Class cuts aren’t an ideal solution

Officials said 160 classes have been cancelled this semester. Chances are, either you or someone you know has been affected.

Campus officials has cited low student enrollment and deficit spending as two causes of the class cuts.

But whether or not the reasons behind these cuts are just ones, we can’t deny that the decision was made hastily.

It seems odd that the college stresses quick graduation or transfer for its students, but then turns around and cuts classes that may be essential for a particular student’s requirements.

Palomar College should be more responsible at providing adequate education for its students and balancing their budget. It’s not the student’s responsibility to be worried about how the college manages their funding and expenses.

Class cuts obviously hinder a student’s ideal college career path. In some cases, class cuts could prevent a student from graduating when they plan to.

One of the major differences that this string of class cuts has is the fact that class were cancelled early. In past years, teachers were able to allow crashers to increase the number of students in their particular class. This year, most faculty weren’t given that opportunity.

Cutting classes further from the semester is also unfair, seeing as how many student’s personal budgets are depleted after the holiday season. Many students have to wait until they have the resources to pay for their classes, textbooks and associated costs.

Palomar should remember that most students don’t owe the campus any particular loyalty. If they are unable to get the classes that they need, they might as well take them elsewhere; costing the college even more money and enrollment numbers.

The college might be trying their hand at being fiscally responsible with their funds, but it isn’t working out. According to officials, Palomar has been in a deficit for several years now. Dipping into the reserve fund, as the school has been doing, is hardly a permanent solution.

Maybe the college has overestimated exactly how many classes should be offered, and the situation is just self-righting itself. Maybe tuition hikes have led to lower student enrollment.

What is certain is that Palomar needs to improve on this issue.

School officials should assess what classes are generally the most important for the average student, and focus their time and resources into those.

Palomar’s primary responsibility is to offer students a fair and supportive education. The school motto is “learning for success.”

All we’re asking is for school officials to try and live up to that tagline.