tech” soccer fields for use by all. Shower facilities, which don’t exist at Mission College, could also be built, Oliver said.

Oliver said college officials and some politicians took the wrong tack in the past by expecting the county to simply cede land.

“The park belongs to the community,” Oliver said. “Originally, our attitude may have been perceived as ‘let’s take over the park. . . .’ We need to create facilities that the surrounding community and the college community can both use.”

Mission College features one of the city’s more modern and picturesque campuses. But it also serves one of the Valley’s poorest areas with overcrowded conditions and a dearth of classes.

The campus has the fastest-growing enrollment in the L.A. Community College District.

Mission College spends less per student, has a lower percentage of full-time teachers and fewer upper-level courses than any other college in the district. Meanwhile, it has sacrificed some of the things that for many define the college experience--such as athletics or a student newspaper.

Oliver’s plan would supplement existing efforts to construct four buildings within the current Mission College site. Oliver said he would formalize the plan and give it “in writing” to both the trustees and Yaroslavsky, whose district includes Mission College, as early as next week.

Previous attempts by college officials to acquire county land for expansion have been stymied by supervisors’ reluctance to part with parkland that serves the surrounding community.

Consequently, Mission College officials have seen state building funds dissolve after missing spending deadlines.

Prior Mission College advances into county territory were met by angry equestrians, hang-gliders, golfers and youth baseball fans who use the park facilities and who complained to the Board of Supervisors.

Trustees made no immediate comment at the meeting, but earlier, board President Kelly Candaele said the board is moving to reach a consensus.

“In terms of the broader philosophical question, we’re all on the same page,” Candaele said. “We disagree on some of the details and some of the strategies.”

For students such as Rosanna Rodriguez, 20, any and all expansion sounds good.

“Crowded classrooms, crowded lines. Sometimes I don’t even want to line up for class,” she said.

Psychology student Jackie DeSantiago, 24, said harried financial aid office staff members have made her cry by taking their frustrations out on her.

“There’s so much pressure on them to deal with so many students, they’ll mistreat you in a crunch,” she said.

State Sen. Richard Alarcon (D-Sylmar) said he supports expanding the campus but noted that the idea had been kicked around in the past and nothing came of it.

The expansion is also backed by Assemblyman Tony Cardenas (D-Sylmar) and Los Angeles Councilman Alex Padilla of Pacoima and a group called the Valley Coalition for a Responsible Community College District.