Long Beach City College President Eloy Ortiz Oakley said the next few years will bring economic challenges that will test the college.
BY NICK DIAMANTIDES
Staff Writer
Long Beach City College (LBCC) officials expect the school’s student population to continue to grow even as state funding for the college’s programs declines. LBCC Superintendent-President Eloy Ortiz Oakley expressed optimism at the second annual State of the College Luncheon last Friday. About 400 people attended the event, which took place in the college’s gymnasium.
“As a community college, it is critical that we report to you, the community that we serve, about the progress that has been made and the challenges that we face in 2009 and the years ahead,” Oakley said. “I am pleased to report to all of you that the state of Long Beach City College is good.”
Oakley explained that the college entered the 2008-09 academic year in a strong financial condition and with healthy reserves. “We plan to expend a prudent amount of our reserves this year to sustain programs despite budget reductions from the state last year,” he noted. “But this was a one-year solution. We will have to find ways to reduce our costs while maintaining access to our classrooms as we move forward.”
With an expected California budget shortfall of more than $40 billion in the next 18 months, Oakley warned that every public education institution in the state— including LBCC— will face significant mid-year budget cuts in 2009 and larger reductions in the next academic year. He explained, however, that the state legislature’s failure to reach a consensus on managing the budget crisis has made it difficult to predict a dollar amount for the expected reduction in state funding.
“The continuing inaction on the budget will only make cuts this year more difficult and next year’s reductions larger,” Oakley said. “I hope you will join me in pressing this issue and stressing (to our legislators and governor) the importance of continuing to fund education, especially in these difficult economic times.”
Oakley warned that the next few years will bring economic challenges that will test LBCC and force it to make significant changes so that it can continue serving the community. LBCC was founded more than 80 years ago and currently has approximately 30,000 students enrolled. The students attend classes on the Liberal Arts Campus near the corner of Carson Street and Clark Avenue and the Pacific Coast Campus located near the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Alamitos Avenue. The college also offers distance classes through the Internet.
Last year, LBCC spent $113.8 million on payroll and benefits to its faculty and staff and $40.1 million on goods and services. It also spent $27.7 million on student financial aid, including payroll expenditures for student workers.
The college’s capital improvements also comprise a large part of its annual expenditures. In the 2007-08 year, the school spent approximately $66.7 million on building projects and other capital improvements. In the 2008-09 year the college expects to spend $89.5 million on capital improvements and $77.6 in the 2009-10 year. Much of that money is coming from Measure E funds and is probably not vulnerable to the state budget ax.
In addition to the above figures, according to a CSULB study, LBCC students spend about $528 million on goods and services every year.
Oakley noted that the combined expenditures of the college and its students pump about $773 million into the local economy. He explained that while the direct economic impacts were crucial to the local economy, LBCC’s most important contribution was in the additional earnings that are generated as a result of the school’s primary mission— educating students.
“The lifetime income of students with some college or college degrees is significantly higher than that of high school graduates,” he said. “They earn from 50- to 96-percent more, which equates to hundreds of thousands of dollars in income over a lifetime.”
Oakley explained that LBCC exists to develop our society’s most important resource— human capital. He said that the faculty is focused on helping students tap into their own potential and to grow and develop skills to succeed in life. “Last year, LBCC awarded 883 associate degrees and 1,165 certificates: 530 chancellor’s certificates and 635 local certificates,” he said. “Over 1,000 students transferred to four-year institutions to continue their education last year.”
Oakley spent about 15 minutes describing various LBCC programs and honoring some of the college’s outstanding faculty and alumni. He pledged that in spite of the present economic downturn, the college would continue to create multiple pathways for success for every student. “It is an exciting time to be president of Long Beach City College,” he said. “There are challenges and much work to be done, but I cannot think of a better or important way to serve this community.”
Oakley added that the primary purpose of his speech was to inspire people to become passionate advocates of the college. “The success of Long Beach City College needs the support of every one of you,” he said. “I am incredibly proud to have the privilege of being president of our college, and I want you to share in that sense of pride.”
