Faculty Senate President Debra Moore announced that there would not be any sabbatical leaves next year, at the faculty senate meeting Tuesday afternoon.

The decision comes after the faculty senate approved 11 faculty applications for sabbatical leave for the 2010-2011 school year, in accordance with the faculty handbook, Feb. 9.

“It was a decision based solely on the uncertainty of the budget. It is something we don’t ever want to do, but we need to put the students needs first,” president Linda Lacy said.

For most, the decision has been made since last Sept., when Victor Collins, Interim Director of Human Resources met with Faculty Senate president, members of the Sabbatical Leave Committee and the CCFF President met to convey the position that Sabbatical leaves would be suspended.

However, administration still went ahead with the process in hopes that the budget situation would get better but with the state projecting a $6 billion budget deficit for this year and a $14 billion shortfall for the next, it was a decision many students and faculty agree with.

“I think the decision is appropriate for the time, in the near future we should definitely reinstate them, but just not now,” said ASCC Vice president and Student Trustee Filipe Grimaldo.

Grimaldo is not the only student that thinks it is a beneficial decision for the school, “I think it’s a great decision, I’m just confused how they thought it could actually work out, but I’m glad they came to the right decision, said Psychology major, Magaly Zamora.

While the benefits of sabbatical leave are understood, the cost of funding them is something that faculty have taken into consideration. The estimated cost of funding these sabbaticals would cost an estimated $200,000 and result in an estimated 67 classes not being offered.

Vice President of Academic Affairs, William Farmer, said in a statement, “We jointly acknowledged and commended the time and effort that the 11 faculty applications represent; we also noted that the majority of the proposed projects/activities would benefit Cerritos College. However, we also mutually agreed that it would not be physically prudent to approve any of the applications.”