Miles: Grossmont, Cuyamaca Colleges Are 'Rationing Education' Amid Cuts

The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District will continue “rationing education” in the face of a $6.3 million cut as a result of state revenues falling $2.2 billion below “budget assumptions” made in June, the district’s chancellor said Wednesday.

In a letter to staff, Chancellor Cindy Miles of La Mesa wrote:

“Fortunately, we anticipated this worst-case scenario and assumed we would face these cuts when we prepared our $179 million budget that was approved by the Governing Board in September,” Miles said.

“We don’t expect to make any further cuts now on top of the many painful ones we’ve already had to take.”

However, she noted in the letter (attached) that state community colleges will absorb a $102 million budget cut and a fee increase for students from $36 to $46 per credit unit beginning in summer 2012.

Cuts to the two-campus East County district “have been incredibly painful, especially for our students,” she said. “We’ve eliminated almost 600 course sections at Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges this school year, including reducing our summer schedule to one-fourth of what it was two years ago.”

Miles, who is in her third year as chancellor, said the district will be serving almost 2,900 fewer students this year than last year.

“And we can’t forget that this year’s cuts come on top of 1,000 course sections we’ve already eliminated in the past two years,” she said.

She said “it breaks my heart to know that we have
to turn away so many students. … We are now rationing education.”

She noted some of the district’s efforts to save money:

• Cut supplies by 20 percent and reduced spending on utilities, travel and other operating expenses.
• Instituted a critical hiring process and held open almost all other unfilled positions.
• Developed more comprehensive and effective online reports to facilitate better planning and decision-making.
• Focused on grant development to seek alternative funding sources
• Launched the Foundation for Grossmont and Cuyamaca Colleges to streamline fundraising that had been done by two separate college foundations.

Miles concluded: “We’re facing some tough times, and it’s hard to predict when things will get better. But I appreciate knowing that every one of you is dedicated to doing your best for our students no matter what happens. As we prepare for the holidays, sleep well knowing that our district is well prepared for whatever budget turmoil may come our way.”