The State Chancellor of Community Colleges, Jack Scott, recently put forth a measure to strip funds allocated to serve basic skills learners from the local community colleges and divert these funds to the authority of the chancellor’s office.

The Academic Senate elected to respond to this measure by letter. The letter stated, “We are concerned … that gives the State Chancellor’s Office authority over matters that should remain the purview of (local) faculty.”

The AS further planned to oppose this measure by sending delegates to voice their concerns at the upcoming chancellor’s meeting in Oakland on Nov. 16 and to also present their concerns to the San Jose Evergreen Community College District Board of Trustees Financial Aid processing revisions.

The Financial Aid Office gave the Senate and update its new procedures to more expediently process Financial Aid Application in the future.

The Senate commented on the seriousness of not disbursing financial aid in a timely manner.

Academic Senate President Chris Frazier said, “Many students are forced to drop out of college because of the lag in receiving their financial aid checks.”

Frazier thanked Director of Financial Aid Takeo Kubo for his forthright honesty in explaining the revised corrective procedures to disperse financial aid funds.

Frazier moved the financial aid situation forward to a future December follow-up report date stating, “I don’t sense this problem is resolved yet.”

The Senate unanimously affirmed the $1 Health Services fee increase to better serve our students.

Senate review and recommendations are moving forward to fulfill the college’s FON, full time faculty number. Based upon a predetermined algorithm the current ed code requires a certain ratio of fulltime faculty in relation to the size of its student body. The state chancellor can alter this requirement in times of budget crisis.