$36 per unit starting Fall 2011

Get the Facts on Your Fees at California Community Colleges  

July 20, 2011

1)     California community college fees are controlled by the state legislature, not by individual colleges.

2)     Students at all 112 California community colleges will pay $36 per unit starting Fall 2011, a $10 per unit increase in tuition.

3)     Even with the fee increase to $36 per unit, California remains the cheapest community college system in the country. That’s about $1,000 a year for a full-time student, by far the lowest tuition in the nation.

4)     The fee increase will not affect needy students, who are not required to pay fees. Two-thirds of full-time community college students will not be affected by the increase, because they do not pay fees through BOG waivers offered by the state.  

5)     The fee raise is the result of cuts to the state budget, signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on June 30, 2011, trimming the community college funding by 8 percent, or $400 million. The fees are expected to generate about $110 million in revenue, still resulting in a net loss of $290 million to the colleges in state support.

6)     Student fees pay only a small portion of the cost of a student’s education; in 2009, they covered 11%. Community colleges receive three main sources of general–purpose funding: the most paid by the state’s General Fund; about a third paid by local property taxes; and the remainder from student fee revenue and other sources.

7)     Tuition could increase to $46 per unit in the summer of 2012 if the economy fails to meet the projections used in the Governor’s budget.    

Mailing of Class Schedule Discontinued

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT SUMMER AND FALL SCHEDULES OF CLASSES

For the first time, Pierce College will not be mailing out Summer or Fall Schedules of Classes and is moving towards online-only schedules. Some printed schedules will be available on campus by mid-May. Please go online to www.piercecollege.edu/schedules to find the class schedules from now on. Summer Classes are now 2011 posted and Fall Classes will be posted by April 29. Summer registration is now underway, and Fall Registration begins the first week of May. This is part of our campus-wide effort to go green and cut costs. Thank you.

Fall 2010 - Off Campus Offerings

Summer Parking - Construction

The Winnetka entrance is closed for road construction. It will reopen on August 29, 2010. Please use Mason or De Soto entrances.

STUDENTS:

Victory Parking Lot 7 – Open

El Rancho Parking Lot 8 – Open

Performing Arts Parking Lot 6 – Open

Stadium Parking Lot 4 – Open

STAFF:

To access Parking Lot 1 enter from the staff gate near the Chemistry Building (off Mason entrance). This could be a very congested entrance point so allow enough time to get to your class or work site. You will not be able to enter or exit Parking Lot 1 using Brahma Drive (Main entrance).

Summer 2010 Parking Fee

The Summer 2010 schedule contains a misprint which is corrected to read

The Parking Fee for the Summer 2010 semester will be $7.  Students wishing to park in preferred parking lots (see p. 151 in the schedule of classes) will pay an additional membership fee of $3 to the Associated Students Organization.

Pierce Goes Smoke-Free

Pierce College becomes a smoke-free campus starting February 1, 2010.

"Smoking now stops at the curb," says Melody Cooper, Chair of the Work Environment Committee (WEC) and art professor, referring to the curb at the sidewalk that separates the main campus from parking lots.

"The central campus and farm at Pierce are smoke-free. Designated areas and Parking Lots 1-7 are the only available places for smoking," Cooper said.

"This decision was made in keeping with the Work Environment Committee’s mission to help provide a campus environment that is healthy, clean and safe."

The mission of the Pierce College Work Environment Committee is to develop policy recommendations which promote a clean, safe, healthful work environment for teaching and learning.

Dr. Joy McCaslin, Pierce Interim President, said, "I support the WEC’s work on this issue. It’s actually been a process over time of getting more strict about where people can smoke.

The new Designated Smoking Areas Map will be available at the Information Desk in the new Student Services Building.

According to the WEC, violators will be cited and subject to disciplinary action.

For those who would like to quit smoking, Pierce can help. Students can receive free assistance through the Student Health Center at 818-710-4270. Employees can contact their Employee Assistance Program at 1-800-788-5614 and their health insurance provider.

The Pierce College Work Environment Committee addresses workplace safety, environmental concerns, smoking & noise abatement concerns, campus parking matters, office space requests and other issues. Their Web link is: http://faculty.piercecollege.edu/wec/

Changes to Metro Bus I-TAP Program