State enrollment numbers falling

   For the first time in five years, student enrollment at the California Community Colleges has declined by 1 percent.
   The 110-college system will lose an estimated 21,000 students for the 2009-10 school year, said California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott.
   Santa Ana College enrollment dropped from 28,489 in spring 2009 to 23,530 by fall, almost a 20 percent drop in the number of students attending.
   The decrease comes as a result of the state budget deficit that has led to cutting a number of available classes in recent years.
   The 2009-10 school year has seen a 5 percent reduction in course availability statewide with SAC cutting 10 percent of classes every semester, cramming more students in remaining classes and increasing class sizes.
   "Our classes are now fuller. Some classes that had 20 or 25 students now have 40," said Vice President of Academic Affairs Norman Fujimoto. "I would like to give every student every class that they need, but the budget has forced us to do these cuts in classes because when we cut classes it saves us money in terms of payroll."
   The California Legislative Analyst’s Office recommends providing new funding for community colleges through a $14 per unit fee increase, according to a new report.
With current fees at $26, SAC students could expect to pay up to $40 a unit.
   "This will affect students who are working full-time and still want to take two or three classes, because they’re not on financial aid and they don’t have fee waivers," Fujimoto said. SAC is still less expensive than a four-year institution.
   "I transferred, so I also go to Cal State Long Beach, but it’s definitely still cheaper here even at $40," said political science major Navreet Dhaliwal.
   Although about 25 percent of students intend to transfer to a four-year institution, some classes that transfer to the California State University system may not transfer to the University of California.
   "They’re supposed to be one system, but in reality they’re different institutions. There is no common curriculum," Fujimoto said
Many students stay longer than anticipated because of such varying course requirements.
   Staffing issues are impeding this process, causing some transfer students to graduate with up to 42 unnecessary units.
   "When courses do not transfer from a community college to a four-year institution, students lose valuable time and taxpayers waste a lot of money," Scott said.
   To make it even more difficult for students to go to a four-year university and graduate on time, universities no longer accept mid-year transfer students.
   "I had a student come to me and he still needed to take one class to transfer, but he did not think he would finish and he was worried about money," said Fujimoto. "He did not apply to the university, so now he can’t get in for fall 2010 or spring 2010, so he has to wait to apply for fall 2011."
   The California Community Colleges is the largest higher-education system in the country with almost 3 million students enrolled.
   "Moving in the wrong direction in terms of educating our population could be fairly disastrous for our economy," Scott said. "We must look at the fundamental needs of California and the consequences we will be faced with if we fail to meet those needs."