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Show CampusNews Page 2 Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012 Community colleges' crisis slows students' progress BY STEPHEN CEASAR Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES — The first course Charity Hansen is taking as a freshman at Pasadena City College is a basic class on managing time, speaking up in discussions, setting ambitious goals and then going after them. If only she could. It's the only class she managed to get this semester. No math. No English. No science. "I can't use what I'm being taught yet because I can't get these classes," said Hansen, a 19-year-old from Los Angeles who hopes one day to become a psychologist. "It's frustrating." Hansen's college education has stalled just as it is beginning. Like thousands of students in California's community college system, she has been reduced to taking one class because there's no room in other classes. Instead of a full-time load of 12 units, some students are taking three units or even less. Frustrated students linger on waiting lists or crash packed classes hoping professors will add them later. They see their chances of graduating or transferring diminishing. It's a product of years of severe budget cuts and heavy demand in the two-year college system. The same situation has affected the Cal State and University of California systems, but the impact has been most deeply felt in the 2.4 million-student community college system _ the nation's largest. At Pasadena City College, nearly 4,000 students who are seeking a degree or to transfer are taking a single class this fall. About 63 percent are taking less than 12 units and are considered part time. The school has slashed 10 percent of its classes to save money. The lives of some community college students have become a slow-motion academic crawl, sometimes forcing them to change their career paths and shrink their ambitions. Mark Rocha, president of Pasadena City College, said California's once-vaunted cornmunity college system has never been in such a precarious state. "It breaks our hearts," he said. "The students who are here, we're desperately telling them 'Don't drop out, don't give up hope. We'll get you through.' Since 2007, money from the state's general fund, which provides the bulk of the system's revenue, has decreased by more than a third, dropping from a peak of nearly $3.9 billion to about $2.6 billion last year. Without enough money, course offerings have dropped by almost a quarter since 2008. In a survey, 78 of the system's 112 colleges reported more than 472,300 students were on waiting lists for classes this fall semester — an average of about 7,150 per campus. California ranks 36th in the nation in the number of students who finish with a degree or who transfer to a four-year university, according to a February report by the Little Hoover Commission. Many students drop out before completing even half of what is required to earn a typical associate's degree, the report found. Even for those who persevere, it can take years to graduate — well beyond the two years it once took. Cinthia Garcia thought she was on the right track. She went straight from high school to El Camino College in Torrance with plans to transfer to a four-year university. That was six years ago. "I've been in school forever," said the 24-year-old graphic design major from Compton. At El Camino, she struggled to get classes, typically landing a spot in only two or three. The art department at El Camino began losing professors and Garcia decided she needed a change. Pasadena City College, with a respected arts program, was appealing, so she moved to Los Angeles to be closer to school. Still, she was unable to enroll in more advanced art classes, in part because they also were full. She emailed every instructor in the art department, searching for a class. One responded. She told Garcia she would help her get the last seat in a Web design class. By then, the class was full, but a few days later, someone dropped the course and Garcia was in. "All that for just one class," ►See COLLEGE, Page 3 CHARITY HANSON LISTENS to her instructor, Evangelina Quintanar, in her Personal Growth and Development class at Pasadena Community College.This is her only class as she was unable to get into other classes because of over-crowding. MCT photo FLOOD: Residents' A presidential honor property damaged ►From page 1 MARY ROBINSON SIGNS BOOKS after her speech on Wednesday afternoon. Robinson was the first female president of Ireland. She is a current member of the "Elders", an organization focused on social justice.The group was started by former South Africa president Nelson Mandela SAMANTHA BEHL PHOTO • Huge Straw 13alo 'Pyramid with Tunnels WuNTE0 PlvEr• TOM, in t GI ass Maze • Largo Small Gorn Mazes • SpooKy yarn Wagon — tmera.bradley@aggiemagusu.edu Mush more than just a torn Maze! of Fall Fun Halloween scams • 30 acres • Fe on the couch in the hall. Jenson said weapons are not allowed in the dorms, but that the airsoft gun that caused the accident is considered a toy. He said many students own similar toys, especially with Human vs. Zombies games happening this week. "But it was an accident," Jenson said. "We realize those things happen, but unfortunately it's going to impact several people?" Jenson said they need a few more days to allow things to dry out before they can assess the situation, but that they anticipate considerable damage. "We're just in the process of filing an insurance claim right now, but we can't even officially do that for the next couple weeks," Jenson said. "We need to make sure we assess all the damages that result from it. That's why we brought those experts in to try and get it cleaned up as quickly as we could." Jenson said they always encourage students to have renter's insurance, and this is a good reminder. He said that when accidents like these happen, it's the financial responsibility of the student. Renter's insurance is inexpensive and covers the cost of damage to the student's personal property as well, Jenson said. According to Jenson, Housing will file a claim with the state of Utah, and it is then up to the state to determine if the person who caused the accident should be responsible. "So that part of it is kind of out of our control," Jensen said. Ride Save $1°J per Person Good for entire group with this coupon. 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