The Latest News
CCA End Of The Year Meetings on Both Campuses
Tuesday, May 11, 12:00
T1200 at LAC
Thursday, May 13, 12:00
Dyer Hall at PCC
Kellogg Misleads College Community about Summer School Options
Despite his protestations to the contrary, the faculty had and have no say in the issue of whether or not summer or any school session is offered. This decision was entirely in the hands of The Board and/or the president, Eloy Oakley. It would seem that Trustee Kellogg's frustration comes from the repercussions of his tenure as a Trustee.
CCA Response to Eloy Oakley's Press-Telegram Editorial
We are publishing our response here since The PT has trouble printing opposing opinions.
President Oakley: This academic year, LBCC has cut 12 percent of its course sections.
CCA: While the course offerings have been cut by 12 percent, the number of full-time equivalent students has been reduced by only 5 percent. That is because the faculty members have been asked to teach larger classes in order to increase 'efficiency'. Smaller classes have been eliminated in order to increase efficiency, at the administration's request.
President Oakley: Programs and services that serve the neediest students have been reduced even further.
CCA: The faculty members are extremely concerned that the neediest students have had their services reduced. The decision to cut these services has been made by the Board and administration based upon state level budgetary cuts. The faculty members have no control over these issues.
President Oakley: Layoffs have occurred and the management team has taken a 5 percent reduction in salary through a one-day-a-month furlough.
CCA: Layoffs have occurred among the classified staff members, not the 'management team' or administration. The 5% reduction in salary through a one-day-a-month furlough is a temporary reduction, and negligible relative to the salaries of the administration or management team. For a comparative analysis of administrative salaries to faculty salaries, you may visit the campus web site at: http://www.lbcc.edu/humanresources/contracts.cfm
President Oakley: Recently, discussions about scaling back summer classes brought out teary eyed students to a board meeting expressing their frustration and fears for their future.
CCA: President Oakley's characterization of the students seems less than sympathetic. The students were understandably distraught at a last-minute change to the summer schedule with, what appeared to be, little consideration as to how that would affect student lives, educational goals, and career plans.
President Oakley: Despite the economic realities faced by the college our faculty leaders have protested the canceling of classes.
CCA: The faculty does protest a last-minute disruption to the lives of the students, full and part-time faculty, and classified staff. The administration indicated that they would be at the campus all summer, in full force, and full-time, with full pay regardless of whether or not summer was cancelled.
President Oakley: Union leaders have pointed fingers instead of offering realistic solutions.
CCA: Union leaders participated in the Reduce Fixed Costs task force initiated by President Oakley, which was designed to offer suggestions to address the current budget crisis. It should be noted that while faculty salaries and classified staff salaries were listed as fixed costs, administrative salaries were not listed as a fixed cost.
President Oakley: While LBCC has decided to offer one summer session this year to further our students' progress
CCA: The faculty members at the college applaud this decision.
President Oakley: This does not change the fact that the state is not providing funding to meet our enrollment demands. Without additional funding, which is highly unlikely, this shortfall will force further reductions in course and service offerings unless other savings in fixed costs can be achieved.
CCA: The faculty members at the college are extremely concerned about our budget issues and continue to work to help resolve them.
President Oakley: LBCC now stands at a crossroads. In order to continue to serve the most fundamental needs of our students: career certificates, Associate Degree and transfer success, I have asked the college to do the following: to reduce or eliminate programs that do not serve the core mission of the college and to streamline or consolidate services while protecting the courses that students need to graduate or transfer.
CCA: This is extremely distressing to the faculty members. The CCA leadership has participated in a walk from southern California to Sacramento in a state wide protest to these budget cuts.
President Oakley: Most importantly, I have asked that every employee group make reductions to its salary and benefits in an equitable way to ensure that our students continue to have the classes they need to succeed. This point is critical since nearly 90 percent of the college's operating budget consists of salaries and benefits for employees.
CCA: We agree that every employee group should reduce its salary and benefits in an equitable way. The current District proposals are inequitable. The administration has taken a temporary furlough day resulting in a less than 5% cut in salary. The district is asking the faculty to take a permanent 4.615% cut in salary as well as draconian cuts to benefits. Given the respective salary schedules of the faculty and administration, which can be viewed at the following web site: http://www.lbcc.edu/humanresources/contracts.cfm The proposed cuts are extremely inequitable, and impact the faculty much more than the administration.
President Oakley: If our employee groups join with the administration and temporarily reduce their salaries...
CCA: This is the first time that the District has mentioned that pay cuts would be temporary.
President Oakley: and agree to health benefit plan modifications to reduce overall health insurance costs
CCA: Health care is a national issue, and the faculty membership has made many plan modifications over the past decade, resulting in increased costs to the faculty and decreased costs to the district in response to our health care crisis. Those modifications include higher deductibles, participating in the payment of premiums, and signing up for Medicare at 65 whether or not we are retired in order to make Medicare, rather than our insurance, the primary insurer. All of these steps have resulted in great savings to the district.
President Oakley: We can preserve access for over 1,000 full-time students next year alone.
CCA: The faculty at Long Beach City College have worked at a much higher efficiency rate, according to the district and at the request of the district, to teach as many students as possible. We have done this without any increase in pay or benefits for two years. On the contrary, we are doing so while our benefits are being reduced and we are being asked to take less pay. Yet we are doing it precisely because our primary concern is to serve the students.
President Oakley: This task will not be easy but it is necessary for the college to continue its long tradition of academic excellence and student success.
CCA: The task is not easy, and we only ask that the administration tackle the difficulties with us, rather than hold themselves personally and financially immune to the troubles that we face.
President Oakley: I ask for this community's continued support as we work through these issues.
CCA: We ask for the community's continued support of the faculty, classified staff, and students, and encourage the community to let the administration know that they need to lead the efforts in the sacrifices everyone is making.
President Oakley: I hope that you will support our efforts to preserve access for students and that you will communicate to our legislature and the governor that the education of our youth can no longer be compromised.
CCA: We share our president's request that you support our efforts to educate the students by contacting your state assembly persons and senators, as well as the governor.
President Oakley: You have my commitment that Long Beach City College will remain steadfast in its commitment to student success for this and the generations to come.
CCA: You have the commitment of the faculty at Long Beach City College will do the same. Student success begins in the classroom with faculty.
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