In the college’s mission statement, DVC claims to be “passionately committed” to artistic development and to promoting personal growth and lifelong learning.

But the school has slashed 147 courses from the spring 2010 schedule, many of them in the Applied and Fine Arts division which includes art, photography, philosophy, drama, languages, music and more.

The Inquirer finds this decision to be in stark contrast with the mission statement.

In arriving at $500,000 in savings for the current school year, the department chairs, deans and Vice President Susan Lamb agreed to preserve basic skills and ESL classes, while cutting 50 percent of other so-called “stand-alone” classes that don’t count towards transfer, a certificate or a degree.

It turns out that the Applied and Fine Arts division took a big hit, because it offers a number of such classes.

In her presentation to the governing board last month, Laurie Lema, DVC’s Faculty Senate president, estimated about 147 classes will be missing from the spring schedule, which translates, at 30 students per class, to about 4,410 student seats that won’t be available.

This, she told trustees, amounts to approximately 1/8 of the population of the City of Martinez.

Some of these missing classes will include art history, beginning guitar, a jazz-piano class, drawing classes, a couple of beginning dance classes and more.

These cuts will be tough to get back, even in good times. And for now, potential arts students may be turned off and go elsewhere.

DVC is doing a great disservice to the community it is meant to enrich.

The college isn’t only for people trying to transfer to four-year schools or to earn degrees and certificates; DVC is a “community” college for a reason.

It serves the retiree, who enrolls in an art history class before a visit to Europe,  or a musician trying to stay up to date with new technology, or a mother taking a language class so she can communicate with long lost family members in the country of her ancestry.

It also serves the transfer student, arts related or not, who wants to venture into realm of creativity or to broaden his or her knowledge of our cultural heritage.

Art has a way of permeating into all aspects of our lives. Architecture, paintings, sculpture, drama, music – all of these things inspire us, providing a sense of cultural pride and affecting our attitudes and even emotions.

The college should remember its commitment to creating well-rounded, lifelong learners and strive not to turn DVC into a degree factory.            

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