As a result of state wide budget cuts, Cabrillo College is responding by looking closely at many of its programs. Several classes will be cut, but today at a meeting of the curriculum planning board, the Women's Studies dept. was forced to defend its very existence. Though the dept. presented a compelling argument the feeling from the board wasn't good.

To begin the meeting the board asked the Women's Studies dept. representative three questions:

1) Why shouldn't the program be cut?
2) Is there a way to make the program more cost effective?
3) Is there a portion that should be kept if only partial cuts were made (a core)?

The dept argued that the women's studies dept. has traditionally strong support at Cabrillo. Recruiting has been challenging since the board decided five years ago both to close the women's center at Cabrillo and to cut the women's reentry program. These two things effected the enrollment in women's studies classes, but since then the numbers have steadily improved.

The program has respectable class sizes it argued, especially considering they typically only draw from half of the college population (women).

The dept argued that women's studies is not a "Dying Major." Actually there are 600 WS depts throughout the country. UCSC is even developing a WS Phd program. Cutting Cabrillo's WS's programs after this commitment from UCSC shows Cabrillo's lack of solidarity with UCSC and seems foolish considering many at Cabrillo transfer there.

NPC, Cabrillo's sister school, is also facing women's studies cuts, but they might perhaps lose two or three classes, while Cabrillo is considering cutting the whole dept. The result of this is that they plan to shake up and redistribute those faculty that they can't simply lay off.

The dept argued that the program is popular. It encompasses History, Sociology, Psychology, but also self-defense, self-esteem, eating disorders and domestic violence, to name a few.

The Watsonville campus features "recruitment" classes, where the women's studies subject matter attracts re-enty female students who might otherwise not have gone back to school. The dept said "recruitment" classes get students back into school and these women then often move into other areas like traditional science, humanities, or vocational classes.

The dept. worried about the future of the WS conference the college has hosted for the past three years.

The dept argued that High Schools don't teach WS and that to many, Cabrillo College is their first experience with course matter that wasn't male-centric.

The board will notify the program of its decision to cut all or some of the women's studies dept on March 21st.

I'll try to get a copy of the packet that the women's studies dept passed out to board members to defend its case and post it here soon.

In the meantime, try contacting these faculty senate members:

Faculty monitor of "the Voice" school newspaper:

Neu, Andre anneu (at) cabrillo.edu

Student Senate Representative:

Jeff Hickey Student Senate President jehickey (at) cabrillo.edu

Executive Committee:

O'Brien, Rory Vice-President roobrien (at) cabrillo.edu
Brown, Nancy President nabrown (at) cabrillo.edu
Hodges, Steve Treasurer sthodges (at) cabrillo.edu
Hill, Bill Secretary bihill (at) cabrillo.edu

SEIU liaison & Student Development Faculty:

Jara, Helene hejara (at) cabrillo.edu

Some other members if you have time:

Hill, Bill bihill (at) cabrillo.edu
Niven, Kathy kaniven (at) cabrillo.edu
Hodges, Steve sthodges (at) cabrillo.edu
Vogel, Christy chvogel (at) cabrillo.edu
Nunn, Dorothy donunn (at) cabrillo.edu
Belliveau, Kim kibelliv (at) cabrillo.edu
Compogonis, Louis locompog (at) cabrillo.edu
Rabinovitch, Celia cerabino (at) cabrillo.edu
Abbott, Jamie jaabbott (at) cabrillo.edu
Garcia, Mario magarcia (at) cabrillo.edu
Thompson, Laura lathomps (at) cabrillo.edu