Gov. Rick Perry on Jan. 15 instructed institutions of higher education to submit plans by Feb. 15 for cutting 5 percent of state funding in the 2010-11 fiscal year.
Chancellor Bruce Leslie sent a letter requesting an exemption from the potential cuts because the district may have to cap enrollment to achieve a 5 percent target.
Otherwise, cuts could mean increased class sizes, eliminating Summer 2 classes and shortening the workweek to four days.
No one wants to needlessly cause hardships for employees, students or the community.
But the financial forecast is grim, and the reality is that this district likely will have to cope with a shortage in funds from the state.
District and college officials are trying to find areas to cut that will be as painless as possible.
If any of these changes must be implemented, officials need to decide quickly and let the everyone know.
Faculty, staff and students must be notified as soon as possible if the college switches to a four-day workweek this summer or eliminates the Summer 2 session.
A decision needs to be made now because this move affects internships, travel, family plans, child care and students' graduation plans — not to mention the reorganization of class schedules and syllabuses.
Four-day workweeks also affect organizations and camps that use college facilities.
If this change is implemented, the college could lose out on revenue made from groups renting gyms and the auditorium.
Ours is one of the busiest colleges in the summer, and it needs to have its doors open all week.
Do all of the Alamo Colleges have to switch to four-day weeks?
Palo Alto College has had a four-day summer schedule since the summer of 2003.
Can certain colleges be exempt from doing a four-day workweek if other colleges are more comfortable with it?
If district decides to cut Summer 2 classes, this extreme measure would hurt students who want to get ahead or make up classes in the summer and university students who want to take cheaper classes at community colleges.
Because of potential state funding cutbacks, colleges are left in a tight and unreasonable position.
Whatever plan this district picks will have shortcomings, but it must be communicated throughout the colleges.
No one should be left wondering what is going to happen next.
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