Community Colleges Face Funding Issue

California community colleges remain under-funded, but will overcome this challenge, said state Sen. Jack Scott, Chancellor-Elect of the California Community college system, at an appearance on campus Wednesday.Former eight-year PCC president Scott spoke to new and returning faculty and staff at the Flex Day event in Sexson Auditorium.

"We are going to pull through this. I've dealt with economic challenges in the early 90s and we can do it again," said Scott who remains positive.

The second challenge he expressed was student success. He challenged the faculty to work as hard as possible to give students the ability to perform to their greatest potential.

He talked about how education was his priority in the Legislature, along with numerous gun control, senior care, and abortion bills. Scott said education changed his life; that is why he is so passionate about it. "I owe it all to community college," he said

It is because of community colleges that immigrants take those first crucial steps to mastering English, Scott said. They resurrect the goals and aspirations of students who struggle in high school, and they aid the honor student from high school when tuition becomes a problem, he added.

The former PCC president said 80 percent of college students in California have attended a community college sometime in their career. He reported California community college enrollment has risen 5 percent to 2.7 million students this fall and the FTSE (Full Time Student Equivalency) is up ten percent. This means students are taking more classes.

Scott reflected on memories of his eight-year tenure as president of the college from 1987 to 1995 and offered gratitude to PCC executives for helping him jumpstart his political career.

In a nationwide search Scott was chosen as the 14th Chancellor of the California Community College system by the California Board of Governors in May.

Scott expressed his firm faith in the community college system as the reason why he took the Chancellor position.

"I love the mission of the community college," he ended