Cabrillo Nears Budget Reduction Goals for 2011-12

Members of the College Planning Council on Wednesday formally endorsed eliminating nine of 13 proposed positions, now occupied at Cabrillo College, in what is known in the CPC as Round 2 of cuts for fiscal year 2011-12 that college President Brian King plans to present to the Governing Board of Trustees in August.

CPC members, including King, have said that “no cuts are good cuts,” but the reality of an Aug. 1 deadline to approve $1.44 million in reductions led the council to vote on the motion on Wednesday.

Frustration over a revolving discussion regarding the process of deciding what to cut played a huge part in the motion being made.

“I am ready to vote on a motion, but I don't have one to make,” said CPC member Steve Hodges. “But I am ready to vote on one if I had one to vote on.”

The nine positions the council approved for elimination include a math lab tutor, a purchasing director for King's office and all four staff members in the Academy for College Excellence (ACE). ACE teaches students the basics of organization and student life skills. 

Elimination of a previously discussed lab technician position that sets up biology and chemistry classes was one of the four positions left out of the motion.

Approximately $730,000 in cuts to operating costs, including the elimination of wine industry classes and trimming of supplies budgets, were already proposed to the board earlier this year. Combined with $620,000 in staff savings endorsed by the CPC, King only needs to cut $96,000 to meet his stated goal of $1.44 million in cuts. This is almost exactly the same amount the school would save by eliminating a marketing specialist position already in King's proposal, but that was left out of Wednesday's motion.

Getting rid of the position has raised questions from members for weeks, because the department plays a crucial part in bringing revenue to the school and shaping its image.

“It is a matter of knowing how to market, and who to market with. To expect this work is going to be magically absorbed, I think, is a myth,” said Stephanie Stainback, Classified Workers' Union president.

King said he had some doubts as to the wisdom of cutting a department meant to make money for the school.

“There are some schools who have cut their marketing entirely," he said. "We are going to have to be nimble about looking at implementation and consequences.”