COC board set to meet over budget

Santa Clarita Community College District’s Board of Trustees is set to approve its Annual Financial and Budget Report and updates to the college’s courses and programs at its business meeting Wednesday.

The college’s annual report includes final data from fiscal year 2015-2016 and budget data for 2016-2017. It is required by the State Chancellor’s Office and is the primary financial report used for evaluating the financial condition of districts and comparing finances across California Community College Districts.

According to Wednesday’s agenda, the Santa Clarita Community College District – which operates College of the Canyons - is in compliance with all state and local laws regarding budgetary requirements and expectations.

COC is compliant with the “50 Percent Law” which requires community colleges to spend no less than half of their general budgets on salaries of classroom instructors.

In fiscal year 2015-2016, COC spent 54.39 percent of its expenditures on current education.

The college is also compliant with Education Protection Account (EPA) fund, Proposition 30, spending requirements. All of the 2015-2016 EPA funds were spent on salaries and benefits of faculty members and resulted in a total expenditure of $12,612,180.

For fiscal year 2015-2016, the annual report also includes combined balance sheets; details of general fund revenue; expenditures by activity; GANN Appropriations limit; annual financial (2015-16) and budget (2016-17) revenue, expense and fund balance reports; interfund transfer report; and lottery actual and budget reports.

Courses

During its meeting COC’s Board is scheduled to approve three new courses, 12 course modifications, one new program and one program modification.

“Curriculum is constantly evaluated to ensure course content and delivery methods meet the needs of the community at large,” the agenda item read.

New courses include Art of Africa, Oceania, and the Indigenous Americas; Introduction to Chicana/o Studies; Introduction to LGBTQ+ Studies.

The new degree program will be an Associate in Art for Transfer (AA-T) degree in Social Justice.

Changes to the curriculum were approved by the Curriculum Committee of Academic Senate and the Academic Senate for Curriculum at three separate meetings Sept. 1, Sept. 15 and Oct. 6.

The college said these changes reflect the faculty’s efforts to implement program reviews for their departments and initiate changes to remain current. Additional agenda items include:

The update and addition of an electronic marquee at the Canyon Country campus

Modernizations of a student elevator in Boykin Hall, replacing toilet partitions in older restrooms in Mentry Hall, and installation of two fabric shade structures at Quad 7

Updates to policies regarding academic probation, dismissal and readmission

Approval of the 2018-2019 Academic Calendar

Gift summary for 2015-2016 of $1,129,222 in cash resources raised

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