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# SMC needs mass class
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/smc-needs-mass-class/
- Published: 2004-05-26T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T04:24:12.000Z
- Author: John Wood
- Tags: Education, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*SMC critics claim class project is ‘big gamble’*

SMC — A year after slashing classes and abandoning a handful of major academic programs, Santa Monica College is now hoping for an influx of thousands of new students.

It needs to add some 7,000 to school rosters this fall in order to qualify for millions of dollars in new money from Sacramento. If recruiters fail to attract the students, the amount of money SMC receives from the state may actually decline, officials said Tuesday.

The school has already begun an ambitious campaign to bring back students, most of whom were alienated by deep cuts over the last two years. Counselors are venturing to 53 area high schools to meet with students while the college establishes a welcome center for the new students.

SMC currently has about 26,000 students. It needs to exceed the enrollment high of 32,000 in 2001 by 3 percent in order to qualify for $2.2 million in “regrowth” money from the state.

Failing to meet that plateau will likely mean losing out on some of the $5.4 million in additional money the college stands to make under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budget proposal, which still needs to be approved by legislators. It would also mean a reduction in the base funding for SMC.

In response, officials have launched an intense effort to attract more students. Counselors visiting high schools plan to hold workshops and explain financial aid to prospective students. Free transportation is being offered to students who want to explore the campus and take assessment tests. Enrollment dates have been pushed forward. And the financial aid office will be beefed up so students can get better help, sooner.

“We want to catch them up front, assist them through the process and make sure that they can realize their goals,” said Teresita Rodriguez, dean of enrollment services at SMC.

Rodriguez said the effort to attract students has already shown promising results. Applications were up last month by 18 percent over the previous year. For May, SMC had received some 2,000 more applications than last year, with a week remaining.

“The numbers are greater than ever — the greatest we’ve ever had,” Rodriguez said. “In my position, numbers talk. So I’m monitoring the numbers very closely. The early indicators lead us to believe that we are ahead of target. Once enrollment begins... that’s going to be the true indicator.”

Because of the difficult economy, Rodriguez said many students may be applying to multiple schools, and there’s no way to know now how many will actually attend SMC. Enrollment for current students begins June 1\. New students can enroll beginning June 29\. More important than attracting new dollars to SMC is returning the college to the same level of respectability within the community it once enjoyed, Rodriguez said.

“We realize that students were displaced because of budget cuts this year,” Rodriguez said. “While it was a very difficult decision for the college to make, in the long run it was the strategic decision.

“It is far less about the funding than it is about what service we want to be able to provide to the students.”

That message was met with skepticism by teachers, most of whom have been at odds with administrators since several academic programs were eliminated last year.

Lantz Simpson, president of the Faculty Association, a teacher union, said recruiters are facing a difficult task, especially considering the thousands of students who leave SMC after each year. Simpson questioned whether administrators ultimately will be able to meet the target.

“They’re just playing dice with the future of the college — they’re gambling,” he said. “‘Cause if they don’t make it back next year, to where they did last year, they go in a downward spiral.”

If officials do meet their target, an additional $6 million or more may be available to spend on part-time teachers, said Tom Donner, executive vice president of business and administration.

“The big question is will we be able to hire full-time (teachers),” Donner added. “That’s what the budget scrutiny will really be about.”

Simpson said the teacher union had been told only three full-time teachers would be hired for next year, though 300 to 400 part-timers would be brought on board. He added that those “freeway fliers” are detrimental to students because they’re often forced to work three to four part-time positions at various campuses in order to support themselves, meaning they’re not as accessible.

Exactly what will become of the budget situation at SMC won’t be clear until after legislators approve a final budget. Donner said his most recent estimates calculate a $112 million general fund for the coming year, up over $106.5 million in 2001-2002, $104.6 million in 2002- 2003 and $99 million this year. But in the realm of community college financing, where reserves are crucial, health care costs unpredictable, and complicated tradeoffs and formulas abound, Donner said there is plenty of room for change. A formal budget will go before the SMC board on June 7.

“What makes it so difficult is to understand that community college funding has so many variables in it,” Donner said. “We’ve got a whole lot of talking to do in a fairly short period of time about where do we adjust these dollars.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 26, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/052604.pdf?ref=smdp.com)