Faced with a financial deficit from previous years and more money being taken away by midyear budget cuts, Skyline College was forced to cut 91 classes for the spring 2003 semester, which frustrated students and teachers alike.
         Skyline College’s Vice President of Instructions Regina Stroud had the daunting task of deciding which classes were to be eliminated. In a college council meeting held with the department heads, Stroud mandated that instructions to be cut back to the 2001 level and explained the criteria used to determine which class to cut.
         “There were certain criteria used,” Academic Senate President Connie Beringer said. The number of students enrolled per class was the main factor, along with other consideration included whether cutting a class would affect an entire program or disrupt a balanced curriculum, a “student’s time to degree” and availability of resources; such as teachers, space and money.
         A “student’s time to degree” is the amount of time left for a student to get their certificate, if a course was in sequence leading to a certificate and only has one more semester to go, they would most likely leave the class alone, according to Beringer.Stroud could not be reached for comments at press time.
         “I think that (the administration) did a wonderful job and they did it relatively painlessly,” said Beringer.
         Not everyone experienced the painlessness that Beringer described.
         Skyline student Tim Ng had to compete with more than 50 people trying to add his English 110 class. Unable to add the class due to the number of students, he rearranged his schedule so he could add an English 165 class in a different time slot, but that class got canceled. He was finally able to get into a different 165 class, but had to rearrange his schedule all over again.
         “It just added unwanted, extra stress at the beginning of the semester,” Ng said. “I had to keep fixing my schedule and I still did not get the class I really want.”
         Psychology professor Jennifer Merrill echoed the sentiment by saying, “It is extremely frustrating. We are just not able to service all the students that attend here.”
         All three Saturday tennis classes were cancelled due to lack of students.
         “It is disappointing that the residents who work all week, who pay taxes to have the campus open all day, cannot enjoy the facilities on the weekends,” said Coach Mike Fitzgerald.
         And the 91 class cuts are only the beginning. With the state budget crisis hitting the district hard and Chancellor Ron Galatolo announced that 150 – 200 positions might be cut.
         “We absolutely do not know what is going to happen for fall,” said Beringer. “It’s important to stay informed, get active and contact the legislators and the folks who make those decisions. That will be very important.”