Vancouver Community College, Volume 1, Number 18 - June 24, 1993 ?BQpget /deadline + Jul . y, 15. '0, ?' . . ✓ ,, ✓ . The College Board Wednesday setafast-track deadline ofJuly 15 to determinehowmany jobs will be saved--and how many will be lost--in the budget crisis. Board Chair Bob Smith noted that the recent plea for cost-cutting ideas from employees had resulted in almost 300 suggestions which m�y help soften the blow oflarge-scale layoffs. "There was an extraordinary response from the College community," said Smith. He added thatalthougha Tuesday meeting with Advanced Education Minister Tom Perry provided a "full and frank" discussion. ofthe issues, there was no last minute reprieve. . The Ministry has stated that the College must balance its budget and pay off its deficit by Apr;ilt, 1995. That deficit, which stood at $2.1 million on April 1, 1993 would climb to $9 million.by April 1, 1994 without improved efficiencies and reduction in faculty, staff and administration .The.Board setilie following schedule for finalizing the budget and beginning the program and service reductions: · ··June 23 .-, July 5 •Preparation ofdetailed reduction recommendations and impact ·statements. •Preparation of cost/revenue impacts ofideas forwarded by the College community, •Proposed accelerated meeting.schedule for the joint VCCFA-College Enhanced Program Delivery Committee. •Review ofdetailed reduction plan by Transition Council. For July6 ·•daily news · updates phone ·7099 after 2:30pm •Review ofcost/revenue impacts. •Joint private meeting ofthe Education and Student Services and Administration and Finance Committees ofthe Board. All Board members invited. - to consider proposed budget and reductions with impact statements. July7 •Consultation process on program areas affected by potential reduction to commence. July 8 •VCC Administration Public Information Forum. July 15 •Special private and public VCC Board meeting to approve budget. July 16 •Earliest date on which notification and consultation regarding layoffs may commence. The earliest date on which layoffnotices may be issued depends on the time frames specified in each collective agreement. Continued on the other side... LangaraCEO Interviews July 7 On July 7, the Board will interview three candidates who have been short-listed for the position of Langara CEO. A cross­ Canada search resulted in 39 applications for the job. Harassment Affairs Advisor resigns The College's Harassment Affairs Ad­ visor, Heather MacFadgen, has resigned be­ cause she is moving, with her husband, to the Yukon. A procedure for hiring her replace­ ment is in process. Curtains for Stanley plan? There is some disappointing news on the possibility of the Langara Theatre Arts students and KEC'sMusic students perform­ ing at the old Stanley Theatre. It appears that the Arts Club is prepared to enter the pro­ posal for the renovation project, probably eclipsing the stage time that might have been available to the College. Student loan proposal opposed ifyou have any comments or questions, please send them to Chuck Poulsen, Mana9er ef The Exchan9e, in care oJColle9e Administrative Services, TheTransition Council has voted to ask the College Board to oppose some ofthe new federal government proposals on student loans. One of those proposals recommends that the current 60 per cent course load eligibility requirement be increased to 80 per cent. President John Cruickshank said that while this might represent a cost-savings to the government, it runs completely contrary to the educational realities that colleges and their students are experiencing. Perry stresses financial restraint AdvancedEducationMinisterTomPer­ ry's message to the annual general meeting of the Advanced Education Council ofB.C. on June 18 was one that VCC and Langara can relate to: colleges must find ways to do more things with less money for many years to come. "Governments have reached the limit of what tax payers will pay," said Perry. "Although B.C. is spending less than the (national) average on advanced education, that fact won't cut any mustard with the public. Colleges must find creative and im­ aginative ways to promote a renewal of the system without adding to the cost." As a small example, but one that has been discussed at the College over the last few days, Perry said that free parking for employ­ ees and students may be an inappropriate utilization ofspace that should give way to the encouragement of rapid transit. "We can no longer afford to waste any­ thing, including space," said Perry. The Minister also called on colleges to make the employability of graduates an ur­ gent priority. Said Perry; "A key criteria is whether graduates have acquired skills to earn a living. For instance, if you haven't taught students how to write a resume by the time they graduate, then you have cheated them." Perry concluded his remarks by quoting Mikhail Gorbachev in his book Perestroika: "We have to find a new way of thinking and the courage to carry it through." Th� deficit-reducing suggestions from employees generally fell into five categories: productivity increases, efficiency measures, revenue generation ideas, organizational/ struc­ tural changes and proposals which have impUcations for the collective agreements. Many cost cutting and revenue producing ideas are still being received and reviewed. TheJ3oard also approved seven major criteria for making the reductions. They are: * Demand for the program. II! AbiUty to bring back the program to production and quaUty. * Program costs relative to revenue. '!' Reduction of student and administrative services resulting from reduction of instructional