What is Cerritos College going to do if and when the University of California and possibly Cal State colleges start telling students that they have a better chance getting in the system if they go to a community college first.

President John Grindel addressed the Board last Wednesday at a Board of Trustees meeting about the situation that the University of California has placed upon the college.

“The University of California is redirecting students back to the community college which could intern push out the regular attending students that are present at the college today,” Grindel said.

This concerned the Board members and they discussed how they might be able to solve this problem. Overcrowding in most community colleges is already a problem, so redirecting students that originally applied to a UC over to a community college with the promise of the students getting in after completing two years at a community college.

According to the Los Angeles Times, “UC officials said all California residents who met eligibility requirements but were not admitted were offered alternatives, including winter or spring admission or guaranteed transfers from community colleges as juniors.”

Among other reductions, Schwarzenegger has asked the UC system to cut fall enrollment by 3,200 students, offering those students a promise of transferring as juniors if they attend community college for two years.

The Board was disturbed by the large numbers of students and was concerned with the future and what it meant for the students that are currently enrolled and the ones that are coming into the college.

Also, during reports from the Board, another concern for college students had been taken not of. John Boyle, Vice President of Academic Affairs, discussed about the textbooks that the board had just approved of and is discouraged to see the prices that students have to pay for courses.

Boyle said, “It is more of a business decision on the behalf of the companies that publish the books.”

The companies have made the decisions to speed up on updating the textbooks with new information. Also the companies have started packaging CD’s with the books and students are not able to resell their books at the bookstore if they have a CD. Some of them only have one-time access codes.

Board member Cheryl Epple said, “I can understand if a History book changes because History is ever changing, but as far as I know, Math doesn’t change that rapidly.”

Epple also added that what the companies might be trying to do is cut out the used bookstores so students have to buy from the original company.

She also asked about if the faculty could possibly use comp time to produce materials for the students, so we could cut the cost for students.

Boyle responded to Epple’s questions by saying it is possible and it can and has been done by faculty.

The main worry for the Board is the students are being gouged by the textbook companies and should petition to the state legislature to protect students from companies.

Board member John Moore said that there is a bill that is being pushed in the legislature and that we need to find out who is champion the bill and write letters in support of it.

Bob Chester, Faculty Senate President, added that the companies are exploiting the students and it’s really just about the money they get from the students.

The next Board meeting will be held on May 5 at 7 p.m. in the Boardroom.