Preparing Students

* Re your interview with Alex Saragoza, UC vice president for educational outreach, Opinion, July 16: We appreciate Saragoza’s awareness of the role that community colleges can play in preparing low-income and minority students to transfer to UC campuses. We understand that rural community colleges are deserving of attention; however, additional resources need to be channeled to the tremendous number of underrepresented low-income and minority students in our urban areas. The nine campuses of the Los Angeles Community College District serve more minority students than all of the CSU and UC campuses combined--an astounding statistic!

If we are truly committed as Californians to preparing students to meet the minimum requirements and have the skills to succeed on a UC campus, investing greater resources in the community college system will give taxpayers the biggest bang for their buck. With our small classes, more personalized instruction and low fees ($11 per unit), we provide the opportunity for both basic skills enhancement and meeting general education requirements needed to prepare students for transfer to colleges and universities.

GEORGIA L. MERCER

LACCD Board President