As the fall term unfolds, most of the California community colleges are coping with the impact of diminishing resources. The obvious decline has been in the limited financial support to the colleges. The resulting reduction of staff has had an equally high impact on the programs and services we provide. Student Services is a personnel intensive operation and over the years most colleges became quite dependent on overtime, hourly, and adjunct assignments to meet these needs. Furthermore, with the high number of retirements in the last couple of years, non-replacement of positions has left a huge void. Nevertheless, as one might anticipate, expectations from students and community members remain high. It is like a huge disconnect; everyone wants more and we have less. This creates not only frustration but also dissatisfaction.
Regrettably, predictions indicate that dealing with diminishing resources will be part of our future for at least a few more years. And, by the time the system, the state, and the national economy bounce back either we will have initiated change or it will have been imposed upon us. The strategies that we have used for short-term survival in the past, the cuts across the board, the changes in hours of operation, the reduction in non-contract personnel, the elimination of travel, and plain old hunkering down, will not work on a long-term basis. We have to stop protecting our turf and begin to do things differently, shift gears and develop new strategies - not only to counter the diminishing resources but to advance our support to student in the new economy.
Change is always a bit scary. Those of us who have been in the system for many years (or should I say many decades), have lived through eras in which the climate was different within the community colleges. Just think about what differentiated the 1950’s from the 1970’s and the 1970’s from the year 2000. There was the shift from the junior college to the community college, the impact of the many WWII and Viet Nam veterans enrolling on our campuses, the development of the California Master Plan, the rise of the Civil Rights and the Woman’s Movements, the advent of the categorical programs and their many rules and regulations, Proposition 13 and its shift in funding models, the conversion towards a statewide system, more rules and regulations, AB 1725, Shared Governance, Consultation, more rules and regulations, increased diversity among the student populations, and, most recently, technology and the world wide web. I suspect we are in a transition period now, one calling for reform.
Shifting strategies requires us to address fundamental structural changes, to redefine our basics and determine core values in today’s reality. What is central to the educational mission and what more closely resembles a business enterprise? New organizational models will emerge with an emphasis on shared responsibilities and partnerships on-campus, within districts, and regionally. We must be more accountable, evaluating outcomes and monitoring what we do with a clear focus on continuous improvement. No doubt about it, our staff and our students will come up with many new ideas. It is our leadership role to provide a climate on campus in which creativity is valued, where risk is rewarded, and change is embraced.
As history has taught us, changes are not always negative. It is ironic that even now, while some resources are diminishing, others are allowing us to build for the future. For example, many colleges have passed successful bond measures, bringing an abundance of money for capital improvement and construction of new facilities for the future. Providing the leadership to design these new facilities and enhancements for our colleges will be a major undertaking and warrants out involvement.
In this issue you will find some creative responses to current challenges. Emma Brown, from Piedmont Community College helped to expand advising services to an increasing system-wide student population through development of a network of support. Willard Hom has outlined the benefits of using a suite of research tools to enhance our evaluation and planning processes. And Don Low, who has served in an interim position at numerous colleges over the past few years gives us advise on the necessity for accountability.
There is another type of change within the ranks of Student Services. A couple of our past CSSO leaders have retired for greener pastures. Dr. Ed Myers, formerly VP of Student Services at West Valley College, and president of CCCCSSAA in 1995 – 96, retired in June.
Ed has relocated to Montana but returns to California periodically to teach classes at Santa Clara. Another past president of the CCCCSSAA, Dr. Ernestine Moore, VP of Student Services at Pasadena, retired over the summer. Ernestine has recently accepted an interim assignment working with good friend and newly appointed president of San Bernadino Valley College, Denise Whitaker (a former CSSO).
New CSSO’s bringing their enthusiasm and energy to the position are Lisa Sugimoto, who begins her new assignment as VP of Student Services at Pasadena begins in October.
Lize Telson, formerly at Palomar College, began serving as VP of Student Services at Saddleback College in June.
Welcome to you all.
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