On May 15, the Governor of the State of California presented his revised revenue projections and budget adjustments for fiscal year 2008-09. The big news was an astounding $17 billion dollar deficit. While our system leaders grapple with impacts on the community college system, the colleges must focus on ways in which colleges expenses might be reduced while maximizing the resources allocated. The effort to influence the political leaders will be an ongoing challenge over the long, maybe not so hot, summer as the proposed budget cuts are affecting all levels of service in the state of California. Yet, we must still manage our colleges and insure students have the opportunity to learn, to succeed and to achieve their dreams. In this issue of the iJournal, we focus on student and instructional services that make a difference in student access and success while looking at ways to address the budgetary cutbacks.

Our sponsor for this edition is Higher One. Founded in 2000, Higher One provides higher education institutions and their students with efficient, convenient and easy-to-use solutions to handle financial disbursements. Their case study identifies the impact and savings that their service can provide a college campus.

In our lead article, Chancellor Diane Woodruff, in remarks to the California Community Colleges Student Services Conference: ‘Today’s Issues, Challenges and Opportunities in Student Services, not only applauds the service provided by the professionals in college student service programs, but also notes the challenges raised by the coming budget cuts and their impacts. She challenges student service personnel to help improve the success rates of our students and do something about the achievement gap. She lists numerous programs that are addressing this problem and strongly urges the group to collaborate with their instructional colleagues in the basic skills initiative. She closes with comments on the need to work more closely with the high schools and create bridges for all students to reach the college of their choice. Dr. Woodruff assumed the Interim Chancellor role in the system at a time when morale needed to be bolstered and visions for the future of the system needed to be re-established. When her term ends in early 2009 (Senator Jack Scoot has been selected to become the new chancellor of the California Community College System), her legacy will be firmly established as bringing the key constituents back together, fostering new respect for the system, landing the largest single endowment for a college system, and creating the belief that we can make a difference in our students lives.
The next two articles provide colleges leaders with ideas on how to address necessary budget reductions on the expense side. Willard Hom in Looking for Answers in all the Right Places argues for the increased use of the institutional researcher to help decision makers to indentify areas for budget review based on applied research and objective analysis. Tim Keenan in Five Risk Management and Insurance Strategies for Budget Savings outlines areas not normally explored for ways to reduce the budget without necessarily impacting programs or personnel.

In Barbara Jones-Kavalier and Paul Goetzinger’s article on the Application of Treisman Model in Developing Collaborative Math and Science Learning Communities, they present a model that harkens back to Dr. Woodruff’s challenge to shrink the achievement gap. The Pathway Project model they describe aims to help African American students and low-income disadvantaged students to become successful in math and science. The aim to keep students in class through successful completion also addresses the goal to maximize limited resources though greater retention rates and lower withdrawal rates.

Our End Note focuses on the new program approved by the Board of Governors and praised by Dr. Woodruff, Umoja. Dr. Ali Rahmani in UMOJA and [Re] Commitment to Theory: Enunciating Retention, Persistence and Academic Success from within the African American Experience, shares his thoughts on the Umoja movement. His insights focus on the purpose of teaching and the transformation of institutional paradigms to allow our students to succeed. This effort is also within the bounds of the current budget and will again maximize our resources while helping our students to succeed.

Our small Staff Development section lists one conference on sustainability. Now is the time to identify the key conference workshops and important events for our readers for 2008-09 and send them to the edition for the October issue.

Our next issue will focus on the best practices associated with the Basic Skills Initiative. With increased demand for collaboration and student success, the time should be right to share programs that are making a difference. Articles of general interest and book reviews are also accepted. A new section, Opinions from the Field, will be added to allow professionals in the field to comment on submitted articles and/or to submit opinions about state and national policy that affects community colleges. The opinions expressed will not necessarily reflect the opinions of the iJournal or the Editorial board. As always, articles should be 500-1500 words and have an abstract of the article. The author’s short bio and picture are also required. The deadline for the fall edition will be September 8. Questions or inquiries may be sent to Ed Shenk, Editor at editor@ijournal.us. Have a relaxing summer! See you in the fall.

About the Author

Edward J. Shenk, Ed.D.
Vice President of Student Services, Retired
Napa Valley College, California

Associate Professor/Program Director
Graduate Program in Education/Leadership Management
Alliant International University, California

With close to 36 years in educational administration, Dr. Ed Shenk has been a highly visible leader within California Student Services for many years. Dr. Shenk joined the faculty of the Graduate School of Education for Alliant International University in July, 2005 and began a full time assignment in 2006. He served on the executive board of CCCCSSAA (California Community College Chief Student Services Administrators Association) for fourteen years and was president of the organization in 1991-92. He represented the field by serving on many statewide committees and special task forces. He became an active member in NASPA in 1994. He served as the national chair for the NASPA Knowledge Community, Community & 2 year Colleges (2004-06) and the community college representative on the Northern Executive Council for NASPA. He is also a Board member on the California ACT Advisory Council.

Having a special interest in student discipline, leadership, quality service and professional development, Dr. Shenk was instrumental in initiating the Student Services Training Institute in 1991. Hundreds of California student services professionals have participated. He is a frequent facilitator, trainer, and speaker at local colleges and for statewide and national organizations. Most recently, he was a presenter at the NASPA National Conference in Tampa, Florida. He was recognized as the Outstanding Dean in NASPA’s Region 6 in 2002.

He began is administrative career in community colleges as a clerk-typist in 1970 and later as the first EOPS director at Grossmont College. Ed then moved to Napa Valley College where he was an administrator from 1975–2005. At NVC, he served as the Chief Student Service Officer on campus beginning in 1981 and held the position of Vice President, Student Services since 1987 to his retirement in December, 2005. His administrative assignment included responsibility as the Affirmative Action Officer and membership on the District-Faculty negotiations team. He worked with all aspects of the college and was a key advisor for three presidents at the college.

Throughout this time he continues to be active in the community as a Napa Chamber of Commerce board member/ committee chair, Ambassador and past president, Napa City-County Library Foundation board member, Napa County Hispanic Network board member, and Youth Soccer Coach. In 2002, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Napa County Hispanic Network and was tapped to serve on the Napa County's Airport Advisory Commission. He was selected to be the Napa County Hispanic Network President for 2006-08.

Dr. Shenk attended San Diego State University where he received a B.A. in History and an M.P.A. in Public Administration. He earned his Ed.D. in Higher Education from the University of Oregon. His dissertation focused on the Impacts of Proposition 13 on the Missions of the California Community College. His wife, SueDee, is the Executive Director of Napa Valley Community Housing, a builder and manager of affordable housing in the Napa Valley. They have two grown sons. Living in the Napa Valley for over 30 years, Dr. Shenk enjoys wine, travel and bocce ball. He does attempt to play golf.

Dr. Shenk can be reached by email at eshenk@alliant.edu.