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            A heated debate over the necessity of realignment to teaching divisions occurred at a session held by the Planning and Priorities Standing Committee on April 24.

            Some instructors strongly opposed the proposal, including Business Technology Instructor Brenda Raynor. “A degree in the changed division won’t carry the same weight as a Business Technology degree,” she said. The proposal before the committee includes a shift in the Business Technology division to a Business and Workforce Development division.

            Business Technology student Susan Veynor passionately expressed her concern and fear of the change, explaining the new division would not be recognized by four – year universities. “This program is vital to me,” she said. “I have only my teaching credentials…I am in jeopardy of losing my job [if this change occurs].”

             Business Technology student Mario Torrez explained that every other major school has a business division. “It would be embarrassing for PCC to not have its own division. This is a bad business decision [for the school],” he said.

            Community Education Center instructor Dean Camon stated he was in favor of a proposal, which entails no changes to the current division structure. “There is no rationale for the realignment,” he said. The Community Education Center accommodates for 15,000 unique students and over 140 faculty members on 24 off – campus sites, which the CEC dean looks over, according to Camon. If the proposal is passed, the Community Education Center would no longer have a full dean, and instead will have an assistant dean reporting to the vice president of educational services.

 

            “We should keep a full dean at the Community Education Center. Downgrading deans is a waste of time, money and energy,” he said. “[The] resources can be used efficiently to educate students, which is why we are here in the first place.”

            Visual Arts and Media Studies division Instructor Kay Yee was upset at the proposal to shift certain programs into her division, explaining that VAMS students need transferrable units to go to four – year universities. “Our priority is student success and accessibility,” she said. Architecture, fashion, and graphic communications programs would be included in the VAMS division.

            Librarian Dan Haley explained there was some confusion with the proposal’s continuation of interim deans in the Math and Visual Arts and Media Studies divisions. “[This] looks like a permanent plan, instead of an interim plan,” he said.

            On the other hand, divisions such as the Kinesiology Health and Athletics and Computer Science were in favor of the proposal.  Athletic Coordinator John Woods supported the shift to the Natural Sciences division.

            Computer Science Instructor Paul Wilkinson asked the committee what the school motto was.

            “Student success is our top priority,” the room replied. Wilkinson is in favor of the proposed move of the Computer Science program into the Math Division, since the majority of Computer Science students are required to take many math courses.

             “I have students taking longer to get their degrees than it took me to get my doctorate,” he exclaimed.

            Computer Science student Akhmed Hussein listed 20 courses he had to take for computer science and math combined. “I’ve had to take nine math classes before my seven computer information and four computer science classes [to meet prerequisites]. I’m here to support the move of computer science to the math division,” he said.

            Committee member Simon Fraser was worried about the proposal not accommodating to everyone’s needs. “Are we going to be able to propose alternatives to the proposal?” he asked the rest of the committee.

             Committee member Lauren Arenson also expressed concern for the proposal. “As a faculty member, I want to take this [public comment] seriously,” she said.

             Committee member Ed Martinez said the committee will meet on Monday to discuss changes to accommodate the divisions as needed and to vote on the proposal if any changes are made to the current proposal.

            

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