Issue Discussion

By Andrew A. Mauro

There are many issues facing MiraCosta College in the years ahead. Among other things, these include the need for a strategic plan for the San Elijo campus, addressing changes in the athletic and health services program, considering the future of the School of Business and Technology, and increasing course offerings in the face of budget uncertainities. For my answers on a series of questions, please go to the full text.

1. What is your vision for MiraCosta?

I see a campus that truly serves the needs of its diverse community. One that provides a positive and productive learning environment with the classes and support network needed to help students accomplish their educational goals. I see a college that reflects the needs of its citizens to learn the job skills necessary to compete successfully for the good paying jobs now emerging in San Diego. One that works closely with local businesses to determine their workforce development needs, and helps provide that trained workforce so local business can stay in our community, be successful, grow, and contribute back to the economic vitality of our district. I see a college that doesn't turn its back on those in our district who are looking for help with basic skills, math, English, citizenship, so they can overcome barriers, achieve success, and realize their potential in our society. I see a college that offers our citizens the chance to participate in lifelong learning, avocations, recreational interests, learning just for the sake of learning, fostering active minds in our society.

2. What do you feel are the most important issues facing MCC today, and how would you address them?

I think the number one issue will always be facilitating access to the classes which students need to meet their educational goals. This involves increased section offerings of the most popular courses, developing new curricula which reflects the changing needs of our students, and continued expansion of CyberCosta--the online course program which has proven extremely popular at MCC. Each of these needs can be accomplished by including them as major priorities in the upcoming MCC Strategic Plan process. It involves committing financial resources to expand our faculty base, supporting the work of an energized and forward thinking curriculum committee, and tapping in to the growing movement to develop and distribute online course outlines especially geared to the community college student. If we're truly dedicated to this task, I think it will result in an increase in our enrollment over what the formula tells us should be expected for a District with our population base. I'd like to see that happen.

Another issue in these challenging economic times involves workforce development. We need to advance our role in educating students in the fields most needed in today's changing economy. This means developing more specific classes, certificate programs, and partnerships with local employers to provide the opportunity for members of our community to compete for good paying jobs in evolving industries.

3. How can you justify the high faculty salaries at MCC in the face of rising tuition and book fees that threaten to make a college education unaffordable for many prospective students?

Teaching has always been one of the most important jobs in America, but salaries have always lagged when compared to other professions. At MCC, we're competing not only with the private sector, but also with schools from other less costly areas of the country. I believe the best quality teachers are necessary to ensure the best quality education for our students. I understand that students are burdened with the tuition increases we've experienced in California this year, as well as the skyrocketing cost of books, and I have some ideas on how to help. Perhaps it's small solace, but despite the increased tuition a California community college education today is still one of the best higher educational values available in America.

4. What would you do as Trustee to help students meet the high cost of college?

While it is not possible under state law for the college to directly provide scholarship support to its students, there is much we can do to help. The MCC Foundation is a separate organization which raises and distributes money for scholarships at MCC. Within the guidelines of state law, the college provides staff and logistical support for the Foundation. With strong board support we have embarked on a search to hire a new executive director for the Foundation. This person would be a chief fundraiser for the scholarship endowment. I have been an active supporter of the Foundation. I've attended their meetings and events. Last month I attended the conference of California Community College Foundations. My business and community background provides me the opportunity to help improve the fundraising capabilities of the Foundation. I strongly support the growing movement to reform the way college textbooks are produced and marketed. The college textbook industry needs to radically change its business practices, abandon the short life cycle of textbooks which is akin to a "planned obsolescence" program which undermines the used book market.

5. Why do you think the sports program at MCC is more important than academics?

I don't. I've said earlier and I repeat on all my campaign literature, candidate statement, and web page postings that I believe student access and learning is the most important priority at MCC. However, I do believe that athletics has an important role to play at MCC, and it's a role that has been largely ignored in recent years. I don't favor high-priced intercollegiate sports programs that only serve a small segment of the student community. I do, however, favor an expansion of sports programs that could be offered at reasonable cost to the college, that reflect some of our region's local attributes, and would serve as a training ground for students seeking careers in a multitude of sports and health-related industries (training, coaching, sports medicine, rehabilitation, etc.). I'm talking about sports like tennis, golf, swimming, surfing, cross-country. Another benefit of these types of sports programs is they can lead to lifestyle changes that help improve a student's mental and physical health for a lifetime.

6. How important is preparing students for transfer, and what are you prepared to do to help accomplish that?

The transfer function is one of the primary roles of a community college which the rapidly escalating cost of tuition at four-year colleges has served to highlight. Shortly after I joined the board last year I visited the MCC transfer office, and I can attest that MCC has a very dedicated staff that provides excellent service to those interested in transfer. We have transfer agreements in place with the UC and CSU systems which coordinate course offerings and requirements and give MCC students preferred status in their transfer applications. We also have transfer agreements in place with a host of other four-year colleges, both in-state and out-of-state. We now have a new transfer tract which sets out a course of study specifically designed to meet these transfer requirements. We urge all new students to meet with our counseling staff prior to enrollment in any classes at MCC to discuss their educational objectives and help determine their best course strategy.

7. What would you do to make the San Elijo campus more successful?

I was chairman of the San Dieguito Citizens' Planning Group when the San Elijo campus was being built, and I have always been so impressed with how beautiful that facility is and how well it blends architecturally into its site next to the San Elijo Lagoon. We quickly achieved our target enrollment at San Elijo, but that enrollment base hasn't grown much in recent years. A campus committee has been studying the issue, and we will be conducting a survey of the community to help determine what they might be looking for. I would support efforts to help develop a better sense of the San Elijo campus community, as well as help create a local identity apart from the Oceanside campus. This might involve offering several programs at the San Elijo campus for students wishing to transfer with a particular major--things like environmental studies or hospitality studies have been suggested. The new student center at SEL will definitely help establish a focal point for the campus. I'd like to see us promote some simple activities on campus to help make students and staff members feel connected--things like a walking and jogging trail around the perimeter, a volleyball court, a climbing wall, a skateboard demonstration area.

8. All I hear you talk about is teachers. What are you going to do for the students?

It's really all about the students. Teachers, staff, administration, and trustees all exist to help serve the needs of students at MCC. The MCC student body is a very homogeneous group. It represents all segments of the community, and our programs need to reflect the different needs and values of students who come to MCC for many varied reasons. Over all of this, however, is the need to provide student services which help each student realize his or her full potential at MCC, help them define and successfully accomplish their educational goals. Our student services division provides help in such areas as counseling, study labs, peer groups, mentors, special services for the disabled, health services, associated student government services, and financial services. Among other things, I strongly support finding ways to help ease the financial burden for students and better meet their career development needs.

9. How come the diversity of our faculty and staff doesn't reflect the diversity of our student body?

Diversity among faculty and staff is a core value of the institution, and one the trustees have often stressed in our discussions. While the board reflects the diversity of our community, it's sometimes been difficult to achieve this among faculty and staff. It remains a core value, however, and we're making progress. We have just hired our first female president, and she's Latina. One of the special qualifications of Dr.Richart that impressed me during selection process was her demonstrated commitment to diversity at her former institution.

10. How can we create more student involvement and spirit at MCC?

Students set their own agenda, and I happen to think that's a good thing. As trustee, I strongly support and applaud the efforts of the associated student government to create campus events and activities. They do an amazing job. As trustee, I think the college's role is to help support opportunities for student involvement. We have a wonderful array of special interest clubs on campus. I happen to have a special interest in the environment, and I've joined the Natural History Club on several of their excursions during this last year. Campus facilities that help bring students together and encourage them to linger and interact with each other on campus are important. The new Learning Hub and clock tower plaza at the Oceanside campus has been remarkably successful in creating a place where students can gather and hang out between classes. I'm sure the new student center now being planned at San Elijo will have the same effect for that campus. It's understandable that a campus with no on-site student housing might not show as much obvious student spirit, but students I've met all speak very highly of MCC, and they have a lot of pride in their college.

11. What qualifications do you have that make you think you'd be a good trustee?

I am a current MiraCosta College trustee. I am a local business man, a 32-year resident of the community, and a citizen actively involved in a number of local organizations. I bring to the Board a good blend of knowledge and experience in local business, higher education, and the local community. I've served on boards of several community organizations, and I've been the chief of staff to two governor-appointed boards. I understand the proper role of the Board. I have shown my commitment by being prepared and informed at all board meetings, asking pertinent questions, providing proper support and recognition to faculty and staff, and demonstrating an ability to understand issues, solve problems, and find common consensus with my fellow trustees. I have committed myself to being an informed and effective trustee. I am what I am. I have no hidden agenda. I will always represent the entire community, without prejudice for or against any special interest on campus.

12. Why do you want to be a trustee at MCC?

I greatly admire and respect MiraCosta. Like all of you, I've read about problems in finances and morale at other community college districts in San Diego and across the state. I think my local business experience, community contacts, direct knowledge about the campus, and proven ability to work collaboratively with all segments of the college community can all help to keep things moving in a positive and productive direction at MCC. MCC is the envy of all other community college districts in the state, and I want to see this wonderful success story continued.

13. How can someone who doesn't have classroom experience as an educator hope to understand the needs of the college?

Actually, I do have some classroom experience. As a graduate student at San Diego State University I taught a course in Marketing Research. Today I teach ornithology classes for the San Diego Natural History Museum. But this question contains a false assumption, that only a teacher understands the needs of the students and the community. I have certainly been a student, at college, graduate school, and at MiraCosta. And I have certainly been an active member of my business and civic community. A trustee doesn't represent just one segment of the college community. Can I properly understand the specific needs of the school's faculty? I've been very supportive of the role of the Academic Senate at MCC, as well as the very important role that faculty members play in the many committees that contribute to the shared governance system in place at MCC. The MCC board of trustees is unique among California community colleges in its embrace of shared governance. I welcome and support the role of our faculty at MCC.

14. What is the size of MCC's budget reserve, and how come we don't use it to lower the cost of books and tuition?

The budget reserve is $10.7 million, and state law prevents a community college from using revenues in its general fund or reserves to provide direct scholarship support for students. I've already discussed how the college can indirectly support the efforts of the Foundation to provide scholarships, and as trustee I strongly support those efforts. Our Financial Aid Office provides students with access to many additional scholarship opportunities and fee waivers from federal, state, foundation, and private sources. I would support a study of other student fees presently imposed at the college's discretion to see if any might be appropriate for reduction.

The budget for the coming year is in its early stages of development. It currently projects a budget reserve of roughly $10.7 million, representing about 15 % of the overall operating budget. This compares to a $15 million reserve in last year's budget. The size of the reserve fluctuates from year to year as large ticket programs and capital projects are identified and come on line, and revenues from property taxes and state funds fluctuate with the economy. There is always the danger that political and economic forces at the state level will result in a move to capture the district's property tax allocation for the college, and force MiraCosta into the same under-funded formula that has hamstrung other community colleges throughout the state. The uncertainty of the state's economy and general fund revenues has dictated a more cautious approach to the MCC budget at MCC in recent years.

15. How come all the important classes get filled up so fast? Why can't we add more sections so students don't have to fill in with classes they don't need?

Specific course and section offerings available at MCC are advanced and reviewed by a series of faculty/administration committees. They reflect the requirements of transfer institutions, state mandated programs, programs which reflect the unique needs of the community and its citizens in general, and special job skill training needed to serve the local business community. MCC has an obligation to provide a wide variety of courses, designed to meet the multitude of needs of the entire community.

There is a long lead time in developing the course offerings. Right now the college is working on the 2005/06 school year. Unfortunately, there's a large amount of uncertainty in the demand for specific classes which is built into the system. We need to continue to impress upon our students the need to meet in advance with counselors to develop the program of courses they need to accomplish their education goals. And then we need to develop a means to coordinate those program plans with our curriculum-planning efforts to help project future course demand. It's a big task, complicated sometimes by the more spontaneous nature of the community college experience for many of our students. But it's something we can work on.

Having made those caveats, I think this is an issue that needs to be addressed. Where certain classes are consistently over-subscribed and we find ourselves regularly turning away students, we have to do better. We need to direct resources to increase sections of the most-requested classes. I'd like to see us develop more flexibility to be able to add sections of classes at the last minute which have quickly reached their enrollment cap. I also would like to see us further relax the threshold of minimum enrollment in a class needed for that class to avoid being cancelled.

16. Do you support faculty unions at MCC?

I support unions. I've been a member of a union, and even once filed a grievance against my employer. While with the Del Mar Fairgrounds, I was the chief negotiator on a union contract to cover employees at the Satellite Wagering facility at the fairgrounds, a contract still in place today. Our MCC president is now entering into negotiations with the associate faculty union. I respect the right of all employees to join together to insure fair treatment by their employer. As a trustee I've been prudent with our budget, but also very supportive of competitive wages and benefits for our faculty and staff. Our associate faculty members are the best paid among all of San Diego County's community colleges. And at MCC, we haven't held back any supplemental funds earmarked for associate faculty members.

Even more important, perhaps, is the respect and trust in our faculty which I have shown with my embrace of the shared governance system at MCC. Our faculty members are quite literally empowered to be a part of the management team.

17. Why don't associate faculty members get paid an hourly wage more in keeping with the wage scale of the fulltime faculty?

I was not on the Board when the current contract was negotiated, but I understand that there is a different level of responsibility and expectation between fulltime and associate faculty members. It involves participation on various standing committees, involvement in special projects and studies, participation in faculty enrichment activities, leadership roles in campus groups, mentoring of fellow faculty and students, non-class office hours, and so on. There is a higher standard.

18. What do you most admire about MiraCosta?

At MiraCosta College we have such a wonderful sprit of collegiality, everyone working together to accomplish our shared vision for the college and its students. It's impossible not to be impressed when one comes on campus and begins talking with our faculty, staff, and students. As I attend statewide conferences and participate in workshops and discussion groups with trustees and administrators from other community colleges, I am so thankful for what we have at MCC. MiraCosta is known, respected, and admired across the state.

There are so many things to admire about MiraCosta. The school has achieved renown among community colleges for its leading edge information technology program, its nationally recognized workforce development programs, and its forward-thinking shared governance system. I'll take this opportunity to single out our Service Learning program, where students go out into the community to perform volunteer services that relate to their particular courses of study.