Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/9051
“I used to have students write essays, but I now have so many students I can’t do that.” Bruce Brown California Faculty Association that layoffs have not occurred. “It does change the way one teaches,” says associate professor Bruce Brown, whose economics class has 76 students. “I used to have them write essays, but I now have so many students, I can’t do that. There are too many students to do presentations. Education becomes much more impersonal. Stronger students can handle the lack of personal attention, but I worry that the weaker stu- dents are being hurt by what’s happening.” Me anwhi le , Lillian Taiz California Faculty Association president ent ire depar t - ments are on the chopping block, says Urey, an ur- b an pl anning professor. Faculty have been pre- sented with a list of nearly 40 programs that might be eliminated and were told that 10 or 12 will be selected from the list. Wendy Slatkin of the Art Department teaches classes for both the art history and fine arts programs, and recently dis- covered that both might be cut. “It’s a shame; we train our students at a very high level,” she laments. “Our art history students have gotten into very good grad- 20 California Educator | MARCH 2010 uate programs because we set very high standards for them. They are talking about cutting some very good pro- grams.” The college has cut so much in the way of ancillary support, says Professor Debbora Whitson, that it’s difficult to do her job. “You go to the library, and it’s closed for a furlough day. You call the IT de- partment because your equipment isn’t working, and you get a recording. You try to order equipment, and you get no an- swer. And, of course, there’s no money to travel for research,” says Whitson, who teaches international business and mar- keting classes. Everyone on the staff has different furlough days, she explains, so instructors never know whether services are available or not. Photo by Steve Yeater