A grade of 16 out of 30 amounts to an F. Students who are currently earning an F can get extra credit, do better on future assignments, or drop the class early.
However, for the faculty that gets their class dropped, 16 out of 30 spells danger if danger was spelled c-u-t. We all know what its like to operate under pressure, but I draw the line when education is on the chopping block. Teachers shouldn’t have to be held accountable to a grading system based on money, and classes shouldn’t have to be cut when they have reached but did not exceed the halfway fill rate.
The halfway fill rate, which began as a union contract with the DVC administration, requires faculty to have each course they teach to be at least half filled with registered students, otherwise the course faces termination. However, most courses are relatively full, so fill rates have not been that much of an issue.
How did this factor become so significant?
In light of the budget cuts that still affect our education at DVC, fill rates appear to have become the end game for most of the faculty. “For most of us, it can become a constant battle,” said English department chair Judy Myers, “and we try not to lose it or focus on our primary concern: educating students.”
This strikes me as rather bizarre. If my teacher said that they were trying to focus on educating me but she had to find a way to pay a rather large sum of money to someone, I would suspect that she was involved with some kind of racketeering ring. Thankfully, criminal intent is not involved in the district’s decision to put faculty into such a financial jam.
However one would think with a Fall ’11 census fill rate of 99 percent for the English department, Myers and others in the English department would be hearing nothing but good news. Instead, there’s a projected 5-10 percent cut to all departments, including English.
“I think by this point,” Judy continues, “the question on administration’s mind is, ‘when does the class pay for itself?'” Classes obviously can’t pay for themselves, but neither does district. While departments such as the Performing Arts and Culinary departments have suffered massive cuts since the budget decision of 2008, the district continues to project future cuts in spending to make education more “affordable.” How is this affordable? Prices for units haven’t dropped, and extracurricular activities or classes of interest continue to diminish in availability.
In terms of the culinary department, the entire course load could be eliminated by next semester. “Over these last of couple semesters,” Chef Paul Bernhardt explains, “the district has cut the tree down to nothing: We are losing our department.”
The culinary arts, known for its popularity on campus as one of the biggest majors and AA certificate programs, has been left with only classes that are required for the AA certificate. While the course load seems to be significantly more focused, the effect of reducing student choices is a concern for those attending and those teaching. If I felt I could pursue a degree in culinary if it could fit into my schedule or if I simply wanted to learn to fix a few elegant dishes to impress friends and family, that spark of diversity I could add to my life would be extinguished because of the cuts.
Despite such depressing developments, a positive note remains in the district bond, a call to raise the state tax in November, which administration and teachers hope will pass. “If the state tax hike doesn’t pass in November,” continues Chef Paul, “Culinary is gone.” While this might seem like an exaggerated statement, consider its message: how many cuts of the pie will they take before it’s gone?
The answer is as many as we, the students, will allow the district. We may put our hopes with a legislative solution on the horizon, and fill rates may seem to “fit the bill” as a measurement of when a class is making the required funds to continue its inclusion in course schedules. However, they remain a debilitating practice in educational financing. Myers agrees that they will continue to be: “The faculty carries the weight of this system, while the school and students are not reaping the rewards.” If we wish to reap the rewards of our education, we should demand them and help teachers with fill rates.