From the President
continued...
These are the potential strategies for all of us to learn more and increase our sensitivity and cultural competence to help students learn more comfortably and Cuesta employees work more comfortably and effectively. The Diversity Taskforce and CDSE members who attended the meeting agree that whatever we do needs to be part of a sustained commitment the rest of this year and the next one and the next one…..
What is different about this year's College Budget?
If you were not at the Planning and Budget Committee or Board meetings earlier this month when they discussed how to handle the possibility of the College not meeting either its 2% growth target or the 2.8% target, you may not know a decision has been made to hold some of the growth funds the District could earn if it reached 2.8% enrollment growth in an escrow account. This escrow account will either become real income to spend or be potential income never received. A second escrow account was established to cover potential enrollment fee and property tax shortfalls. If one or both of those shortfalls does not occur, some of this second escrow account could be spent. Escrow funds will have to be held until after the final 2003-2004 funding is known in February 2005 and both First Period Apportionment (P1) and property taxes are known.
What else is different about this year's budget? The "bottom line is bigger" but we are still not back to our best year of 2001-2002. You can learn more about the budget by reading the final Budget Development Plan, the Addendum to the Plan, and the College Budget itself.
What are we learning about student learning and achievements?
We have reached the point in the semester when mid-term tests, papers, and attendance provide evidence of what our students are learning. Many of you have told me you have really good students this semester, and isn't that encouraging?! Another way to know what students are doing with their learning and whether they stay with us to continue learning is to look at the results of this year's Report on Institutional Effectiveness Measures. A brief summary of the major findings is elsewhere in this issue.
I look forward to learning more about what our students are learning by listening to them in concert, talking to them in committee meetings and at the Cafeteria, and watching them on the soccer field, in the pool, or on the cross country track or stage. Learning—isn't it fun?