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SACRAMENTO BEE PROPOSES COMMUNITY COLLEGE FIRST POLICY FOR HIGHER EDUCATION FACILITY FUNDS — In a lead editorial the Sacramento Bee on Tuesday, September 29, 1999 suggested that community college needs for facilities should be first in line until UC and CSU demonstrate they are using existing facilities more efficiently.

The editorial addressed the so-called "Tidal Wave II" that will be reported on at the CCFC 6^th Annual Conference. It noted that nearly everyone agrees that there will be at least 700,000 more higher education students by the year 2010. The Legislative Analyst in the Analysis of the 1999-2000 Budget made the only recent public dissent from this growth projection.

The Bee noted that while there appears to be an overwhelming number of new students entering the higher education system, there is still time to plan and allocate resources to accommodate the growth. The editorial noted that while CSU has embraced year round operations, UC is lagging in this effort. However, they noted, two-thirds of the students will show up at the community colleges. In part the editorial stated …"More than any other segment, the community colleges will need to build classrooms to meet demand. In light of that, the Legislature will need to change its practice of dividing higher education capital funds equally among the three segments. The funds should be distributed according to real capital needs, and until UC and CSU show they are using existing buildings more efficiently, community colleges should be first in line."

The Bee also suggested other ways of accommodating growth, such as distance learning and sharing facilities to allow UC and CSU to provide classes in community college facilities. Former Pasadena CCD President and now Assembly Member Jack Scott was quoted as pointing out the importance of breaking the inertia of old habits. The Bee noted that with an economy that is dependent upon high skills and education, there is no room for inertia.

CCFC 6^th ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The CCFC 6^th Annual Conference – "The $10 Billion Challenge" – will be held Wednesday, November 10 and Thursday, November 11 at the Doubletree Hotel in Sacramento. There will also be an early bird reception on Tuesday, November 9 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. You should be receiving a second mailing of registration brochures in the mail early next week. In the mean time you can also register for the conference on-line at www.caccfc.org. Note: Do not delay in making your hotel reservations. Please call the Doubletree Hotel at (916) 929-8855 before October 9 to ensure availability and the special rate.

Paul H. Holmes

For more information, contact Paul Holmes or Shannon Mahoney.

1130 K Street, Suite 210, Sacramento, California   95814

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