My British Literature Professor began class by letting us know how we are all in deep shit. Basically, that’s how it felt. 

She reminded everyone about how bad things are in El Camino and in every school in California. It’s a fact that I find myself, and many other students do as well, ignoring. The day is easier to get by when you pretend like the school isn’t impacted and withholding thousands of dollars in reserve. Money that can be used to create classes! But they aren’t and instead it’s locked up and being saved as the board continues to cut more classes as well as increasing the price for classes. In 2009 the price per unit was 20$ but now it’s up to 36$ and it’ll continue to rise. We also learned that our school board wants to permanently cut our winter session. 

Oh yeah, we also have a paper shortage.

One good thing that happened today was that my Geology Professor recommended a cheaper textbook for us to buy. Excusing us of having to buy the “required” text issued by the school bookstore which would have cost me 111$ My Bristish Lit Professor let us know that we could scale back to the third edition for The Longman Anthology British Literature textbook instead of the fifth edition if that would be cheaper for us to buy. 

It feels good to know that despite the debt, the cuts, and the shortages there are Professors who care about their students and do what they can to help us out. 

1. wordscancrushtheworld liked this
2. confessionsofthediarist said: Sounds like you go to a private liberal arts school in financial crisis. That’s my college’s situation and it seems strangely similar to what you’ve described. And we just started spring semester last week.
3. tina180 liked this
4. socalfeminist posted this