The RangeRRace to Retire

FORGOTTEN PIPES 6

NEW GARAGE 8

MUSICAL CHAIRS 12

A forum of free voices serving San Antonio College since 1926

Vol. 85 Issue 21 Single copies free April 25, 2011

Math Professor Ronald Coleman arrived at 4:20 a.m. and was the ninth person in line.

With only $8 million to go around, the early birds were ensuring they collected a 70 percent nest egg.

As early as 2 a.m. April 18, district employees eligible for retirement waited for the 6 a.m. opening of the college information technologies office at Lewis and West Ashby.

The incentive is limited to money taken out of the district’s rainy day fund, and is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Only about 170 of the 449 eligible employees are expected to collect. By 6:10 a.m., 42 staff and faculty members passed through the building in 12 minutes.

PAGE 5

The Ranger 2 • April 25, 2011

A forum of free voices serving San Antonio College since 1926The RangeR

3 News Board wants more time, options By Zahra Farah

4 Blotter Peeping returns to Moody By Julysa Sosa

5 News District employees wake early for retirement incentive By Megan Mares

6 May 31 deadline for study abroad trips By Ximena Victoria Alvarez RFP overlooks pump By Riley Stephens

8 Public-private proposal sprawls over 3 blocks By Megan Mares

10 Student vet shares fears in wake of shutdown watch By Dana Lynn Traugott Photo by Tyler K. Cleveland

11 Student finds talents combine in Web design By Alma Linda Manzanares

12 Department mergers reduce chair numbers to 20 By J. Almendarez

14 Inclusion, development new vision for adjuncts By Melody Mendoza

15 Sticky Note drawing for summer pay lottery By Melody Mendoza

16 District adds one-year non-tenure track position By Melody Mendoza

18 Evolution of an image By Laura Garcia

19 Project aims to help student become independent By Alma Linda Manzanares Photo by Jennifer M. Ytuarte

20 Attorney, trustees start planning 2010 redistricting By Zahra Farah Photo by Tyler K. Cleveland

22 Watching the clock By J. Almendarez Photo by JungKeun Song

23 Novelist Mark Busby reads excerpts from his work By Dana Lynn Traugott Photo by Alison Wadley

24 Annexation efforts not expected any time soon By Zahra Farah

25 Officials opt out of limelight By Zahra Farah

26 Strybos keeps light on, water running By Zahra Farah

27 Fabianke’s projects bringing colleges together By Melody Mendoza

28 Calendar

30 Editorials Why are officials hiding? Higher standards, quality

31 Fee should cover student life projects

31 Letters to the Editor Carrot 0, stick 1

32 Drastic incentive Waive down payment Hello, kitty

33 Viewpoint Life lessons, sports on the chopping block By J. Almendarez Librarian: Watchdog role vital Guest Viewpoint by John Deosdade

34 Officials & Policies

36 News Source awards honor best of the best sources

37 Ranger Web editor wins Journalist of the Year By Joshua Fechter

38 Editors take first place for in-depth reporting

39 Board sets 175-mile radius for college sports By Joshua Fechter

This issue

Digital design students sketch ponies Tuesday on the south steps of Koehler. Adjunct Akiko White brought her ponies, two dogs and a

rooster. This was the first time White brought animals to campus for her students to “catch the moment.” JungKeun Song

The Ranger April 25, 2011 • 3News

By Zahra Farah

A request from district staff to

increase a contract for auditing by

$100,000 Tuesday led to a vote to

table the measure and complaints

from trustees that big-ticket items

are brought to them at the “last

minute.”

Trustees voted 5-4 at the regu-

lar April meeting to table a request

to increase a contract with Ernst

and Young LLP by $100,000, which

would raise the limit on their con-

tract to $309,140. The vote also

included approval for the district

to seek other bidders and compare

the contracts at the board meeting.

Ernst and Young was awarded

the original contract of $177,945 for

1,009 hours in April 2010 to audit

public accounts.

Trustees who voted to table

and seek competitors were James

Rindfuss, District 9; Blakely

Fernandez, District 7; Joe Alderete,

District 1; Marcelo Casillas, District

4; and Anna Bustamante, District 3.

Trustees who favored the

$100,000 increase were Dr. Gene

Sprague, District 6; Denver

McClendon, District 2; Chairman

Gary Beitzel, District 8; and Roberto

Zárate, District 5.

In the discussion, Fernandez

said the staff rushes to the board

to make fast decisions on issues,

which might not be the best finan-

cial decision for the district. She

argued this is a bad practice that

staff does too often. Fernandez

said this 50 percent increase is “too

rich for her blood and too big of a

change brought last minute.”

The firm is requesting the

$100,000 increase because they are

required by law to audit six more

government programs then the two

they did for fiscal year 2011.

Fernandez said when they first

sent out the request for propos-

als the board picked the highest

or second highest of three bidders,

entered into a three-year contract,

and now they want to raise prices.

She suggested going out for

another request for proposal and

looking at what prices other firms

have to offer. “We’re nickel and dim-

ing all over district,” she said, add-

ing she can’t accept a 50 percent

increase in a contract. She said that

money could go toward tutoring.

Even though

Ernst and Young “did

a great job and are a

fabulous” this is too

big of a jump, she

said.

Sprague said he

agrees it looks expen-

sive, but he’s been

with the lowest firms

and he’s never seen a

firm as good as Ernst

and Young. He also

said they did not charge the district

for extra work not in the earlier RFP.

Alderete said he went through

an audit with a nonprofit group he

works with and there are enough

credible companies like Ernst

and Young reputable and hungry

enough to do the job. He said the

$100,000 equals a faculty member.

Alderete said whatever they did

extra, Ernst and Young knew what

they were doing; their job is to know

what is going on.

Rindfuss, said, “This is a sub-

stantial increase in an RFP I have

ever seen since I’ve been on the

board.” He said trustees owe it to

taxpayers and students to see if a

new request for proposals could

bring a better price.

Rindfuss said accounting firms

have finished tax season, and the

board could find and approve a

firm for the May board meeting. He

then called for a substitute motion

to table the original motion and

direct staff to prepare a request for

proposals.

Alderete seconded the substi-

tute motion.

McClendon asked about solicit-

ing other proposals.

Pamela Ansboury, associate vice

chancellor for finance and fiscal

services, said the district receives

$137.6 million in federal funds, and

they have to begin planning the

auditing schedule right after the

meeting. She’s concerned the dis-

trict will fall behind and not deliver

on single and financial audits.

Ansboury said the district could

limit the work or go

with Ernst and Young

this year and look for

a new firm next year

because a 60-day

notice of termination

is required.

Casillas called the

question, seeking an

end to discussion.

The item passed and

trustees discussed

staff instructions.

Dr. Eric Reno, Northeast

Lakeview College president, said a

part of the audit relates to Northeast

Lakeview’s accreditation and any

delay could push it back a year.

In other business, trustees

unanimously agreed tuition and

taxes should not increase in fall.

In-district students taking 12 hours

will pay $819 in tuition and fees.

Out-of-district students taking 12

hours will pay $1,491.

Rindfuss said he was uncom-

fortable with adopting a tuition rate

for fall when they hadn’t discussed

a possible enrollment cap. He said

it was unfair for students who only

need a three-hour class to have to

register for a minimum of six hours.

Zárate said he agreed with the

principle, but based on the reality

the district is facing, they have to

look at increasing tuition for four-

year university students who take

one or two district classes.

Rindfuss said he was concerned

they didn’t have a preliminary

report on the unintended conse-

quences that could come out of not

raising taxes or tuition.

Zárate said he understood, but

trustees had to set tuition rates for

fall, so students could start register-

ing. He said they could always raise

tuition rates for spring. He said they

don’t have information from the

state to know what to expect.

Rindfuss worried colleges would

cut back on classes, which could

keep student out.

Zárate said it’s not going to be

business as usual.

The former elementary princi-

pal said he wants to educate the

world, but the board has a financial

responsibility to the district.

Trustees have to determine

what level of services the district

can provide, then go back to the

student success agenda.

Trustees unanimously agreed to

increase fees for private music les-

sons, diplomas and transcripts. In

fall, graduates will not be charged

for a first diploma, but duplicates

are $25.

Students will not be charged for

requesting a first transcript by mail,

but additional mailed transcripts

will cost $10 each. The first elec-

tronic transcript will be free, and

subsequent transcripts cost $5. To

send a transcript to another institu-

tion within 24 hours will cost $35

mailed or $10 electronically.

Student IDs will continue to be

free, but replacement IDs will cost

$10.

The committee also agreed

to increase the tuition of private

music lessons. Students will be

charged $150 for two semester

credit hours of private lessons and

$95 for one semester credit hour.

The colleges now charge $45 an

hour for private music lessons and

$30 for a half-hour.

Trustees were in executive ses-

sion for about an hour, but did

not vote on any items when they

returned to open session.

For more information or to see

meeting agendas and minutes, go

to www.alamo.edu and click on

Board of Trustees, then Agenda.

Board wants more time, optionsTrustees table

$100,000 increase to auditing contract.

The board has scheduled a special

meeting at 4 p.m. May 9 in Room 101 of Killen Center at 201 W. Sheridan. The next regular board meeting

is scheduled for 6 p.m. May 17

beginning with a special meeting.

4 • April 25, 2011 The Ranger

Drivers failing to use turn signals or driving recklessly can face

consequences.

Not using a turning signal is a minor traffic violation.

However, reckless driving is an offense that can result in a $200 fine

and possible arrest.There is also potential

for suspension of a drivers license.

For more

information, visit www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us and select Transporation Code,

Chapter 545 and Section 001.

Blotter

SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE

April 8 — Individual reported her

iPhone had been stolen from the rest-

room. No suspects were found.

April 11 — Individual reported losing

her cell phone.

April 12 — A non-Alamo Colleges

affiliated individual was robbed while

walking in the area of Lewis and

Laurel south of this college. The victim

reported losing personal property. No

weapons were used.

Individual reported his bicycle had

been stolen. No suspects were found.

Individual reported two district laptops

had been stolen.

April 13 — Individual reported her

vehicle had been burglarized and per-

sonal items stolen. No suspects were

found.

April 14 — Individual reported her

vehicle had been damaged.

April 18 — Individual reported a

vehicle accident damaged her vehicle.

NORTHEAST LAKEVIEW

April 11 — Individual reported a hit-

and-run vehicle accident.

April 18 — Individual reported mark-

ings on a district fountain. No suspects

were found.

Individual reported his cell phone had

been stolen. No suspects were found.

NORTHWEST VISTA

April 10 — Officer reported a broken

district window.

April 11 — Individual reported several

locks had been cut off of lockers.

April 12 — Individual reported a hit-

and-run vehicle accident.

April 13 — Individual reported her

vehicle had been damaged.

Individual reported her vehicle side

mirrors had been stolen. No suspects

were found.

April 18 — Individual reported she

had active warrants and was turn-

ing herself in. No active warrant was

found.

PALO ALTO

April 13 — Officer reported two

women arguing in the parking lot.

Individual reported his bicycle had

been stolen. No suspects were found.

ST. PHILIP’S

April 8 — Individual reported damage

to a district gate.

April 12 — Individual reported his

motorcycle had been stolen. No sus-

pects were found.

Individual reported her vehicle had

been burglarized on campus six days

earlier.

ContaCt InfoEmergency

210-222-0911General DPS210-485-0099Weather Line210-485-0189

Did You Know?By Julysa sosa

Holes of different sizes have been appearing in

stalls since the fall in men’s restrooms in Moody

Learning Center.

Facilities Director David Ortega

reported that restrooms on the

fourth, sixth and seventh floors have

had holes since the beginning of fall.

He said this isn’t a new problem; a

similar problem existed in McCreless

Hall about five years ago and “comes

and goes” in other buildings.

Since 2007, four complaints of

sexual activity in Moody have been made to cam-

pus police, 17 in the chemistry and geology build-

ing, one in nursing and allied health complex, and

one in Candler Physical Education Center.

“We’ve been plugging them as we find

them,”Ortega said. “It’s a bad situation.”

Ortega said individuals have been going into the

restrooms with drills and also removing steel plates

with tamper-proof screws.

“They come prepared,” he said. “If they can’t get

that plate off, they drill another hole.”

Deputy Chief Joe Curiel said police are working

with facilities to monitor the activity.

“Part of the investigation involves social net-

working operations and plain-

clothed officers,” he said, adding the

perpetrators communicate through

chat rooms or websites.

Curiel said students are respon-

sible for reporting anything suspi-

cious.

“They have to be our eyes and

ears,” he said. “We can’t be every-

where.”

Curiel said the perpetrators know when to act

and when to wait; now, they are holding back and

being more discreet.

Curiel explained covering up the holes is only a

temporary solution.

When individuals behind the action are caught,

they face being charged with a Class A misdemean-

or for public lewdness.

“I feel if we as a community can detect that act,

we can prevent it and make an arrest,” he said.

Peeping returns to Moody

To report any information on

this or any other incidents on

campus, call Curiel at 210-485-0184.

For more information, visit www.alamo.edu/

district/dps.

The Ranger April 25, 2011 • 5News

Story and photoS by Megan MareS

April 18, as early as 2 a.m., dis-

trict staff and faculty members

eligible for retirement waited for

the 6 a.m. opening of the college

information technologies office at

Lewis Street and West Ashby Place.

During the April 2 board retreat,

trustees agreed, in a 6-2 vote, on

a retirement incentive of 70 per-

cent of base salary for one year for

employees who retire by Aug. 31.

Eligible employees must be 65

years of age with a minimum of 10

years of full-time service or have

a combined 80 years of age plus

years of service with the district.

Employees enrolled in the

phased retirement program are

also eligible for the incentive, at a

pro-rated amount that is equal to

the amount of time left on their

phased retirement program.

The incentive is limited to $8

million in funding, money taken

out of the district’s $15 million rainy

day fund, and will be allocated on a

first-come, first-served basis.

Math Professor Ronald Coleman,

at this college, arrived at 3 a.m. and

was the ninth person in line.

With only $8 million to go

around, the early birds were ensur-

ing they collected a 70 percent nest

egg.

By 6:10 a.m., 42 staff and fac-

ulty members passed through the

building in only a 12-minute time

span, all taking advantage of a 70

percent base salary retirement

incentive.

Enough coffee and orange juice

for 150 people was provided, Idalia

Velazquez, human resources ben-

efits coordinator, said.

Velazquez and Linda Boyer-

Owens, associate vice chancellor

of human resources and organi-

zational development, both said

the $8 million in funding will serve

about 170 retirees.

About 449 people in the district

are eligible for retirement.

Melinda-Jo Rivero-Lara, senior

secretary in kinesiology, is one

of the retirees, and she said that

working at this college has been

her second job.

“I’ve worked here and at Handy

Andy,” she said. “That’s it.”

Maria Serna,

learning resource

specialist, has

worked at this

college for 33

years and even

this morning was

unsure about

retiring.

“I said if a train

stops me on the

way, then that’s a

sign,” she said. “I

hadn’t even filled

out the forms

before I got here.”

Serna decided

to turn in her election forms. “I’m

still nervous about this,” she said.

“We’ll see what the future holds.”

Gloria Medellin, recruiting and

employment manager, said she’s

heard a lot of the retiring employ-

ees’ names before but hasn’t met

a lot of them. “Now to be here as

they sign these forms…” she said

looking down, nodding.

Jesse Delgado, a welding

instructor at Southwest Campus of

St. Philip’s College, is part of the

phased retirement program but was

not on the eligible list that morning.

Boyer-Owens said for him to

submit his paperwork this morning

anyway and she would look into it.

Delgado start-

ed working for the

district in 1979

and became full

time in 1980.

“I’m excited

about this,” he

said. “There was

no hesitation at

all. I appreciate

the district for

doing this.”

At about 6:45

a.m., government

Professor Bill

Byerly stopped by

to discuss retire-

ment options with the human

resources staff.

“I’m still trying to decide,” he

said. “I’m going to have breakfast

and maybe come back.”

Alice Mendez, academic unit

assistant, said Thursday that Byerly

has decided to retire.

Librarian John Deosdade, has

worked at this college 27 years but

said he is tired of the battle.

He said he would guess 300

years of experience walked

through the college information

technologies office April 18 right

into retirement.

“The people who will suffer

because of this are the students,”

he said. “It was very depressing this

morning.”

By 7 a.m., about 50 employees

had passed through and turned in

their retirement election form.

Employees who submitted the

form had to be sure before doing

so. The form reads: if they decide to

“rescind or revoke” their full retire-

ment or resignation in reference

to their employment with this dis-

trict, they will be terminated.

All election forms are due by 5

p.m. May 31 for the program guar-

anteeing 70 percent of base salary.

As of 11 a.m. April 21, $3,571,862

remained of the $8 million allotted,

and 123 employees turned in their

retirement election forms.

The human resources sec-

tion of the district website has

been updated several times since

April 18 to reflect changes in a

graph showing how much money

remains in the program.

For more information

and to see the updates, visit,

w w w. a l a m o. e d u / d i s t r i c t / h r /

RetirementIncentive2011.htm.

District employees wake early for retirement incentive

“The people who will suffer because of this are the students.”John Deosdade librarian

Hope Cintron, director of organizational learning and employee devel-opment, waits for Manuel Flores, director of enrollment management, to sign in April 18 before turning in his retirement election form for the retirement incentive program.

Math Professor Ann Parsons waits in line to turn in her retire-ment election form April 18 out-side the Ashby House.

6 • April 25, 2011 The RangerNews

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By Ximena Victoria alVarez

Throughout February, students

received ACES emails about the variety

of study abroad programs and financial

aid or scholarship opportunities avail-

able. But the March 11 deadline came

and went and with it,

trips to Brazil, Russia,

Germany, Vietnam and

Cambodia.

The trips were canceled for lack of

student interest, Carol P. Fimmen, direc-

tor of international programs at Alamo

Colleges said.

For 2012 programs, proposals are due

May 31.

Fimmen said trips to Italy, China

and Japan proved a success, but after

the tsunami and earthquake in Japan,

that trip was canceled. Because of the

uncertainty of the situation, the deci-

sion was made to not put students’ lives

at risk. Deposits were being returned to

13 students.

At a forum here, Fimmen spoke with

faculty from continuing education,

English, media services and foreign lan-

guages who were interested in study

abroad. She talked about costs, the pro-

cess of a study abroad program and

assistance her office

can provide in find-

ing the best program

prices, and those that

include a hotel with breakfast to trim

student expenses.

Programs range from eight days to

nine weeks; prices depend on the coun-

tries as well as courses enrolled in.

Each program of 15 students must be

led by two faculty members.

Fimmen said small groups provide

a good environment for study abroad.

Fimmen also talked about a $25,000

scholarship divided among 20 students

of the Alamo Colleges with a 2.0 GPA

or higher.

May 31 deadline for study abroad trips

Visit www.alamo.edu/international.

By riley StephenS

When a bid was accepted for $8.35 million of renovation

work on the chemistry and geology building, one detail was

overlooked. A pump in the central plant that sends water

to the lowest level of the building was here when facilities

superintendent David Ortega arrived 20 years ago.

“Actually, the pump needed to be replaced when the

building was getting renovated,” Ortega said, noting it is

beyond its life expectancy. “The pump was not included

in the 2008 bid.”

The $11,049 job by Bolin Plumbing Contractors cut

water to the basement, and plastic covers restroom doors.

“Both the men and women’s restrooms have been

closed off today and tomorrow because there is no water,”

Ortega said Wednesday. The water was shut off so drains

would not clog. “All the waste from any water fixture drains

into a lift station and, from there, to the ground level.”

Wednesday, he found the pump had been left off a

request for bids on the building renovation. “Somebody

forgot to put it on the list during the renovation, one of

the engineers probably,” Ortega said. “This equipment has

to work. It’s just like using the bathroom; the pumps run

continuously. We can’t afford to have them fail.”

RFP overlooks pump

The Ranger April 25, 2011 • 7

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8 • April 25, 2011 The RangerNews

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By Megan Mares

Last spring, this college entered

a conversation initiated by the

Tobin Hill Historic District about a

public/private partnership.

The Tobin Hill Historic District

is popular for many reasons. With

five colleges and universities,

neighborhoods, restaurants, and

the zoo the district offers a variety

of strengths.

But North Main Avenue and

North St. Mary’s Street strips spe-

cifically contain a wide variety

of entertainment venues such as

clubs, bars and music halls that

have perhaps been the most noto-

rious for fun, crime and heavy-

hitting foot traffic.

One year after the initial pub-

lic/private partnership conversa-

tion began, David Mrizek, vice

president of college services, said

that the plans are still in the devel-

opmental stages.

The partnership will include

the use of Lot 26, the space south of

Luther’s Café that the college owns,

and the space where the campus

police department is located.

The two lots would be used

by a private company and would

provide parking space and educa-

tional space for this college.

Mrizek said the buildings

would consist of five elements in

three complexes — retail stores,

apartments, academic space, park-

ing garage and a central plant for

heating and air conditioning. The

ground level retail space would

include Luther’s Café.

The apartments are intended to

be private student housing for stu-

dents from this college and other

colleges, but the company will own

the apartments.

Mrizek said there will be 500 to

600 availabilities for the furnished,

all-bills paid student apartments.

The projected housing esti-

mates are $925 for one bedroom,

one bath; $1,400 for both two bed-

room, two bath and $2,300, for all 4

bedroom, 4 bath.

The estimates are all bills inclu-

sive.

Amenities in the complex could

include tanning beds, pool, cyber

café, HD theater, study rooms,

security features, flat screens in all

units, wifi and a parking spot for

each resident.

Mrizek said he does not know

what company is interested in

building the complexes, but said

that in about six to eight months,

building is expected to start.

He said the construction of the

complexes will take about three

years.

John Strybos, associate vice

chancellor of facilities opera-

tion and construction manage-

ment, said that the No. 1 rank-

ing response to Alamo Colleges’

request for proposal is a company

called NRP Group/Balfour Beatty.

According to January’s regular

board meeting minutes, their rec-

ommendations for the complexes

are a four-story, 150-unit, residen-

tial development on northwest

corner of North Main and East

Laurel.

There will be a 24-unit three-

story walk-up residential building

at the southwest corner of Howard

and Evergreen and 63 units in

a third residential building at

Evergreen and Main.

Public-private proposal sprawls over 3 blocksThe plan closes

Evergreen between Main and Howard.

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Recommendations also includ-

ed in January’s minutes are for the

1,000-space parking garage and

residential/retail component at

Main and Evergreen.

The idea is that the apartments

wrap around two sides of the

large parking structure, hiding the

garage from public view to tie it in

with the scale and design of adja-

cent structures and this college.

NRP Group/Balfour Beatty

also suggested to the board dur-

ing January’s meeting that the

100,000-square-foot academic

facility at Park Street and Main

Avenue combine with the parking

garage to emphasize a pedestrian

connection along Park Street to

this campus.

Mrizek said he thinks the com-

plexes will amplify the nightlife on

the strips. “It’s going to be a won-

derful addition,” he said.

President Gabriel Sanchez of

Tobin Hill Community Association

said that because of more commu-

nity involvement and new devel-

opments, crime has decreased.

Sanchez said Tobin Hill is a

safer place to live and has become

much more family-friendly.

Business partners Randy

Cunniff and Peter Becker, who own

Heat nightclub, Sparky’s Pub and

Luther’s Café, said they are really

looking forward to the public-pri-

vate partnership.

Cunniff said they are support-

ive of revitalizing the Main Avenue

area with more retail shops, hous-

ing and restaurants. He has met

many business owners interested

in space in the complexes, such

as hair salons and gift and antique

shops.

Becker added that instead of

students getting in their cars and

driving to the Quarry, they could

stay in the area to shop, eat and

hang out.

“That’s what we’re trying to

develop here,” he said.

The partners said the neigh-

borhood has been supportive of

their businesses, and the addition

of three new complexes would be a

nice compliment.

Cunniff said Carolyn Kelley,

former Tobin Hill Community

Association president, helped

them lobby for a sidewalk in front

of Luther’s Café.

He recalls speaking with the

neighborhood association about

helping them petition the city not

to pave the nearby areas into more

flat parking lots.

Dr. Robert Zeigler, president of

this college, said that he sees this

as a great opportunity.

“I see this as a ground breaking

thing,” he said. “The opportunities

are endless.”

Laura Garcia and Julysa Sosa

contributed to this article.

Proposed site of development

10 • April 25, 2011 The RangerNews

By Laura Garcia

Image is everything. This district would

know. It’s seen its share of makeovers — four

to be exact.

Thousands of dollars have been spent

renaming and branding the five colleges with a

consistent logo. According

to surveys presented by

advertising firm Anderson

Marketing Group, since

1988, not many students,

government and business leaders

or taxpayers could actually iden-

tify any of the colleges or district

logos.

Anderson found that in each

of the surveys SAC was much

more familiar to respondents

than any of the other colleges

or even the district itself.

Leo Zuñiga, associate vice chancellor

of communications, directed questions

about the district’s branding to district

director of public relations Mario Muñiz.

Muñiz, who’s been with the district

for about two years, said he man-

ages the district’s relationship with

Anderson and remembers when he

arrived the district had just adopt-

ed its latest name, and its image

was still somewhat “fragmented.”

He said there were at least 15 different logos

among the colleges and regional centers, and

this resulted in not a lot of recognition.

Muñiz said the district communications

department was scheduled to do another survey

on how recognizable the district’s image was,

but Zuñiga opted to halt the survey because of

the current budget constraints.

In early 2009, the firm estimated the image

change would cost $100,000. The Ranger report-

ed Jan. 27 that the district spent almost $16,000

to prominently brand four of the colleges with

the Alamo Colleges logo.

Anyone with a business card or need for let-

terheads felt the sting when the district changed

its image once again.

In 2007, Alamo Community College District,

still its legal name, dropped the “D” to become

the Alamo Community Colleges. In 2009,

“Community” was eliminated.

But what some

people may not

remember is from

1978 to 1982, the

district was officially named

San Antonio Community

College District.

In 1945, the district was

founded as San Antonio

Union Junior College District.

The most recent changes have

raised concern that despite a 2009 board

decision to forgo combining all of the

district’s colleges into one single college,

Chancellor Bruce Leslie appears intent

on realizing that plan.

The four individually accredited

institutions, San Antonio College,

St. Philip’s College, Palo Alto College

and Northwest Vista College,

and newlyopened Northeast

Lakeview College all fall under

the Alamo Colleges umbrella.

District has slowly garnered control of

duties that were previously handled in differ-

ent ways at each college, such as processing

transcript, centralizing the core curriculum

and a single instituting catalog of courses.

Muñiz described reworking the district’s

image was a

balancing act

because each

college wants

to be recog-

nized individually.

“When you change a brand, it can be

very traumatic for people,” Muñiz said. He

explained that marketing and branding in

higher education has been kind of taboo.

Dr. Mary Ann Stutts, a marketing

professor at Texas State University-San

Marcos, couldn’t agree more. She is a pub-

lished researcher of marketing and adver-

tising and a 2009 American Advertising

Federation Distinguished Advertising

Educator recipient.

She remembers when Texas State

University changed its name from

Southwest Texas State University in 2003.

“It’s a hard transition,” she said.

There were a lot of irate people, she said, but

many have “come around.”

She agrees with the branding move because

it may create more prestige and guesses that the

district’s premise was to elevate the college dis-

trict’s image. However, Stutts

said she isn’t sure why “com-

munity” was taken from the

name. “The word community

college isn’t negative.”

She defended

junior colleges like

this one, saying they

are feeder schools that

serve a huge purpose.

“There’s nothing wrong

with that,” she said.

Muñiz said that there seems to be a trend

across the country to pull out the word “com-

munity” from the name and that it has a nega-

tive connotation, especially from students.

Muñiz, who graduated from the University

of Texas at Austin, said he took courses in the

summer at this college and remembers the

classes weren’t easy.

He said that’s why the district communica-

tions department is pushing quality, affordabil-

ity and access in advertising.

Muñiz worries that even in the face of bud-

get cuts, the district should still advertise and

maintain its presence in the community.

There are a lot of competitors in the city,

especially for-profit schools, that may not have

the students’ best

interest in mind,

he said.

Muñiz said

he hopes to

conduct an inex-

pensive survey soon to find

out how people feel about the

Alamo Colleges logo but that

because of increasing enroll-

ment numbers he doesn’t

think the change hurt.

However, traditionally, in

a down economy, enrollment

numbers rise.

Tammy Kothe-Ramsey,

psychology sophomore

and Student Government

Association president, said

she personally thinks the

branding makes each college

appear generic.

Another complaint Kothe-Ramsey has with

the logo is that Alamo Colleges overshadows the

college’s name.

“I came to San Antonio College for a reason,

not Alamo Colleges,” she said.

Evolution of an image ‘traumatic’Expert wonders why “community”

was left out of the name.

The Ranger April 25, 2011 • 11News

By AlmA lindA mAnzAneres

To help someone in need, students are work-

ing together to raise $60,000-$80,000 to pur-

chase a special needs vehicle for a student

diagnosed with muscular dystrophy.

The vehicle is for international business

sophomore Sara Gabel who was diagnosed at

the age of 13.

Muscular dystrophy is a group of inherited

disorders that include muscle weakness and

loss of muscle tissue, which worsen over time.

Gabel said once she was diagnosed, she

researched at the National Institute of

Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Friedreich’s

Ataxia Research Alliance and the Muscular

Dystrophy Association.

All of it, she found to be depressing. “I feared

for my future,” she said.

She said she decided she couldn’t let the

disease get in her way, so she became involved

in after-school activities, such as the Hearing

Impaired Kids Endowment Fund and Habitat

for Humanity.

She also is actively involved with the

American Red Cross and the Muscular

Dystrophy Association telethon and other

awareness and fundraising events.

“She always has a smile on her face and is

glad to help others,” psychology sophomore

Carmen Verastique said.

Verastique invited a trio of photography

sophomores Juan Diego Espinoza, Destiny

Mata and Leda Garcia to work on a calendar,

featuring firefighters, to raise money for a vehi-

cle for Gabel.

Espinoza and Garcia partnered with

Mata in February to enter the San Antonio

Neighborhood Film Project 2.0 sponsored by

the city.

Mata won first place in the student category for

the West Side with her film “Working for Mi Gente.”

Once Gabel’s vehicle is purchased, more

funds will be needed for modifications, such as

installing a lift and rearranging seats.

Last year, to fund her vehicle, Gabel orga-

nized a carwash with firefighters that raised

about $1,600.

This year, she thought a calendar might be

a good idea. On the project, Espinoza is the

photographer and everyone else assists with

equipment and set up.

The students have conducted photo shoots

at three fire stations and want to shoot at the

San Antonio Fire Academy, Verastique said.

Espinoza said about 700 photos have been

taken, but of every 100, only about one shot is

usable. Verastique said the project is important

simply to give back to someone in need.

“I feel like it’s important that I encourage

her, empower her and support her in reaching

this goal,” Verastique said. “If I can help one

person reach their goal, maybe I can influence

others to do the same.”

Gabel tutors mentally and physically dis-

abled students on campus and edits books for

the Kurzweil Educational Systems, which cre-

ates audio books for people with special needs.

She said she does this to give other students

the opportunities she has been blessed with.

She said she plans to transfer to Texas A&M

University-San Antonio to study international

business so she can help other disabled people

around the world have the same opportunities

she has.

Gabel said the project is to help her become

less dependent on others.

“I rely on my parents for a lot of stuff,” Gabel

said. “So this is an attempt to become more

independent so I can achieve my goals and help

others do the same.”

For more information on the project or to

contribute, email Verastique at carmen.veras-

tique@gmail.com.

Project aims to help student become independent

International business sophomore Sara Gabel helps library science sophomore Loree Morgan with her business calculus homework in the disability services computer lab March 31. Jennifer M. Ytuarte

The Ranger 12 • April 25, 2011 News

By J. AlmendArez

This fall, 12 departments on campus are

going to be merged into five for an estimated

savings of $340,000.

The savings are in light of the $20.4 million

budget pressure from expenses and revenue

this district faces.

The mergers also are reshaping the adminis-

trative structures within each of the new depart-

ments.

The merged departments have elected new

chairs to represent them.

Then program coordinators are selected to

represent each of the programs within a new

merged department.

For instance, Jeff Hunt, chair of theater and

speech communications, has been elected

to become chair in the fall of the new fine

arts department composed of the theater and

speech communications, visual arts and music

programs.

Current music Chair Mark Denison has been

elected music coordinator; Susan Witta-Kemph

visual arts coordinator; and Paula Rodriguez the-

ater and speech communications coordinator.

However, while Dr. Jessica Howard, vice

president of academic affairs, said the admin-

istrators originally planned for each merged

department to have a program coordinator, that

idea has changed to meet the needs of each new

department.

“It’s not going to be a one size fits all,” she

said.

The division of labor between the chair and

coordinators will change the role chairs play in

departments.

After the mergers take place, department

chairs will be responsible for what newly elect-

ed English Chair Gilliam “Mike” Burton called

“strategic planning.”

Hunt went into detail about some of the

expectations of the new chair.

He said the new chairs will be responsible

for strategic planning for each discipline, annu-

al planning to evaluate if the department has

fulfilled divisional and college goals, faculty

evaluations, second-level student grievances;

the analysis of productive grade rates, retention

of students, and transfer rates; and overseeing

advising.

They also will be responsible for oversee-

ing a five-year academic review, which will be

made easier, he said, because of the new yearly

reviews that will be required by the chair.

He said program coordinators will “be

responsible for more daily operations,” which

include scheduling classes, evaluation and hir-

ing of adjuncts and staff, first-level student

grievances and logging faculty course loads to

ensure they are paid correctly.

However, other chairs seemed less sure

about what the new role of the chairs and coor-

dinators will be.

Paul Wilson, political science and econom-

ics chair, has been elected chair of the merged

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Department mergers reduce chair numbers to 20Duties of new coordinators and

chairs remain unclear.

Register for FREE tickets

in The Ranger newsroomin Loftin

Room 212Deadline April 29Drawing May 2

Show May 10-15

The Ranger April 25, 2011 • 13News

Join online – rbfcu.org210-945-3300 | 1-800-580-3300

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political science and economics, and history,

humanities and anthropology departments.

He said, “The division of labor is very vague

at this point.”

Burton confirmed that duties for each coor-

dinator and chair have been discussed, but there

has been no clear definition of the expectations

of each role by the administration yet.

Howard said a list that outlined the division of

duties was sent to chairs weeks ago, and she will

look into why some of the chairs did not seem to

get the information.

“We talked to a lot of departments for their

feedback,” she said.

Another aspect that will change within

merged departments next fall is release time.

Released time is the amount of time allotted

to a chair or coordinator to complete administra-

tive duties.

Currently, the amount of released time given

to chairs and coordinators has many variables,

which include department size, faculty, pro-

gram hours and number of coordinators within

a department.

Howard said when the administration origi-

nally considered merging departments, released

time was expected to remain intact.

However, she said the board of trustees and

chancellor are now discussing changing release

time options for chairs and coordinators.

While she said a reduction or elimination

of released time is possible, special pay may

be considered for those who are adversely

affected.

“A lot of this is still uncertain,” she said.

Effects from the mergers are not limited to

administrative and faculty changes, though.

Students also will be affected if coordinators

do not have the time to work with them because

of their day-to-day duties.

Denison said if coordinators handle daily

responsibilities, he would be left with “less time

available for certain issues.”

For instance, he said the music depart-

ment has a high-profile status on campus and

throughout the community, saying that stu-

dents in the music department regularly per-

form on campus.

“I’m not going to be able to be the desig-

nated middle man anymore,” he said.

He said this will require people and orga-

nizations interested in booking performances

to work more directly with students to orga-

nize rehearsals, plan events and decide which

resources are available for performances.

“It’s going to have a significant impact

because I will no longer be able to be the arms

and legs for the music department,” he said.

However, he said he felt “lucky” that Hunt

would be able to help with tasks the coordina-

tors would not have time for.

Other chairs are concerned their time will

not be allotted to help coordinators with large

tasks.

Wilson said the administration should “be

careful to protect the time for the chairs to do

those things if that’s the role they see them

playing.”

He is concerned that chairs will have to take

on administrative duties because of a “lack of

other administrative resources.”

He said as the district changes and has fewer

faculty members and more students, duties

likely will be added to many positions, includ-

ing the chairs.

“It happens in any academic position,”

Wilson said. “It will take us a while to discover

operational efficiencies.”

14 • April 25, 2011 The Ranger News

By Melody Mendoza

An adjunct town hall meeting at 10 a.m.

Saturday is to relay information about the bud-

get’s effect on adjunct faculty, President Robert

Zeigler said.

An all-college meeting last week was an

inconvenient time for most adjuncts, Zeigler

said, so he hopes this meeting will

accommodate more adjunct fac-

ulty.

Zeigler said he foresees concern

about the demand for adjuncts

increasing as full-time faculty opt for

the 70/50 percent retirement incen-

tives being offered.

The district decided on a 70

percent retirement incentive for

faculty who retire before Sept. 1 and

a 50 percent incentive for those who retire by

Jan. 1.

By 6:10 a.m. April 18, 42 employees had sub-

mitted retirement election forms.

As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, 121 employees

districtwide had applied, leaving an estimated

$3,628,549 of the $8 million of the rainy day fund

available for this incentive.

Zeigler said adjuncts might want to know

what this college will offer to ensure profes-

sional growth as the district relies on them

more.

He said the college is trying to make an effort

to work with the Adjunct Council to inform

adjuncts of available workshops on teaching

techniques and technology training.

Adjunct Council Chair Jerry Townsend,

media communications full-time adjunct, said

he was named the chair March 23 and plans

to include adjuncts in convocation and colleg-

ewide meetings.

He said adjuncts tend to be treated as a

separate group when it comes to things they

could benefit from, such as faculty develop-

ment.

The council has been working on a video to

encourage the other colleges in the district to

form their own adjunct council, he said.

Townsend said because “we are only one

college,” issues taken to the board of trustees

are rejected.

“We don’t have a voice,” he said. “There is no

one at the table.”

By forming councils across the district,

adjuncts can build to form a district group like

Super Senate, the gathering of representatives of

the Faculty Senates from the colleges.

Townsend said this college’s council is about

six years old and English Adjunct Amanda

Martin has served as president.

He said there was a council once before,

but disappeared for a couple of

years.

“The next stage, as I see it, is

maturation,” he said.

Townsend said he wants to try

to build links between the Chairs

Council, Faculty Senate and Staff

Council, other employee represen-

tative bodies at this college, and

meet at least once a semester.

This week, Townsend said he is

working on getting a list of adjuncts from the

department chairs so he can build an adjunct-

all email list before the semester is over.

Because of the recent consolidations,

Townsend said the representatives on the coun-

cil are no longer valid.

Townsend hopes to conduct elections in the

fall to ensure representation for the new depart-

ments.

A council member serves two years but can

be re-elected to serve up to four years.

There are nine available positions.

After the council creates an email list,

Townsend said he wants to take a survey to find

out adjuncts’ needs and priorities.

Eventually, Townsend said he wants to be

able to have monthly recognitions.

He also has an idea for the first collegewide

adjunct social event, suggesting a Christmas

party.

With the new Web content management

system, the website that district is launching

this fall, Townsend said the council will have a

Web page.

There, each possible council from the Alamo

Colleges could post information for adjuncts

districtwide.

For more information, call Townsend at

210-486-1780 or email him at gtownsend@

alamo.edu.

Inclusion, development new vision for adjuncts

Saturday meeting set to apprise adjuncts of effects of budget cuts.

Jerry Townsend

Spring, Flex 2 Final Exam Schedule

Monday, May 9(MWF and MW)

Class Time 7 a.m. 7 a.m.-9:30 a.m.10 a.m. 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.1 p.m. 1 p.m.-3:30 p.m.3:50 p.m. 3:50 p.m.-6:20 p.m.

Tuesday, May 10(TR)

Class Time8 a.m. 8 a.m.-10:30 a.m.10:50 a.m. 10:50 a.m.-1:20 p.m.1 p.m. 1:40 p.m.-4:10 p.m.1:40 p.m. 1:40 p.m.-4:10 p.m.

Wednesday, May 11(MWF and MW)

Class Time8 a.m. 8 a.m.-10:30 a.m.11 a.m. 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.2 p.m. 2 p.m.-4:30 p.m.2:25 p.m. 2:25 p.m.-4:55 p.m.

Thursday, May 12(TR)

Class Time6:30 a.m. 6:30 a.m.-9 a.m.9:25 a.m. 9:25 a.m.-11:55 p.m.12:15 p.m. 12:15 p.m.-2:45 p.m.3:05 p.m. 3:05 p.m.-5:35 p.m.

Friday, May 13(MWF)

Class Time9 a.m. 9:30 a.m.-11:30Noon noon-2:30 p.m.

Note: Final exams for evening and weekend classes are given during class hours. Department chairs can schedule final exam dates that do not conform to this schedule.

The Ranger April 25, 2011 • 15News

By Melody Mendoza

English professors and instructors were

assigned a number written on a Sticky Note,

folded similarly and drawn from a cardboard

box to see which professors would be paid at

the full-time pay rate or the adjunct rate this

summer.

Chancellor Bruce Leslie, vice chancellors

and the presidents of the colleges decided that

summer pay would be decided in a lottery to

ensure a 50-50 full-time to adjunct pay ratio in

a budget-driven decision.

English Chair Alex Bernal said there were 32

of 39 faculty members participating because

they wanted to teach this summer.

Before the lottery, he said everyone was

assigned at least one class taught at the full-

time pay rate. Then they drew numbers from a

cardboard box.

Although Bernal said he is proud of his col-

leagues, he said the lottery system had unin-

tended consequences.

He said the lottery is a “morale buster”

because it doesn’t matter if a faculty member

completed hours to get a promotion, received

tenure or did extra work to earn a Ph.D.

“None of it matters; it’s a game of chance,”

Bernal said. He said it may have been a good

system but was limited.

“It doesn’t make the best of shared gover-

nance,” he said.

He said district administrators are micro-

managing departments by telling them

exactly what to do

to save money. It

seems that loy-

alty and senior-

ity do not matter

to the district, he

said.

Bernal said if

his department had

done it by seniority,

it would have gotten

the same results.

English Professor

Janice Clayton said she has taught here for 40

years but hasn’t taught in the summer in the

last five years.

She said because she isn’t teaching this

summer, it gives her colleagues an opportu-

nity to increase their pay to meet some of their

obligations.

Clayton said she believes in “equal pay for

equal work. “I think adjunct professors are

being ripped off because they do a fantastic job

teaching,” she said. She added that administra-

tors take advantage of their expertise and hire

them as cheaply as they can.

Sooner or later, this college will be a “shop-

ping mall of adjuncts,” she said.

Although she said she hopes she is wrong,

she sees this coming, especially with the deci-

sion to hire new librarians as

professional staff instead of

faculty as they currently are.

The librarians at this col-

lege have been advocating

since March 2010 to retain

faculty status. The chancel-

lor’s decision in February

to hire new librarians

as professional staff is

expected to save about

$300,000.

“This is all part of

diminishing power and status of

faculty,” Clayton said.

In 2010, 619 sections were taught

at this college during Summer 1 by

489 full-time faculty, 79 percent, and

130 part-time faculty, 21 percent.

During Summer 2, only 278 sec-

tions were offered and were taught

by 223 full-time, 80.22 percent,

and 55 part-time, 19.78 percent.

Therefore, the 50-50 ratio

greatly impacts this college

where 180 full-time faculty mem-

bers would need to be paid at the adjunct rate

during Summer 1 and 84 during Summer 2.

At St. Philip’s College, 356 sections were

offered during Summer 1 and were taught by

243 full-time faculty, 68.3 percent, and 113

part-time faculty, 31.7 percent. There were 94

sections during Summer 2 taught by 52 full-

time, 55.32 percent, and 42 part-time faculty, or

44.68 percent.

This means that during Summer 1, 65 full-

time faculty would need to take the adjunct pay,

and five during Summer 2 to achieve the 50-50

ratio was done.

Palo Alto College offered 249 sections dur-

ing Summer 1 taught by 160 full-time faculty, or

64.3 percent, and 89 part-time faculty, or 35.7

percent. In Summer 2, there were 150 sections

offered taught by 79 full-time faculty, 52.67 per-

cent, and 71 part-time faculty, 47.33 percent.

For that college, 36 full-

time faculty would need to

be paid at the adjunct rate

for Summer 1 and four for

Summer 2.

There were 618 sections

offered at Northwest Vista

College during Summer 1,

which were taught by 301

full-time faculty, 48.7 percent,

and 317 part-time, 51.3 per-

cent. During Summer 2, 132

sections were taught by 43 full-

time faculty, 32.6 percent, and 89 part-time,

67.4 percent.

At Northwest Vista, only eight full-time fac-

ulty members would need to take the adjunct

rate for Summer 1. For Summer 2, it would have

to add 23 full-time to attain the 50-50 ratio.

At Northeast Lakeview College, 157 sections

were taught by 84 full-time faculty, 53.5 percent,

and 73 part-time faculty, 46.5 percent. There

were 150 sections offered in Summer 2 taught

by 60 full-time, 40 percent, and 90 part-time,

60 percent.

And the 50-50 ratio would affect Northeast

Lakeview the least. Six full-time faculty would

need to take the adjunct pay rate for Summer

1. And for Summer 2, Northeast Lakeview also

would have to add 15 full-time faculty to be at

the 50-50 ratio.

Sticky Note drawing for summer pay lotteryEnglish chair calls game-of-chance

drawing a “morale buster.”

Number of sections taught by full-time faculty in 2010 Summer 1 and 2 that would be paid at adjunct rate in Summer 2011 to achieve a 50-50 ratio.

16 • April 25, 2011 The RangerNews

By Melody Mendoza

A new category for hiring faculty — a one-

year full-time non-tenure-track appointment

— is being proposed in Alamo Colleges to give

colleges more flexibility in hiring, President

Robert Zeigler said Tuesday in a faculty forum.

This addition was among revisions of eight

district procedures discussed with about 40

faculty members concerning changes applying

to faculty.

Zeigler said the procedures would go before

the board in May to be executed this fall.

Dr. Jessica Howard, vice president of aca-

demic affairs, said a district Promotion and

Tenure Committee made up of two faculty rep-

resentatives from each college has been review-

ing these procedures for about a year and a half.

Then, a college team made up of Howard,

Zeigler and the two members of the district’s

Promotion and Tenure Committee from this

college — Thomas Billimek, psychology and

sociology chair, and Vernell Walker, dean of pro-

fessional and technical education — reviewed

the changes to see “what we thought was a deal

breaker,” Howard said.

The revised draft for procedure D.2.5.1,

Hiring Authority, Status, Assignments and

Duties, states that “non-tenure track appoint-

ments may be for no longer than one academic

year at a time and are limited to situations

where the program’s long-term sustainability is

uncertain.”

Howard said this category is intended for

unproved programs.

Zeigler said these faculty would not be eli-

gible for tenure or promotion and would be

paid at the adjunct rate.

He said, for example, student demand for

Japanese classes forces the instructor to teach

beyond the 11 hours required; therefore, a non-

tenure track faculty member would provide

more flexibility in such a small discipline.

Attendees suggested that district develop a

review process so non-tenured faculty wouldn’t

be hired year after year.

Zeigler said he would take it to Chancellor

Bruce Leslie to develop more specificity.

Howard said Wednesday that a full-time

adjunct has at least 12 course hours with no

expectation of them working beyond the given

semester. Non-tenure-track faculty would have

an annual contract.

Concerning proposed changes in tenure

and promotion procedures, Howard said this

college’s team response to proposed changes

includes supporting:

• Members of promotion and tenure com-

mittee should be tenured.

• Chairs should not have to do an excessive

number of faculty evaluations.

• Academic requirements for promotion

should remain the same and a portion could be

in continuing education units for both arts and

sciences and professional and technical faculty.

• Full professors should require Class 5 sta-

tus — master’s degree plus 36 hours.

First, “We felt it’s very important to have

every one on the committee to be tenured,”

she said of the department’s tenure committee.

“How can you bestow something if you haven’t

been on tenure?”

She also said the college’s team had a gen-

eral concern that chairs would have to do a lot

more evaluations, a procedure that came from

the Promotion and Tenure Committee because

chairs already have so much to do.

Although program coordinators may be

available to help with evaluations, she said they

are expected to receive little, if any, release time

beginning in the fall.

The district committee proposed evaluating

tenured faculty every other year instead of the

current policy where only chairs evaluate them

every other year.

The committee’s proposal would add class-

room observations and peer evaluations every

other year, and the majority agreed.

For adjunct evaluations, the group discussed

evaluating adjuncts more frequently than the

classroom observation in each of the first two

semesters and annually after that.

English Instructor Frances Crawford argued

that the concern is the number of adjuncts to be

evaluated. But she said if chairs don’t evaluate

adjuncts as other faculty, then they might feel

that they’re not as important.

Other faculty argued that the ability to not

rehire adjuncts after a semester is an evaluation

of sorts.

The Promotion Tenure Committee formed a

chart in Procedure D.7.1.2, Faculty Performance

Evaluations, which shows the current five evalu-

ations for adjunct faculty, full-time tenure track

faculty, full-time non-tenure track and full-time

temporary faculty and full-time tenured faculty.

The five evaluations are student evaluations,

classroom observations, peer review evalua-

tions, faculty self-evaluations and faculty evalu-

ation by chairperson.

The changes to current practices are requir-

ing classroom observations every other fall and

peer reviews for tenured faculty every other

spring instead of the current requirement of only

when necessary for promotion applications.

Another change is requiring classroom

observations each fall for full-time non-tenure

track and full-time temporary faculty. They also

would have to do a faculty self-evaluation and

have an evaluation by the chair each year.

Every semester, students in all classes will

continue to evaluate the instructor or professor.

Three-year growth plans have been discon-

tinued.

Howard discussed the Promotion Tenure

Committee’s change to procedure D.8.2.1,

Faculty Promotion Process, that the qualify-

ing degree for a full-time professor must be 36

semester hours or equivalent credit above the

qualifying degree.

District adds non-tenure trackNon-tenure-track will be hired on a one-year appointment.

Dr. Jessica Howard, vice president of academic affairs, discusses proposed changes in tenure and promotion Tuesday in chemistry and geology. Tyler K. Cleveland

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She said the college’s team dis-

agreed and said it should be what

it is now — a professor should be

Class 5 or have a master’s degree

plus 36 hours because, otherwise,

a person with a bachelor’s degree

might be qualified to teach as a

professor. She said the qualifying

degree for some professional and

technical programs is an associ-

ate degree.

In a related concern, astron-

omy Professor David Wood dis-

agreed with a faculty member’s

suggestion to have a person with

a doctorate degree begin employ-

ment as an assistant professor.

Currently, Howard said, there

is no consistency in whether a

new faculty member with a doc-

torate is given the rank of instruc-

tor or assistant professor.

He said he was hired as an

instructor even though he has a

doctorate degree, so he would

need to be promoted also.

Howard said it would be dif-

ficult to accommodate cur-

rent instructors with doctorate

degrees.

Therefore, the group decided

that the promotion procedure

should stay constant between

new hires and current instructors.

Zeigler said under procedure

D 2.5.1, Hiring, Authority, Status

and Duties, that if a faculty mem-

ber applies for a non-faculty posi-

tion, like as an administrator, the

faculty member would keep their

tenure for two years and then

have to choose to go back to the

classroom to maintain it or stay

in the administrative position and

lose their tenure.

Zeigler said this might discour-

age faculty from applying for an

administrator position because of

the pressure on job security.

Howard said Wednesday that

this would be effective starting

in fall.

Then faculty questioned inter-

im positions, and Zeigler said the

district hopes to limit the length

of time for an interim position.

Faculty argued that this was

another one of district’s attempt

to discourage faculty, which “is all

that seems to be on their agenda,”

Susan Witta-Kemph, chair of visu-

al arts, said.

Jeff Hunt, theater and speech

communications chair, added

that, “It’s a control issue.”

Also, the Promotion Tenure

Committee objected to a change

to Procedure D.8.2.1 that would

allow arts and sciences faculty to

use 25 percent of their academic

requirements toward promotion

in continuing education units and

professional and technical faculty

using 100 percent.

Howard said the team wanted

to keep it with the current 50 per-

cent for both groups.

Hunt suggested clarifica-

tion of the responsibilities of the

Department Tenure Committee in

Procedure D.2.5.5, Faculty Tenure

Process. The procedure states that

the department elects the com-

mittee and then goes to the chair

to be approved.

Hunt asked if chairs can vote

even thought they cannot serve

on the committee.

Although Howard said it is not

clarified, Zeigler said the cleanest

way would be for chairs to abstain

from voting because they get their

vote when they approve or disap-

prove the department’ election.

Even if the chair disapproves,

the candidates still go forward are

reviewed by the dean or appropri-

ate administrator, Howard said.

Then, a faculty member asked

how consolidations would affect

the outcome of voting for the

department tenure committee.

Howard said this would be

difficult for unrelated disciplines

such as the merger of foreign lan-

guages and philosophy, under

Chair Tammy Perez this fall.

“There’s no reason people

should vote on the others in

another discipline,” she said. She

suggested changing departments

to “discipline-program.”

Howard said if faculty have

questions or concerns, they can

contact her at 210-486-0950 by

next week.

18 • April 25, 2011 The RangerNews

By Dana Lynn TraugoTT

When Amanda Justice separated from the

U.S. Army, she returned to civilian life with ben-

efits to pay for her college education.

But on April 8, while the people of the United

States awaited news of a government shutdown,

the radio-television-film sophomore sat on the

edge of her seat because the Department of the

Treasury pays her monthly military veteran’s

benefits.

During the last hour before a budget deci-

sion was made, the government experienced

its seventh stopgap measure, or a continuing

resolution, before agreeing on a federal budget

for the 2011 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30.

When Justice joined the military, she signed

a contract agreeing to pay $100 per month

under the GI Bill into her benefits.

With the contract, Justice was promised

$1,200 per month to get through college, but

with tightening of the budget, that amount has

been reduced to $1,147 per month.

“We don’t have enough money in this coun-

try,” Justice said, adding she fears budget cuts

will continue, creating an obstacle to finishing

college.

The contract states the soldier’s beginning

pay, rank, bonus (for special duty), residence,

military occupation specialty and an option to

receive GI Bill benefits.

She said length of service determines the

benefits amount for college.

If a soldier signs a three-year contract, the

military will pay 100 percent of college tuition,

and for a two-year contract, 80 percent.

Justice served two years and eight months,

so she receives 90 percent.

She signed the post-9-11 GI Bill contract,

Chapter 33, which increased benefits and

dropped the $100 per month for 12 months

requirement.

In 2005, the military allotted her $56,000

with a $6,000 sign-on bonus for college tuition

because of her experience as a saxophone play-

er.

Soldiers typically begin at $36,000 per year.

Justice, who served as specialist E-4, played

the saxophone for the Army Materiel Command

band. Her military occupational specialty name

was 42 Romeo.

She played at funerals, homecomings,

deployments, Fourth of July ceremonies, com-

munity events, and with a general’s recommen-

dation, she wrote the Army Materiel Command

band’s unit march, which begins and ends every

ceremony for the command.

The Army Materiel Command builds equip-

ment for the Army, such as bulletproof vests,

uniforms, ammunition, weapons and aircraft.

“If the Army uses it, the AMC makes it,” she

said.

She said she feels it would be a complete

breach of contract if the military stopped pay-

ing her benefits in the event of a shutdown.

Had the government closed down, her

tuition would be in jeopardy.

If she couldn’t attend school, she would have

to find a mediocre job.

“I’m glad they didn’t. I fulfilled my part of my

contract honorably. It’s asinine that they would

revoke the benefits that I already earned,”

Justice said.

Student vet fears potential shutdown

Radio-television-film sophomore Amanda Justice Tyler K. Cleveland

The Ranger April 25, 2011 • 19News

By AlmA lindA mAnzAnAres

Judy Campa, who has an associate degree

in Web design, found a “craving” in creating art

though computers after bouncing back and forth

between competing interests for her major.

A panel of judges confirmed her decision

when she was named a finalist this year in the

South By Southwest Interactive awards, in the

student category, for her portfolio website.

The interactive awards focus on the most

innovative trends, products and developments

in the new media industry in several categories

including art, business, film and music.

In 2010, she won a Gold Addy award from

the local chapter of the American Advertising

Federation in San Antonio

for her interactive website

“Sagmeister” and a Bronze

Addy in the regional level in

competition with students

from Texas, Oklahoma,

Arkansas and Louisiana.

Later that year, she was awarded a New

Vistas in Media’s Best in Show, Best Web and

Interactive and Design for her interactive web-

site, Video Production Emoticons.

That earned her scholarships that totaled

$1,500 and a $2,000 internship with Northwest

Vista College’s workforce education and train-

ing department.

She interned at Sharkmatic Advertising, an

ad agency that uses edgy and traditional ways

of marketing to enhance a client’s

image and the way the image is

communicated to customers.

“This internship has taught me a

lot because these people are already

experienced so I can ask them any-

thing, and they always know the

answers,” she said. “They also give

me advice on my personal work.”

Howie Nespel, owner of

Sharkmatic Advertising, said Campa

is positive and friendly.

“(This internship)is going to bridge the

gap between what she

learned from school

and what is required

from advertisers in the

real world,” he said.

Campa said she

knew she wanted to take courses in art after

attending St. Francis Academy, a high school

geared strictly toward education. Art opportuni-

ties were limited.

Computers with art seemed like a “good fit,”

she said.

“It’s harder than what I thought it would be,

and there were times when I didn’t know if I

liked the creative pressure,” Campa said. “But

when I’m not doing it, I’m craving it.”

She said she admires and finds ideas from

the interactive art of Big Spaceship,

a digital creative agency that spe-

cializes in interactive market-

ing and communications. Clients

include Sony Pictures, Coca-Cola

and 20th Century Fox.

The agonizing part of her work

is filling up a “blank canvas,” she

said.

“Fifty percent of my work is

coming up with designs and ideas,

and the other 50 percent is imple-

menting them.”

Campa is exploring the technical side of

web design by attending this college to obtain

a web programming Level 1 certificate in hopes

of transferring to Texas State University’s com-

puter information systems to minor in com-

puter science.

“It’s interesting because I started with the

art, but now, I’m going to the technical side

which brings it all together in a nice way,” she

said.

Student finds talents combine in Web designDigital design student wins

honors at SXSW in student interactive category.

Judy Campa’s portfolio can be viewed at www.sabluetoast.

com/judycampa.

Judy Campa

20 • The Ranger News

By Zahra Farah

District trustees started the redistricting process by voting 8-0 at

Tuesday’s special board to approve guidelines for public

participation in the redistricting process and criteria for

adopting a plan to be used by Alamo Colleges.

District 6 trustee Gene Sprague was late to the meet-

ing and did not get to vote on the redistricting criteria.

David Méndez, attorney from Bickerstaff Heath

Delgado Acosta, presented to the board guidelines they

and interested community members need to follow

to avoid a lawsuit and develop a plan that will be

accepted by the U.S. Department of Justice.

At the March regular board meeting, the firm

was awarded a contract of $54,190

to redraw the nine single-mem-

ber districts of the Alamo

Community College

District based

on the 2010

a d j u s t e d

U.S. cen-

sus.

M é n d e z

said he hates

to intrude in

the middle of bud-

get problems, but they

would need to finish close

to the end of August, so the

plan can be looked at further in

Washington, D.C., and used for the

2012 presidential election.

Some of the criteria the district must

adhere to are:

• Easily identifiable geographic boundaries

must be followed.

• Splitting communities and neighborhoods

should be avoided.

• Districts should be drawn in a way that permits

precinct voting as much as possible.

• Any district plan should be based on existing districts.

• Consideration may be given to incumbents and their his-

tory representing an area.

• Each of the nine districts’ population, based on new numbers

from the 2010 Census, must be fairly equal with one another.

• The difference between the districts cannot be more than 10

percent.

District 1, represented by Joe Alderete, is the least populated district,

Méndez said. It is about 18.59 percent underpopulated compared to

the other districts.

Ideally, there should be 190,530 people per district to meet the 10

percent requirement, but District 1 only has 155,114 people.

Attorney, trustees start planning 2010 redistrictingTrustees plan for a public hearing on redistricting

July 19 before the regular board meeting.

Moving linesThe boundaries of the nine districts are

expected to rotate counterclockwise and move toward the northwest to reflect population shifts demonstrated in the 2010 U.S. census.

A consultant will draft new district boundary lines to reapportion the county population within the nine districts.

The shifts show the tremendous growth on the Northwest side.

BickerStaff Heath Delgado Acosta will present revised boundaries in a public hearing before the July board meeting, and trustees are expected to approve a new map in the August regular board meeting.

April 25, 2011 • 21News

This means they need 35,000 people to get back to district size.

District 7, represented by Blakely Fernandez, has the highest popula-

tion of 247,475 people.

District 6, represented by Gene Sprague, has the second highest

population of 247,105.

Méndez said for those two districts, there are 100,000 extra people

that need to be included in Districts 1, 2, 3, 8 and 9.

To reapportion among the nine districts, the current boundary lines

have to shift counterclockwise and to the northwest to acquire more

territory to rebalance.

“Fairly simple and straightforward if it didn’t get to the politics and

avoiding splitting communities,” he said.

Districts 1, 3, 6, 7, 8 and 9 need the most work, Méndez said.

District 2, represented by Denver McClendon, is the most racially

diverse.

The district’s population is 178,622 and has about 51 percent

Hispanics, 19.42 percent Anglos, 25.53 percent blacks and 1.72 Asians.

Méndez said the district must follow Section 5 of the Voting Rights

Act. It states any changes to redistricting, voting standards, practices or

procedures must be “preclear” before they become legally effective. This

includes changes in trustees district lines and location of polling places.

Preclear is to request approval by a federal court or the Department

of Justice for changes to voting regulations in certain states.

The fastest way to get it cleared is to submit the redistricting plan to

the Department of Justice for examination.

Méndez said the review focuses on if minorities are any worse off

with the new redistricting lines offered. He said the new lines shouldn’t

drastically decrease minority populations like Hispanic and African-

Americans.

He said they don’t want to have a discriminatory action, but fortu-

nately in San Antonio, there is sufficient minority population across the

city for each district to have enough minorities.

Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act forbids a voting standard, which

has the effect of reducing the opportunity of a covered minority to par-

ticipate or run in the political process.

Méndez said the Department of Justice laid ground rules so minori-

ties wouldn’t be “cracked” or “packed.”

Cracking would be drawing lines where minorities would never be

the majority and never elect a candidate of their choice.

Méndez said it’s impossible to crack the minority population of San

Antonio because the city is predominantly Hispanic.

In the 1996 case Bush v. Vera in Harris County, lines were purpose-

fully created to elect African-Americans and Hispanics, and this was

considered racial gerrymandering.

Méndez said the lines were redrawn, and there were still counties

that vote predominantly Hispanic and black.

He said the priority should be how trustees can successfully conduct

college business in their district.

Lines have to be identifiable so citizens know where their district is,

and they need use the current district lines as building blocks, he said.

Méndez said they should keep board members in their districts, so

incumbents don’t lose votes.

District 4 trustee Marcelo Casillas asked how citizens could work on

the redistricting map.

Méndez said the most common method is for citizens to go to state

representatives to draw a plan. The Texas Legislative Council provides

maps and reports, so citizens can draw maps.

Sometimes his other clients would allow citizens to draw lines with

them.

Méndez said the board can decide if they want citizens to draw lines

with them.

McClendon said he worried if they could finish the project by the

end of August for it to be in Washington, D.C., by September.

Méndez said once they have a redistricting plan, it takes 120 days

to adopt.

Fernandez wanted to know the timeframe to get public comments

and start redistricting.

Méndez agreed it’s good to get the community juices flowing and to

have a public hearing before a regular board meeting.

Trustees agreed to a call a public hearing the same day as the July 19

regular board meeting. A time for the public hearing has not been set.

The next regular board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. May 17 in

Room 101 of Killen Center at 201 W. Sheridan.

For more information, go to www.alamo.edu and click on Board of

Trustees and then Agendas.

Attorney, trustees start planning 2010 redistricting

David Méndez, attorney from Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta, shows trustees the Alamo Colleges nine districts Tuesday during a special board meeting at Killen. Tyler K. Cleveland

22 • April 25, 2011 The Ranger News

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2/113/113/254/1

5/135/276/177/8

By J. AlmendArez

On March 7, The Ranger reported that the

clock on McCreless Hall was stopped at 4:42.

The clock faces San Pedro Avenue and is

visible to passersby as far away as San Pedro

Springs Park.

David Mrizek, vice president of college ser-

vices, said he was unsure whether the clock was

connected to this school’s atomic clock system.

Atomic clocks are programmed by an elec-

tronic transmission from Boulder, Colo., which

provides official U.S. time.

However, Mrizek said large amounts of

metal and electronic devices within this cam-

pus can interfere with signals coming from the

system, which explains why many of the clocks

on campus are out of synch.

Facilities superintendent David Ortega

recently discovered that the large clock on

McCreless is not an atomic clock.

It is connected to a master clock system in

McCreless, but power outages in the building

caused the clock to stop.

“There’s no battery backup for it because it’s

an older device,” Ortega said.

He suspects that local power outages in

February, caused by low temperatures across

the state, caused the clock to turn off.

At this campus, at least four buildings expe-

rienced power outages and Northeast Lakeview

College also reported power outages.

Ortega said electricians generally ensure the

clock stays accurate, but the electricians cur-

rently on staff are new and didn’t know they had

to set the clock manually.

Ortega, who has been on staff with Alamo

Colleges for 20 years, said his past duties have

not required him to work directly with the clock

on McCreless and so he also was unaware that

it needed to be manually set.

“This is the first time I have worked on that

clock personally,” he said.

Ortega said after he realized the upkeep

involved with the clock, he made sure the elec-

tricians on campus were taught how to set it to

be accurate.

He said doing so prevents the clock from

being inaccurate for an extended period of time

in the future.

Now there is no excuse for being tardy to

class.

Watching the clockEmployees are trained to adjust

McCreless timepiece.

This exterior clock needs manual adjust-ments after power outages and time changes. JungKeun Song

The Ranger April 25, 2011 • 23News

By Dana TraugoTT

The draft and the Vietnam War in the 1960s,

gave then-college students a reality check for

what serving one’s country is all about, a Texas

novelist said.

Tales of the era may seem like fiction to most

modern college students, English Professor

Mark Busby of Texas State University-San

Marcos said April 13 during the college’s 17th

annual Multicultural Conference.

The native Texan is director of the Center for

the Study of the Southwest Regional Humanities

Center, which promotes the interchange of

knowledge among communities, institutions

and individuals.

The program draws focus to regional

humanities issues across the four-corner region

of Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Texas.

Busby read excerpts from his first novel “Fort

Benning Blues,” published in 2001 by Texas

Christian University Press, and his upcoming

novel “Cedar Crossing.”

“Fort Benning Blues” follows a young

Army soldier going into training in 1969 at

Fort Benning, Ga., before being deployed to

Vietnam.

He said the purpose of the Vietnam War was

to “convince our enemies that what we had in

mind for them was good for their hearts and

minds.”

Busby reminded students to prepare them-

selves for the profanity included in the excerpt.

“I can assure you the language is accurate to

what it was back then,” he said.

Busby was drafted the day he finished his

master’s thesis in 1969; however, he volunteered

for Officer Candidate School to avoid the draft.

The two novels he began writing at Fort

Benning took him 30 years to complete.

Busby’s second novel, “Cedar Crossing,” is set

in 1964, the year after President John F. Kennedy

was assassinated and the year President Lyndon

B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law

ending racial segregation.

The book, modeled after much of Busby’s

experiences, is about a college student who is

assigned to interview a family member who

remembers something vivid about his or her

past.

Like the lead character in “Cedar Cross,”

Busby interviewed his grandfather.

The fictional student decides to interview

his 80-year-old grandfather, who recalls the

1964 boxing match between black Cassius Clay

and white Sonny Liston. Racism surrounded

the event.

People were shocked when Clay knocked

out Liston in the seventh round because the

imposing white boxer was favored to win, he

said.

The day after the fight, Cassius Clay

announced he was changing his name to

Muhammad Ali, who went on to defeat Liston

a second time in a one round match in 1965.

Novelist Mark Busby reads excerpts from his work

Mark Busby, English professor at Texas State University, reads excerpts from his novel, “Fort Benning Blues,” April 13 in visual arts. Busby’s novel is based on the Army during the Vietnam era. Alison Wadley

Multicultural Conference session offers insight into Vietnam War.

24 • April 25, 2011 The RangerNews

By Zahra Farah and Laura Garcia

Six months ago, Chancellor Bruce Leslie

approached the board with the possibility of

annexing seven neighboring counties to bring in

additional revenue and balance the overwhelm-

ing budget shortfall. At the December regular

board meeting, trustees unanimously approved

a motion allowing Leslie to develop an annexa-

tion plan for the counties in the district’s service

area to become part of the Alamo Community

College District’s taxing district.

If community members agreed from

Atascosa, Bandera, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall,

Kerr and Wilson counties, they could one day be

a part of the Alamo Colleges.

But annexation of these

counties may not come any-

time soon. When questioned

Tuesday, Leslie replied, “Nope,

nothing has happened.”

District officials and trust-

ees have been focused on bal-

ancing fiscal year 2011 bud-

get and preparing for addi-

tional shortfalls in fiscal years

2012 and 2013. The district is

facing a $20.4 million project-

ed gap between revenue and

expenses for fiscal year 2012.

Leslie said the district’s been so busy with

the budget, before he does anything with

annexation, he needs to go before the board to

present ideas.

The Legislature determines the counties in

a college’s service area. Leslie said annexation

is a long and complex process, which requires

multiple complex documents and begins with

building a relationship with each community

and its leaders. Leslie said he has not contacted

county leaders about annexation.

For annexation to happen, residents of each

county interested must vote to decide if they

want to be annexed and are willing to be placed

under a new taxing entity.

The Alamo Community College District tax

rate is $0.141623 per $100 of assessed value for

fiscal year 2010-11. At that rate, the tax assessed

on a $100,000 property would be about $141.62.

This tax rate includes $0.096873 for main-

tenance and operations and $0.04475 for debt

levy on the $450 million capital improvements

bond issue. Bexar County generates $92.4 mil-

lion based on this combined effective tax rate.

District 9 trustee James Rindfuss, chair of

the board’s Legal Affairs Committee and a local

attorney, said as he understands it, if a county

wants to be a part of the district, they would

take on the same share of the taxes even though

they joined the district after the district incurred

the debt. He said if the county was a part of the

district, the board could lower taxes because an

increase in the number of property taxpayers

would increase revenue.

Rindfuss said what could also happen is the

board could decide to lower tuition or even taxes

by a certain percentage because more property

owners would be paying taxes.

He said it’s not like the board is trying to cre-

ate a big pool of money; if counties do join, their

students don’t pay out-of-district tuition and

fees of $1,479 for 12 hours.

Tuition plus fees for in-

district students enrolled in

12 semester hours is $807.

An entire county does not

have to be annexed. School

districts or even a city within

a county can choose to be

annexed. Rindfuss said 15

percent of eligible voters in

a county have to petition to

get annexation on the next

election ballot. A majority has

to vote for it; if it doesn’t get a

majority vote, the item fails.

District 2 trustee Denver McClendon said

normally, the administration addresses the

community about a possible annexation.

Leslie said it took 10 years for Austin

Community College to build a relationship with

communities to finally annex neighboring coun-

ties. “It’s a long process; maybe it won’t happen

next year, or the year after, maybe not in our

lifetime.”

Leslie said he might look at annexation in

the summer. “Even if it takes 10 years, we have

to start somewhere,” Leslie said.

District 1 trustee Joe Alderete was emphatic in

opposition. “I am completely against annexation.”

In this tough economic time, no one wants

an extra tax, he said, adding the district shouldn’t

pursue annexation because it has enough to deal

with as a district. He said annexation means new

counties will demand services in their areas.

McClendon said he doesn’t lean one way or

the other and he doesn’t have enough details to

speak intelligently about specific communities.

Gary Beitzel, District 8 trustee and chairman,

and District 7 trustee Blakely Fernandez agreed

everyone’s been too distracted with the budget

to even think about annexation.

Neither voiced opposition to annexation, but

Fernandez said it’s on the backburner because

officials have been focused on the budget pro-

cess and laws affecting higher education in the

state Legislature.

Beitzel said trustees will have to see a draft

plan, and the board can’t introduce annexation;

the counties have to vote.

District 6 trustee Gene Sprague and Rindfuss

agreed the budget was the main priority. Sprague

said there is demand in those service areas. For

example, Central Texas Technology Center in

New Braunfels and the Westside Education and

Training Center continue to grow. Rindfuss, who

favors annexation, said some of the centers have

higher enrollment than private institutions here.

District 4 trustee Marcelo S. Casillas said, “I

think it was bad timing. That’s why I was against

it at the very beginning.”

District 3 trustee and board Secretary Anna

Bustamante said she wasn’t too happy to hear it

was even being considered.

“I would consider it if I felt my constituents’

needs were being met,” she said. “Let’s take care

of our area first.”

Annexation efforts not expected anytime soonBoard may see draft plan

for contiguous counties in summer.

“Even if it takes 10 years, we have to start somewhere.”

Dr. Bruce Lesliechancellor

Alamo Colleges

Service Area

Potential revenue at current tax rate Bandera County $2.52 millionAtascosa County $2.67 millionComal County $14.37 millionWilson County $3.14 millionKendall County $5.97 millionKerr County $5.67 millionGuadalupe County $11.79 millionTotal $46.14 million

Bexar County tax revenue is $92.4 million.

April 25, 2011 • 25The Ranger News

By RangeR Staff

The Ranger planned to publish profiles on each

of the vice chancellors and associate vice chancel-

lors of the Alamo Colleges to acquaint readers with

their duties.

Along with the presidents of the five colleges,

these 11 administrators rank just below the chancel-

lor in the administration of this public community

college district with 64,149 students and an annual

budget of $284,589,000.

The district employs five vice chancellors and six

associate vice chancellors. The Ranger has success-

fully interviewed two associate vice chancellors and

one vice chancellor.

John Strybos, associate vice chancellor of facili-

ties operation and construction management, and

Dr. Jo-Carol Fabianke, associate vice chancellor for

academic partnerships and initiatives, were inter-

viewed April 8. Dr. Adelina S. Silva, vice chancellor

for student success, was interviewed Thursday. Go

online for the story.

Dr. Cynthia Mendiola-Perez, who as associate vice

chancellor for student and program development

also oversees the center for student information,

said at the April 19 board meeting that she would

participate. A meeting has not been confirmed.

Dr. Federico Zaragoza, vice chancellor of eco-

nomic and workforce development, said he received

an email and a phone call but asked for another

email to remind him. An interview is tentatively

scheduled for this week.

Pamela Ansboury, associate vice chancellor for

fiscal services, misunderstood the request. She’s

attempting to schedule an interview this week.

At an April 12 board committee meeting, Diane

Snyder, vice chancellor for finance and administra-

tion, said unless The Ranger sent her interview ques-

tions, she could not participate.

She said she supports The Ranger, but she is too

busy to stop for a 20-minute telephone interview.

Dr. Thomas Cleary, vice chancellor for planning,

performance and information systems, also wanted

the questions beforehand, but The Ranger does not

provide questions prior to an interview. However,

when The Ranger needs data, reporters generally

request it in advance of an interview. He said he

would think about participating but did not commit.

Leo Zuñiga, associate vice chancellor for com-

munications, said he didn’t understand why The

Ranger wanted to do a profile on him. He said there

are 63,000 students at the Alamo Colleges that the

publication could profile.

Zuñiga is responsible for crafting the public’s

image of the district.

April 5, Zuñiga said via email he was, “unde-

serving of a story that focuses on my personal

assignments.”

The Ranger clarified that all vice chancellors

and associate vice chancellors were being inter-

viewed, and he replied April 8, “I am undeserving of

such attention. No, thank you.”

Dr. Robert Aguero, vice chancellor for academic

success, said via email April 5, “I would be happy

to visit with you.”

Then the following day, his secretary sched-

uled an interview for 10 a.m. April 13, but on April

11 called to say, “Dr. Aguero apologizes, but he

will need to cancel your interview with him,” and

requested questions via email.

When approached at an April 12 committee

meeting, Aguero said he preferred to conduct the

interview through email because he is busy and

would be better prepared for email questions.

When told The Ranger does not conduct email

interviews, Aguero said he would not participate.

He said The Ranger has written erroneous things

about him, and he did not want to talk to the pub-

lication. In fact, Aguero has never been interviewed

by The Ranger, and this was the first time he had

responded to requests through his office.

When sources encounter errors in reporting,

The Ranger requests immediate notification so

that corrections can be made when warranted.

Aguero did not report any erroneous informa-

tion. He referred to the Oct. 12 article, “Faculty

Senate sets third meeting with Aguero for

Wednesday,” which said Faculty Senate had tried

and failed to meet with Aguero twice, but he can-

celed both times. Aguero said April 12, he resched-

uled the first time, and the second time, the senate

couldn’t pick a date to meet.

The Ranger said if the publication made an

error, editors would be willing to write a correction.

He said that’s fair, but the damage has been done.

Linda Boyer-Owens, associate vice chancellor

of human resources, scheduled an appointment for

April 13, but executive assistant Rosalinda Castillo

called to reschedule to April 14. Then Castillo

called a second time to cancel, saying Boyer-Owens

would not be available for at least two weeks.

At the 6 a.m. April 18 retirement election form

submission at this college, Boyer-Owens said she

was really busy with the retirement incentive pro-

gram.

“I’m double- and triple-booked,” she said

Thursday.

Top officials opt out of limelight

Pamela Ansboury, AVC Fiscal Serv.

$137,700Robert Aguero, VCAcademic Success

$181,029.60

Linda Boyer-Owens, AVC HR

$147,901.02Thomas Cleary, VCInfo. Systems $181,029.60

Jo-Carol Fabianke, AVC Acad. Partner.

$136,843.20Adelina Silva, VCStudent Success

$181,029.60

Cynthia Mendiola-Perez, AVC Dev.

$112,216.32

Diane Snyder, VCFinance/Admin.

$181,029.60

John Strybos, AVC Facilities $157,971.48

Federico Zaragoza, VC Workforce Dev.

$186,185.70

Only three of 11 top officials have interviewed for profiles.

Leo Zuñiga, AVC Communications

$109,185.90

26 • April 25, 2011 The RangerNews

Strybos keeps lights on, water running

By Zahra Farah

Before John Strybos became associate vice

chancellor for facilities operation and con-

struction management and responsible for an

annual operating budget of $20 million and

300 personnel, he was a developmental math

adjunct at this college.

He worked at this college from 1989-1998

and was hired by the district as an associate vice

chancellor in 2003.

This semester, he teaches a freshman com-

munication engineering class at the University

of Texas in San Antonio on weekends.

He finds the most important part of teaching

is communicating with students.

Students may not want to learn, but they

have to learn to move forward from whatever

roadblock they’re facing in life, he said.

Strybos said people would come to his class

not because they wanted to, but they couldn’t

move forward in their lives with their problems

in math.

He said he would use real-life scenarios for

his students to understand the basic concept

of math.

Strybos would ask students: If you had $5

and wanted to buy a soft drink for $2.50, how

much change would you get back?

Today, his job still influences students, as he

is responsible for construction, remodeling and

maintenance of the district’s 130 buildings on

each of the five campuses.

Strybos has had more than 28 years of expe-

rience in engineering/project management,

construction management and education facili-

ties construction and design.

His biggest accomplishment is overseeing

and implementing the $450 million capital

improvements program from 2005 to 2009 at

the Alamo Colleges.

From the bond, the district was able to build

24 buildings and renovate buildings at the old-

est colleges.

At this college about $79 million went into

the renovation of 10 projects, which included

new building and a parking garage.

At St. Philip’s College about $67.5 million

went into 17 projects, which included four new

centers.

At Palo Alto College $55 million went into 13

projects, the major ones being three new cen-

ters and additional surface parking.

Northwest Vista College had $106 million

in 11 projects, which included five new centers

and additional surface parking.

Northeast Lakeview College’s entire campus

was built with the bond, which amounted to

$125 million.

He also explained in the facilities world,

they have to deal with a number of budget con-

straints and local, state and federal policy and

procedures.

They also have to follow laws such as

Americans with Disabilities Act.

New buildings go through a series of inspec-

tions and follow city codes to start building.

Strybos said they jump through hoops to

start and finish construction projects.

He said it takes a long time to build because

most of the time funding is not available or

there is not enough funding.

For a project to start anyone from the college

or district have to notify Strybos, he then has go

through the college administration or district

depending on the project.

If it’s a major project, Strybos has to get

board approval to advertise, once they get board

approval on what firm can do the project he has

to work on a specific contract.

Strybos said most of the buildings he works

on are at the older campuses like Moody

Learning Center at this college.

Moody was built in March 1968.

Strybos said renovations for Moody cost

about $4 million, and they have about $18 mil-

lion worth of renovations to do on the building.

Before renovations on the fifth floor of

Moody, contractors discovered asbestos in the

building.

Strybos said they now have to inspect each

floor of the building.

The asbestos abatement on the fifth floor

costs about $100,000.

He said sometimes, people don’t think things

are getting done, like when faculty, staff and stu-

dents have to deal with leaks in buildings.

For example, a leak in Longwith Radio,

Television and Film Building, was actually com-

ing from the second floor and not the roof.

The district hired Tremco Commercial

Sealants and Waterproofing to fix and update

all the problems with campus roofs.

It cost $77,000 the first year and $50,000 each

subsequent year.

Strybos said to increase student success the

district wants to incorporate smart classrooms

into buildings.

More lecterns, down screens and current

computers need to be in classrooms, so profes-

sors can keep up with technology.

The lecterns have the ability to control video

and audio in the classrooms and control print-

ers in classrooms.

He said this generation is more in tune then

ever with technology and the college has to

keep up with the students to better communi-

cate with them.

He said his job requires him to keep the cam-

pus running, and without it students wouldn’t

be as successful.

For more information about Strybos, visit

www.alamo.edu/district/facilities/default.aspx.

Twenty-eight years experience led to oversight for 24 new buildings.

John Strybos at 2006 groundbreaking at this college File photo

The Ranger April 25, 2011 • 27News

By Melody Mendoza

Jo-Carol Fabianke, associate vice chancellor for academic success,

said her department is probably the smallest in the district, while her

duties include bringing the colleges together to make decisions on stu-

dent academic success.

Although she doesn’t get to make things happen directly, she helps

bring people together who can.

Fabianke takes pride in the colleges’ participation in Achieving the

Dream, an initiative to help low-income students of color earn a col-

lege degree. The program is funded by

a grant the district applied for seven

years ago.

She said she helps the colleges gath-

er the best practices and strengthen how

the district serves students.

Fabianke said, “For the first time,

we shared information from across the

colleges.” The district used to focus on

enrollment, she said, but now, “We’re

saying, ‘How can we make this better for

students?’”

She said a student academic success

team meets twice a month to carry out

the Achieving the Dream initiative. The

team includes the vice presidents of

academic success and of student ser-

vices from the colleges, institutional research personnel and chairs and

faculty from English, reading and math departments.

Fabianke plays another role on the Dual Credit Committee established

two years ago to bring consistency across the colleges.

Out of this, the e-catalog was created with the intention to better serve

students who want to see classes offered at all of the Alamo Colleges in

one online catalog, she said.

Also, this committee found that the grading scale between dual credit

classes offered at high schools and the colleges were different; therefore,

the committee decided that faculty would have to state the grading scale

on the course syllabus, she said.

Fabianke also does a lot in the area of developmental education.

This includes combining developmental reading and writing and link-

ing them with college-level, reading-intensive assignments.

She said a group is also looking into accelerating how the district can

offer math and reading for those who test high but may need a refresher

course.

Through the many meetings Fabianke attends each week, she said

she hears what is going on at the colleges through initiative groups and

individual calls.

She said her biggest challenge is trying to stay focused on what’s

really important. “It’s so easy, in the personalities and emotions, to get

really frustrated,” she said. “Everyone’s got to give their opinion and

everyone’s got to vent, but remember, this is not whether we agree. It’s

student success.”

She said this is an emotional business because she deals with people,

not just a product.

Although she said students are in a good place, this district is also

complex. “We’re in a lot of change.”

She said the district used to be five “rockin’” colleges that were doing

well, and now “we’re innovative” and “making changes that are best prac-

tices across the county.”

She said the internal struggles and upheaval makes the district better

because no one is sitting back being complacent.

Over the 30 years Fabianke has been in this district, she has seen the

colleges expand across the city to now struggling in this budgetary battle.

She said she was teaching at this college when Palo Alto College was

built in 1985-86.

Then she was working at the district

when Northwest Vista College was built

in 1996-97.

She moved to Northwest Vista in

2000, then returned to the district in

2006 just before Northeast Lakeview

College was added.

“In each of those cases, there’s got

to be more financial requirements,” she

said.

Fabianke illustrated the district’s

growth using the mailroom.

She said she could imagine a person

trotting back and forth between this

college and St. Philip’s College when

the two were joined in a district in 1945.

And as another college was added, the

mailroom personnel also grew.

“Isn’t it going to take more people to deliver the mail now that we have

all of these colleges?” she said.

She explained that there was a demand for the colleges to be built

when they were.

“Could we have planned it better?” she said. “You can always plan

better.”

She compared it to her daughter who is planning the arrival of a baby.

“She thinks she’s planning, but does she really know?”

But growth cannot continue unrestricted in this economy.

Trustees and district and college administrators discussed the big

question of capping enrollment at a board retreat April 2.

Fabianke said, “I’ve been in this for 30 years, and we’ve never talked

about capping enrollment because we’ve never been in this financial state.”

But this district practices an open-door policy. “We want to take

everyone in who would want to have education or think they might,”

she said.

The solution?

She said maybe colleges offer refresher courses instead of so many

developmental courses. She said advisers need to be smarter in advising

and maybe direct students to get certificates.

Then, after having been in college for a while, they’ll be focused

enough to go on to earn a degree rather than turning away students.

“I hope we don’t have to cap,” she said. “I hope we can help everyone

in a different way.”

Fabianke’s projects bringing colleges togetherAssociate vice chancellor hopes

to avoid enrollment cap in district.

“Everyone’s got to give their opinion and everyone’s got to vent, but remember, this is not whether we agree. It’s student success.”Jo-Carol Fabiankeassociate vice chancellor for academic success

The Ranger 28 • April 25, 2011 Calendar

Monday

SAC Event: HALO Reach, League Play

11 a.m.-2 p.m. Cyber Cafe and Game

room of Loftin. Call 210-486-0125.

SAC Performance: Brass Ensemble

7:30 p.m. in auditorium of McAllister. Call

210-486-0255.

SAC Meeting: Society of Mexican-

American Engineers and Scientists 3 p.m.

in the MESA Center in Room 204 of

Chance. Call 210-486-1300.

SAC Lecture: “Sexual Violence in the

Media: How it Supports a Rape and

Domestic Violence Culture” by Rick

Gippric noon-1:30 p.m. in Empowerment

Center. Call 486-0455.

Event: Free financial education course 1

p.m.-2 p.m. at Generations Federal Credit

Union-Balcones Heights Branch. Call 210-

554-3516.

SAC Meeting: Hispanic Heritage

Committee at 2 p.m. in Room 100 of

Gonzales. Call 210-486-0681.

Tuesday

SAC Meeting: Campus Crusade for

Christ 1:30 p.m. in Room 113 of chemistry

and geology. Call 210-486-1233.

SAC Lecture: “So You’re the New

Teacher” by Sylvia C. Lovelace and Pat

Johnson 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m. at Methodist

Student Center, 102 Belknap. Email tap-

patsac@gmail.com. Call 210-733-1441.

SAC Performance: Jazz Latin Combo

7:30 p.m. in auditorium of McAllister. Call

210-486-0255.

SAC Event: Excellence in Writing Award

Ceremony with lecture by Dr. Roxanne

Henkin from 6 p.m.–8 p.m. in Koehler. Call

210-486-0125.

Trinity Concert: Handbell Ensemble

7:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Ruth Taylor Recital Hall.

Call 210-999-8212.

Wednesday

SAC Meeting: Psychology Club 2 p.m.

in Room 642 of Moody. Call 210-486-

2887.

SAC Meeting: Gay and Lesbian

Association 3 p.m. in Room 644 of

Moody. Call 210-486-0673.

SAC Meeting: Kinesiology Club 3 p.m.

in Room 142 of Candler. Call

210-588-1936.

SAC Meeting: Phi

Theta Kappa, Beta Nu

Chapter, 4 p.m. in Room

241 in Nail. Call 210-486-

1136.

SAC Event: Desserts with Deans and

Directors noon to 1 p.m. in the Fiesta

Room of Loftin. Call 210-486-0125.

SAC Event: “Surviving an Active

Shooter” 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in Room 120 of

visual arts. Continues 1 p.m.-3 p.m. May

11, June 15, June 28, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. May

24, June 29, 2 p.m.-4 p.m. May 25. Call

210-486-0930.

SAC Event: Architectural computer-

aided drafting graduates portfolio show

7 p.m.-9 p.m. lobby of Chance. Call 210-

486-1482.

Thursday

SAC Performance: Jazz Ensemble

7:30 p.m. in auditorium of McAllister. Call

210-486-0255.

Reading: Caroline Kennedy from her

book “She Walks in Beauty: A Woman’s

Journey Through Poems,” with Q-and-A

followed by book signing 7 p.m. in Laurie

Auditorium at Trinity University. Call 210-

212-9539.

Friday

PAC Event: Horticulture Club plant sale

9 a.m.-5 p.m. in the new greenhouse at on

the southwest side of campus. Call 210-

486-3073.

NVC event: 12th annual New Vistas in

Media Festival 7 p.m. in Palmetto. Call

210-486-4405.

SAC Event: Xbox 360 free play 2 p.m.-

3:30 p.m. in the craft room of Loftin. Call

210-486-0125.

Saturday

Event: Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure

in Lot C of the Alamodome, 100 Montana,

6 a.m. registration, 8 a.m. race.

Visit www.komensanantonio.

org.

Event: Meditation

in Japanese Gal-

leries 10:15

a.m.-11 a.m. San

Antonio Art Museum.

Free with admission. Call

210-978-8151.

SAC Sports: Baseball vs. Lone Star

College-Montgomery 10:30 a.m. at Lone

Star in Conroe. Continues at 1:30 p.m.

April 30 and 10:30 a.m. May 1. Call 210-

260-6348.

May 2

Bexar County: Early voting. Continues

through May 10. Election May 14. Visit

www.bexar.org/elections.

SAC Concert: Choral 7:30 p.m. in audi-

torium of McAllister. Call 210-486-0255.

May 3

SAC Concert: Orchestra 7:30 p.m. in

auditorium of McAllister. Call 210-486-0255.

May 6

Event: Spring carnival 2 p.m.-6 p.m. at

Travis Early College High School, 1915 N.

Main. Call 210-733-1911.

Event: Zoo-La-La, 16th annual Feast with

the Beasts, 7 p.m.-10 p.m. at San Antonio

Zoo, 3903 N. St. Marys. For 21 and older.

Tickets $40-$110. Call 210- 734-7184,

Ext. 1045.

May 7Classes: Last day of classes for spring

semester.

Event: March of Dimes at Sea World San

Antonio Walk 7 a.m. registration, 8 a.m.

walk. Call 210-696-1030.

May 9

AC Finals: Examinations continue

through May 14.

AC Book Event: Rental check-in and

book buy back in campus bookstores.

Continues through May 14.

May 13

Event: Second Friday Artwalk with Tobin

Hill Art Alliance begins in visual arts 6

p.m.-10 p.m. Call 210-486-1030.

May 14

SAC Event: Commencement 10 a.m.-1

p.m. Freeman Coliseum with columnist

Cary Clack, Outstanding Former Student.

Ticket required. Call 210-486-0700.

May 16

SAC Tutoring: Math PASS program 9

a.m.-noon or 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Register at

Room 202 in Fletcher. Call 210-486-

0289.

May 19

SAC Event: 10th annual Women

Empowered Conference 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in

the auditorium of McAllister. Call 210-

486-0455.

May 23

AC Deadline: Fall registration continues

through Aug. 20. Call 210-486-0200.

Calendar Legend

SAC: San Antonio CollegeNVC: Northwest Vista CollegeSPC: St. Philip’s CollegeSWC: Southwest CampusPAC: Palo Alto CollegeNLC: Northeast Lakeview CollegeAC: Alamo Colleges

For coverage in Calendar, call 210-486-1773 or e-mail

sac-ranger@alamo.edu two weeks in advance.

April 25, 2011 • 29The Ranger

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The Ranger 30 • April 25, 2011 Editorial

Journalists have a reputation for being too invasive. Many more are mistaken for public relations prac-titioners or, at the other extreme, paparazzi.

News flash: Journalists are try-ing to find the truth and report it to the public. They pore over doc-uments to keep an eye on elected officials handling public money.

Of course, nobody wants scru-tiny when a situation is less than positive, but if public officials don’t like the pressure of answer-ing to the public about public funds, then maybe they shouldn’t hire on as public servants in the first place.

Journalists do a public service just like the officials they cover.

We ask the hard questions and stand up to glares, intimidation and doublespeak to protect the public’s right to accurate, timely information about their hard-earned tax dollars.

There is a reason for federal Freedom of Information and state Open Meetings and Open Records laws. It’s called checks and bal-ances.

Lawmakers know human

nature is to highlight good news and downplay or hide the bad, so they made public officials accountable.

Especially when we are facing such large shortfalls, the public deserves to know for what and for whom they are footing the bill.

So it was disturbing to discover the vast majority of the top admin-istrators in this district refused to be interviewed for short profiles of their jobs and duties. (See the story on Page 25.)

The 12-member team of vice chancellors, associate vice chan-cellors and the chancellor is a combined expense of more than $2 million annually, not counting district-paid cell phones, Internet service, health insurance, benefits, car allowances or office staff and supplies.

Daily schedules, travel plans and expense accounts should all be made available online. The public should know what these administrators do all day.

When public employees ignore requests from the news media, they reject their own responsibil-ity to keep constituents informed.

Why are officials hiding?Juan Carlos Campos

As of August, the mortuary science pro-gram requires a minimum score of 84 to pass any required course toward the major.

The department has 220 students enrolled, but for those students to become funeral directors or embalmers, they have to pass a $400 exam, the National Board Exam, with a score of at least 75.

By raising the standards in the 70-hour degree plan, students have to take their studies seriously. By doing so, they waste less time and money getting through the program.

Higher standards means greater success across the board, enhancing the program’s reputation. As a student, you are invited to bask in the reflected glow.

Instead of complaining, students should be grateful the program is ensuring the excellence of their education. Take advan-tage of tutoring and study groups to help one another.

Your program, professors and peers can only help so much before it’s all up to you.

Higher standards, higher quality

Correction: In the April 18 article, “Block Party for 85th anniversary of college,” the dancers were incorrectly identified as Code Red when it should have stated that the dance performance class would be performing.

April 25, 2011 • 31The Ranger Editorial

In May 2009, the district decided that the 3-year-old student activity fee should fund sports programs.

At this college, 85 percent of the sports operating budget has continued to come out of the college’s operating budget.

The student activity fee provided only 15 percent of the $125,000 sports budget.

Why has the college been funding a student life project anyway?

For fiscal year 2010-11, the revenue from the student activity fee was about $450,000.

By law, those funds are supposed to fund clubs and organizations, health center, staff, campuswide events, student publications and the student center.

While this college faced cut after cut after cut, more than $100,000 was going to a handful of students who could have been funded with the student activity fee.

Repeatedly, the director of student life has claimed the Student Activity Fee Committee rejects proposals of an academic nature because of the criteria imposed by the state. Who knows — their meetings are secret.

Now, after two years of “academic” funds being siphoned off, President Robert Zeigler is finally closing that tap. And in the process, sports funding is being cut from $125,000 to $70,000, leav-ing two sports at this point — boxing and baseball. In addition, sports teams may be able to travel only within a 175-mile radius to compete.

Once more, it’s the students who suf-fer. Some athletes compete here hoping to be picked up when they transfer. And how tragic for those athletes whose team is the only family they may know.

The office of student life always seems able hire new staffers out of the student activity fee. It’s the best-staffed office on campus. But what good is that to a stu-dent in need of tutoring?

There’s been plenty of money since the student activities windfall began in fall 2006. Money for flying in massage therapists from New York; a ballet folk-lorico troupe and Día de los Muertos art-ist, assistant and supplies from Mexico; buying iPads and iPods; spending a for-tune on catering and travel for student life staff.

There also has been a decidedly lopsided disbursement of funds. Each year, the same organizations and aca-demic departments appear on the list of approved proposals.

Despite claims that no funds can be spent on academic pursuits, quite a few approved proposals certainly seem to be closely aligned with the classroom.

The president has said he has the final word on the Student Activity Fee Committee spending recommendations, but perhaps he also should be reviewing the rejected proposals. There certainly doesn’t seem to be any oversight coming from the vice president of student affairs or the interim dean of student affairs.

If you only take night classes at this college, forget about seeing a dime of that $1 per semester hour you pay. They can’t even get regular college services, such access to a cafeteria on break, library, labs or the gym. Nobody welcomes them to new semesters as day students are.

Summer and Maymester students pay that same $1 per semester hour, but what benefit do they get?

A grand scheme for a summer swim party involved buying a pool, even though there’s one in Candler Physical Education Center. (Sort of like spending a fortune on a fitness room in the stu-dent center only a hundred yards from the gym.)

Then student life staffers were told that while the pool slowly filled, they would have to spend several overnight shifts standing guard because a pool in the middle of campus is a little bit of a lia-bility. But that wasn’t enough: a truckload of sand was to be hauled in and dumped on the mall for beach volleyball.

As expected, the whole ill-advised plan was scrapped. But when an estab-lished activity makes a request for $500 as last week’s 17th annual Multicultural Conference did, student life and the Student Activity Fee Committee decline.

It’s time to eliminate all student life spending from the college operations budget. Stop letting student life drain the precious little resources we have.

Staff it and fund activities from the fee and leave the ever-shrinking college budget for academics.

Fee should cover student life

Editor:

For the last few weeks, full-time

employees have been receiving ethics

training update emails from Eddie Cruz.

These emails congratulate those who

have already taken the ethics training.

However, the emails also go on to state

that any full-time employee who has

not completed the training by April 1

will be put on a list posted on the ethics

website for supervisors and employees

to see their status. (These words are

highlighted in yellow, I might add).

Since the deadline to complete the

training is given as May 31, and more

than eight weeks away from April 1, when

names will be posted, this action seems

rather unethical. According to Webster’s

New World Dictionary, the definition for

ethical is “1. of or conforming to moral

standards. 2. conforming to professional

standards of conduct.”

Neither of these definitions seems

to fit Cruz’s email campaign, which

appears to be more of a bullying tactic

with an undercurrent of you’ll-get-in-

trouble (putting my name on a list for

supervisors, other employees, and if so

desired, the general public, to see).

If I were to employ this tactic in the

classroom to get students to perform

a task, at the very least, I would take

a hit on my student evaluations (and

rightly so), but more to the point, I

would be guilty of bad teaching prac-

tices. Intimidation and public humilia-

tion went out of style around the time

lawyers started running the world.

To be honest, I probably would have

gotten around to it in those last few days

before May 31 because deadlines are

usually seen as a way to prioritize what

needs to be accomplished when and in

what order. Instead, I went ahead and

did it last week just to get it done. And

that is the pity of it all — that I, as a full-

time employee of this institution, was

forced into making a decision based on

the stick rather than the carrot.

It makes me all the more resolved to

sit firmly in the middle of the road.

Isabel B. Garcia

Architecture Professor

Letter to the Editor

Carrot 0, Stick 1

32 • April 25, 2011 The RangerOpinion

Drastic incentive

Editor:

I thought The Ranger editorial

“District: Get out of the Classroom”

of March 7, 2011, was interesting

and informative.

If the figures are correct, it’s

shocking to learn that it takes $97

million for 1,000 employees to run

district offices. This may be a bar-

gain, according to the “Ulibarri-

Mason Global HR that shows the

Alamo Colleges with the most effi-

cient administration” memos that

were sent out by email in response.

There would appear to be a lack

of incentive to reduce administra-

tive costs for all colleges across the

state. It seems as if cost reductions

appear to be at the faculty and

student ends of the organization.

What we need is a more drastic

incentive to reduce administrative

costs, it seems. Maybe one pos-

sible solution would be to offer the

chancellor a personal stake in the

process.

Perhaps that could be done if

the chancellor were offered a $10

million contract, highest in the

land. The stipulations would be

that he could keep only what is left

of the $10 million after all adminis-

trative costs have been taken from

that generous pot.

So, if the chancellor can run

the whole thing with only a few

executive secretaries that would

represent quite a chunk of reward.

On the other hand, each addi-

tional administrator and support-

ing staff that is employed would

subtract from that generous pot.

The potential to win the lot-

tery by cutting administrative costs

should serve as quite an incentive,

seems to me.

Victor L. Garza

Chemistry Professor

San Antonio College

Waive down payment

Editor:

First, the processing of

Supplemental Education

Opportunity Grants was done

improperly. Now it’s summer grant

processing.

Just as an update, several of my

family members, including myself,

had our SEOG grants taken back

after we received them. I got mine

back, but we were told my other

family members did not qualify.

Well, after talking to several

people throughout the Alamo

Colleges, we eventually all got

them back. We never did get an

explanation or an apology for the

improper handling.

My girlfriend’s refund was also

deposited into my account, which

we did not authorize. Depositing

her money into my account

because we paid part of her tuition

with my card is not legitimate.

She specifically listed her

account for refunds, and that is the

only account which the colleges

should deposit her money.

I have been attending SAC

since 2008, and summer grant pro-

cessing has always been done after

you were registered. Last year, I

tried to do it after I registered and

was told I still had to wait a week or

two because they were not accept-

ing applications yet.

This year, the date was

apparently changed to March 1.

I received no emails about this

through ACES. (What happened

to everything ACES?) So I regis-

tered today, yesterday was the first

day, and I was told that I missed

the processing deadline and would

have to make payment arrange-

ments before my aid would be pro-

cessed.

I have never done a payment

plan. I figured I could go in and

pay what I can now so my classes

wouldn’t get dropped. I found out I

have to pay half immediately. I do

not have $400 to pay.

To some extent I can under-

stand saying that students are

responsible for knowing infor-

mation that pertains to their

situation. But the Alamo Colleges

employees do not even know how

things will be done.

This is proved by the fiasco that

happened with the SEOG grants

and refund deposits. The financial

aid employee I worked with said I

should have had to list SPC on my

FAFSA last semester since I was

not enrolled in any classes at SAC,

but I did not and I still got my aid.

He said that wasn’t supposed to

happen.

So if the colleges cannot even

control their own procedures, how

are students supposed to know

them? The structure is in place

to have distributed this informa-

tion to every student to whom it

applies: ACES email.

I get hundreds of meaningless

emails that do not apply to me

in any way, but I do not get the

one piece of information that I

needed. I am extremely busy and

do not have time to search the

various Alamo Colleges websites

looking for every update that may

pertain to my situation.

I do all of my college-related

activities through ACES as “every-

thing is ACES” (registration, pay-

ments and refunds, class mainte-

nance, timesheets for work-study).

I do not go around campus

reading fliers.

Given all of the prior misap-

propriations by the colleges, I do

not think that asking for a waiver

of the 50 percent down payment is

unreasonable.

So why not go through the

proper channels? Simple. They do

not work. I have spent way too

much valuable time standing in

lines for hours to get no assistance

whatsoever. Employees are either

powerless to help students, unwill-

ing or improperly trained.

The only useful methods seem

to be going to a dean, the pres-

ident of one of the colleges or

SACALL.

Being that I know no one else

in my family was aware of this, I

would recommend a waiver of the

50 percent down payment rule for

all summer students this year.

Anything less is a failure of the

colleges to appropriately support

its students.

Mark R. Mayfield

CIS work-study

Hello, kitty

Editor:

Thank you for the article con-

cerning cats on campus. Chelsea

Peacock’s pictures of the “twins”

are excellent.

I want to reassure everyone that

there is nothing to indicate “dozens

of cats on campus” at the present

time. So far in 2011, I think I could

count on my fingers the number of

cats I have seen at SAC.

I did tell reporter Riley Stephens

that spaying is essential to avoid

having dozens of cats on campus.

A sign I saw at the vet’s office

says that one female cat can give

birth to 18 kittens within one year.

We are working to prevent that

on campus and to make certain

SAC cats remain healthy and are

protected from disease.

J. R. Poole

History Adjunct

San Antonio College

Letters to the Editor

Dr. Bruce Leslie

Campus cat

The Ranger April 25, 2011 • 33Viewpoint

S l i d e

t a c k l i n g

a person

twice your

size in the

middle of

winter is

one way to

learn brav-

ery.

The fro-

zen blades of grass slice into your

thigh like icicles and teeth are

ground together while waiting to

be kicked in the ribs, face or chest.

Athletes grinding gravel under

their sneakers at a track at 6 a.m.

are not reading about discipline or

scribbling notes in day planners.

They’re actually pulling them-

selves out of bed, shoving clothes

into a gym bag and dedicating

themselves to a team.

Losing a playoff game with

grace, shelving pride to pass the

ball to a teammate who may have a

better chance at making the basket

and pulling a newbie aside to show

the correct way to swing a golf club

are not just about sports. They’re

about character.

This campus is cutting the

sports budget nearly in half next

semester from $125,000 to $70,000.

Texas law allows for 25 percent

of the student activity fee to be

allocated for sports.

This campus’ student life bud-

get is about $450,000, meaning

$112,500 of its budget cold be used

for sports.

People who were unable to

participate in sports throughout

high school should now have the

opportunity to learn invaluable

lessons through sports at a col-

lege level.

Cutting funding for sports

takes away that opportunity.

Especially if cutting is based on

“student participation and student

interest.”

Boxing, which took place in

the middle of the day on a Friday

this semester, will, of course,

have more students attending

than a soccer game being played

at Texas State University-San

Marcos on a Saturday morning.

But it doesn’t make it more

important.

The news of budget cuts in

sports was inevitable and unsur-

prising, especially coming from a

district that uses 34 percent of its

budget on district administration.

That is more money than is

spent on any one college within

this district.

Yet again, the Alamo Colleges

has demonstrated neglect for the

enrichment of students while

keeping their pockets padded.

Perhaps next, they will opt to

light night classes with lanterns

instead of fluorescent bulbs in the

name of cost-cutting.

After all, most students “par-

ticipate” and are “interested” in

day classes.

Life lessons, sports on the chopping block

Viewpoint by J. Almendarez

In the 1776 Virginia

Bill of Rights, George

Mason wrote “… free-

dom of the press is one

of the greatest bulwarks

of liberty and can never

be restrained by despot-

ic governments.”

Two hundred and

thirty-five years later,

those words remain a

fitting description of the vital role played by The

Ranger in reporting the inner workings of San

Antonio College and the Alamo Community

College District.

This is evidenced by the 13 Associated

Collegiate Press Pacemaker awards conferred

on this student publication and its online

counterpart.

The Ranger has maintained the highest level

of professionalism in its reporting on campus-

wide and district activities, budgetary planning,

news events and other education-related issues.

When I first arrived at San Antonio College

some 26 years ago, I soon learned that The

Ranger was (and still is) the most reliable source

for basic information on SAC and the ACCD.

In the intervening years, various student

editors, reporters, photographers, and illustra-

tors have come and gone.

Yet, The Ranger’s tradition of excellence has

remained constant — the product of the dedi-

cation and skill of the hard-working journalism

students and the journalism faculty and staff in

the media communications department who

teach and mentor them.

The newspaper business is a difficult one

to master.

Oftentimes, the college community does not

recognize the intricacies involved in publishing

a weekly newspaper.

It is by no means a simple task to compose

the online version and also have a fresh printed

edition on the newsstands every Monday morn-

ing.

Compiling a viable newspaper involves

planning news coverage, researching potential

stories, attending various college and district

meetings, writing and editing stories, compos-

ing galley proofs, soliciting advertising, editing

photographs, illustrating sketches, and much,

much more.

In addition to attending their regular college

classes, students spend countless hours putting

in extra time to ensure that the news informa-

tion is both timely and accurate.

Those journalistic efforts have not gone

unnoticed.

Tom Orsborn, a former SAC journalism stu-

dent and sports reporter for the San Antonio

Express-News, stated it quite well: “I learned

things at SAC that I still use and practice today,

things I have taught my own reporters and

students. I’ve been to graduate school, but SAC

remains, I believe, the best single academic

investment I ever made.”

Through the years, the students’ enthusiasm

and diligence have proved invaluable to me in

my own work here as a librarian and faculty

member at the San Antonio College library.

As I prepare to end my career at San Antonio

College, I will fondly remember the hard-hitting

news reporting, incisive editorials and often

humorous illustrations.

I have often said that The Ranger serves a

vital role in keeping the campus informed of

and alert to the various machinations of the

Alamo Community College District and San

Antonio College.

As an example, the Feb. 14 article on the

effect of the college health center closing on

disabled students brought a serious problem

to light.

The watchdog function that The Ranger has

zealously pursued is needed even more in the

current fiscal climate.

May The Ranger keep up the great work.

John R. Deosdade is a librarian and repeated

nominee for and winner of The Ranger’s “Mother

Hen” Source Award.

Librarian: Watchdog role vital

Guest viewpoint by John Deosdade

34 • April 25, 2011 The Ranger

Chancellor: Dr. Bruce H. Leslie201 W. Sheridan, Bldg. B, San Antonio TX 78204-1429Work: 210-485-0020 Fax: 210-485-0021E-mail: bleslie@alamo.edu

District 1: Joe Alderete Jr.1602 Hillcrest Drive,San Antonio TX 78228 Cell: 210-863-9500 Home: 210-434-6967 E-mail: jvajr711@aol.com, jalderete21@alamo.edu

District 2: Denver McClendon3811 Willowwood Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78219 Work: 210-281-9141 E-mail: denvermcclendon@satx.rr.com, dmcclendon2@alamo.edu

District 3: Anna U. Bustamante511 Ware Blvd., San Antonio TX 78221Work: 210-882-1609 Home: 210-921-2986E-mail: abustamante20@alamo.edu

District 4: Marcelo S. Casillas115 Wainwright, San Antonio TX 78211No telephone number providedBoard of trustees liaison: 210-485-0030 E-mail: mcasillas19@alamo.edu

District 5: Roberto Zárate4103 Buffalo Bayou, San Antonio TX 78251No telephone number providedE-mail: rzarate11@alamo.edu

District 6: Dr. Gene Sprague14722 Iron Horse Way,Helotes TX 78023Work: 210-567-4865 Fax: 210-520-9185E-mail: sprague1@alamo.edu

District 7: Blakely Latham Fernandez755 E. Mulberry, Suite 200,San Antonio TX 78212Work: 210-244-8879E-mail: bfernandez35@alamo.edu, bfernandez@trpsalaw.com

District 8: Gary Beitzel15403 Forest Mist, San Antonio TX 78232Home: 210-496-5857 E-mail: gbeitzel@alamo.edu

District 9: James A. Rindfuss13315 Thessaly, Universal City TX 78148Home: 210-928-4630 Work: 210-375-2555E-mail: jrindfuss@alamo.edu

Officials

San Antonio College, Dr. Robert E. Zeigler210-486-0959, rzeigler@alamo.edu

Northeast Lakeview College, Dr. Eric Reno210-486-5484, ereno@alamo.edu

Northwest Vista College, Dr. Jacqueline Claunch210-486-4900, jclaunch@alamo.edu

Palo Alto College, Dr. Ana M. “Cha” Guzman210-486-3960, aguzman@alamo.edu

St. Philip’s College, Dr. Adena W. Loston210-486-2900, aloston@alamo.edu

Presidents

Guest Viewpoints:

Faculty, staff, students and

community members are wel-

come to contribute guest view-

points of up to 450 words.

Writers should focus on cam-

pus or current events in a critical,

persuasive or interpretative style.

All viewpoints must be pub-

lished with a photo portrait of

the writer.

Letters Policy:

The Ranger invites readers

to share views by writing letters

to the editor. Space limitations

force the paper to limit letters

to two double-spaced, typewrit-

ten pages. Letters will be edited

for spelling, style, grammar, libel

and length. Editors reserve the

right to deny publication of any

letter.

Letters should be mailed

to The Ranger, Department of

Media Communications, San

Antonio College, 1300 San Pedro

Ave., San Antonio TX 78212-4299.

Letters also may be brought

to the newspaper office in Room

212 of Loftin Student Center,

emailed to sac-ranger@alamo.

edu or faxed to 210-486-1789.

Letters must be signed and

must include the printed name

and telephone number.

Students should include clas-

sification, major, campus and

Banner ID. Employees should

include title and telephone num-

ber.

For more information, call

210-486-1773.

Single Copy Policy:

Members of the Alamo

Community College District

community are permitted one

free copy per issue because of

high production costs.

Where available, additional

copies may be purchased with

prior approval for 50 cents each

by contacting The Ranger busi-

ness office.

Newspaper theft is a crime.

Those who violate the single-

copy rule may be subject to civil

and criminal prosecution and

subject to college discipline.

Editor

Zahra Farah

Managing Editor

Melody Mendoza

Sections Editor

Megan Mares

Photographers

Tyler K. Cleveland, Alison Wadley

Photo Team

Carla Aranguren, Jason B. Hogan,

Rennie Murrell, Chelsea V. Peacock,

Abiel Rodriguez, JungKeun Song,

Ingrid Wilgen

Illustrators

Juan Carlos Campos, Alexandra Nelipa

Staff Writers

J. Almendarez,

Ximena Victoria Alvarez,

Jacob Beltran,

David Espinoza,

Joshua Fechter,

Alma Linda Manzanares,

Julysa Sosa,

Riley Stephens,

Dana Lynn Traugott,

Jennifer M. Ytuarte

Web Editor

Laura Garcia

©2011 by The Ranger staff, San Antonio College, 1300 San Pe-dro Ave., San Antonio, TX 78212-4299. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.

The Ranger news outlets, which serve the Alamo Community College District, are laboratory projects of journalism classes in the Department of Media Communications at San Antonio Col-lege. The Ranger is published Mondays except during summer, holidays and examinations.

The Ranger Online is available at www.theranger.org.News contributions accepted by telephone (210-486-1773),

by fax (210-486-1789), by e-mail (sac-ranger@alamo.edu) or at the editorial office (Room 212 of Loftin Student Center).

Advertising rates available upon request by phone (210-486-1765) or as a download at www.theranger.org.

The Ranger is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press As-sociation, the Associated Collegiate Press and the Texas Commu-nity College Journalism Association.

The RangeR

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At the end of each semester, the staff of The

Ranger stops to recognize sources who have

suffered through numerous phone calls, ques-

tions and confirmations from cub reporters.

Students look back through stories to find

the best of the best among sources who have

helped train them as journalists and prepare

them for careers in public service.

Nominations are due this week so there is

still time to butter up a reporter to get a nod in

this semester’s competition.

Certificates will be presented at our annual

Source Awards Social at 9:30 a.m. May 2 in the

newsroom of The Ranger, Room 212 of Loftin

Student Center.

Award categories highlight the character-

istics most helpful in training young editors,

reporters and photographers. Most of all, these

sources remember they are working with stu-

dents who are learning by doing.

Though categories change with circum-

stances, many are old standbys. The first is The

Informant, which recognizes a source we don’t

have to meet in a dark parking garage.

Patience is a Virtue recognizes a source

who responds promptly, politely and

efficiently to repeated requests for

information, often daily.

Mother Hen thanks a source for

nurturing a new reporter on a

first beat.

The next category hon-

ors a Defender of A Free Press,

one who not only can identify the

freedoms guaranteed by the First

Amendment but who protects them.

Leaders of The Ranger’s cheering

section are presented a Booster Club

award. Typically, these individuals show

their support by referring new students,

sharing news tips and sending words of

encouragement.

The Big Tipper thanks a source who most

consistently provides news tips — and not only

about themselves — but also ensures that this

publication serves the interests of stu-

dents and taxpayers.

The Sure Thing recognizes our

most reliable sources who always

returns phone calls, provides accu-

rate and complete information,

directs us to other sources, if neces-

sary, declines comment politely — on

the rare occasion they have to — reads

the published story and provides feedback.

Forgive and Forget trumpets our

shame at unnecessarily wronging a

source and our relief at the absence of

a grudge.

Overexposed notes a source

often photographed published.

Underexposed notes a source

photographed often but without

the satisfaction of appearing in print.

For more information, call editor Zahra

Farah at 210-486-1776.

Source Awards honor best of the best sourcesEnjoy some fellowship and laughs while we name names and explain.

The Ranger April 25, 2011 • 37News

By Joshua Fechter

Journalism sophomore Laura Garcia was

named the Texas Community College Journalism

Association’s Journalist of the Year 2011.

As part of this award, Garcia will receive a

10-week paid internship to the Corpus Christi

Caller-Times this summer.

The award was announced at the Texas

Intercollegiate Press Association Convention

April 2 in Fort Worth.

Media communications Chair Marianne

Odom said she only found out about the award

the week before the convention, which left no

time to fill out district paperwork

allowing the department to send

Garcia and an adviser.

Odom said the department also

would not have had the money to

send Garcia and an adviser.

“We have to be very careful

about how we spend our money,”

Odom said.

Garcia said she feels very lucky

to receive the award. “I applied for it

thinking I wouldn’t get it,” she said.

Garcia said she does not feel entitled to

receive the award, and she is sure there are

other student journalists who are doing just as

good a job.

The Texas Community College Journalism

Association, an organization of 17 community

colleges with journalism programs and student

newspapers, has presented the award every

year since 2005.

Bob Bajackson, executive director of TCCJA,

said the association came up with the idea

because most newspapers only offer internships

to upperclassmen and ignore lowerclassmen.

Bajackson said the organization tried several

newspapers before the Caller-Times signed on.

The editorial board of the Caller-Times

decides the recipient of the award.

Garcia said she became interested in jour-

nalism because she loves art and photogra-

phy, and journalism combines them effec-

tively.

In 2004, she attended the Urban Journalism

Workshop for high school students at this col-

lege and won a Dow Jones Newspaper Fund

scholarship for photography.

In fall 2005, Garcia began taking classes at

this college, but her transportation fell through,

and she moved out of her parents’ home, which

meant she had to pay for school herself.

Garcia briefly changed her major to psychol-

ogy before switching back to journalism.

Because she did not receive financial aid or

scholarships during this time.

“It just wasn’t the right time,” she said.

Through blogging, Garcia found that she

loved and missed writing.

With encouragement from her family and

friends, she resumed classes in spring 2009 and

enrolled in COMM 2311, Reporting 1, where she

earned an A.

During this time, she also served as produc-

tion assistant for The Ranger, helping to lay out

and design pages.

The following semester, she

became the production manager.

In spring 2010, she served as

managing editor but was promoted

to editor during the course of the

semester.

From May to August 2010, Garcia

served as an intern at the Longview

News-Journal reporting as a gen-

eral assignments reporter. For this

semester, Garcia applied to be web

editor of The Ranger.

The stories that earned Garcia the state rec-

ognition were her coverage of a no-confidence

vote in the chancellor and the chancellor’s alle-

gations against the faculty.

Jeff Hunt, theater and speech communica-

tion chair and former Faculty Senate presi-

dent, said when Garcia reported on the con-

flict between Chancellor Bruce Leslie and the

Faculty Senates of four of the five district col-

leges, she reported the facts in a professional

and objective way.

The Ranger reported Sept. 17, 2009, that the

Faculty Senates of this college, Palo Alto and

Northwest Vista issued a vote of no confidence

in the chancellor.

On Feb. 25, 2010, Garcia reported the chan-

cellor’s allegations that faculty had procured

false documents in support of their vote and

admitted the documents were false.

“I was always impressed by how accurate her

reporting was,” Hunt said. “It was as balanced as

it could be.”

On April 8, 2010, The Ranger printed a letter

to the editor from Leslie in which he claimed to

have never said Faculty Senate leaders admitted

to making false claims.

An accompanying editor’s note said The

Ranger stood by its reporting.

Garcia said the incident was frustrating

because she was not sensationalizing Leslie’s

comments.

“He said it and I reported it. Why would I

make it up?” she said.

Garcia said it was a personal blow, but the

incident did not affect her reporting.

“I’m not going to let anything stand in my

way,” she said.

Hunt said having her integrity called into

question made Garcia a stronger reporter.

District 7 trustee Blakely Fernandez said

Garcia always maintains a professional balance

and that she is very careful with her facts.

Fernandez described Garcia as a tough

reporter.

“Lots of reporters want to be hard-hitting,

but when you don’t have the facts, it’s difficult

to be hard-hitting,” she said. “Laura is certainly

a good example of a hard-hitting reporter.”

Fernandez said Garcia has a bright future

ahead of her, and the district should be proud

of her achievements.

Garcia covered Fernandez’s election cam-

paign for District 7 trustee in spring 2010.

Garcia said she does not think journalism

is for the faint-hearted and that people need to

really love journalism to succeed in it.

“You have to be serious, have drive and

passion for what you’re doing,” she said. “You

wouldn’t see me in the math or music depart-

ment because I want to be here.”

After she graduates in May, Garcia will trans-

fer to Texas State University-San Marcos to pur-

sue a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

Garcia said she wants to get a master’s degree

in journalism but she does not know where she

wants to go for graduate school.

Garcia said her experience working for The

Ranger has been rewarding, and the program

is nurturing.

“If you’re struggling, faculty, staff and stu-

dents involved with the program can help you,”

she said. “Whatever level you’re at when you

enroll in the program, they can help you get to

a higher level.”

She said the program has helped her learn

to work with other people on a newspaper

team.

After her experience at the Longview News-

Journal, Garcia said The Ranger is very similar

to a professional news organization.

For more information, visit www.tccja.com.

Laura Garcia

Ranger editor wins Journalist of the YearTCCJA offers award for lowerclassmen.

38 • April 25, 2011 The RangerNews

Two Ranger editors took first

place in in-depth reporting in

Division 2 of the Texas Intercollegiate

Press Association annual competi-

tion for student publications from

two-year and four-year colleges.

Web editor Laura Garcia and man-

aging editor Melody Mendoza aced the

category for their coverage of the trial

of Alan Godin, a Northeast Lakeview

College librarian, who was convicted of

first-degree murder and sentenced to 25

years in prison and a fine of $10,000 for

the Oct. 13, 2008, shooting death of col-

league Donald “Devin” Zimmerman.

Division 2 is for two-year and four-year

colleges with large enrollments and student

newspapers published once or twice a week.

The Ranger for spring and fall 2010

placed third in overall excellence. Garcia

was editor in the spring and fall.

In other individual awards, Ranger

photographer Julysa Sosa won second

place in the feature story category for

a story on immigrant laborers seeking

work in New Orleans.

She also won third place in news

photo for a photograph of a Ballet

Folklorico performance.

Honorable mentions went to

Ranger editor Zahra Farah for news

story, journalism sophomore Riley

Stephens for sports news story,

Mendoza for feature page design

and Ranger photographer Alison

Wadley for news photo and pic-

ture story.

In other awards presented

this spring, The Ranger for

spring and fall 2010 placed sec-

ond in best all-around student

nondaily newspaper in the two-year col-

lege category of Region 8 of the Society of

Professional Journalists.

The Ranger Online also nabbed second

in the best affiliated website category for

two-year colleges. Region 8 covers Texas

and Oklahoma.

TIPA awards were presented at its

annual convention April 2 in Fort Worth,

and the SPJ awards were presented April

9 at the Region 8 spring conference in

Norman, Okla.

No one from The Ranger staff attended

either conference to accept the awards.

Editors take first place for in-depth reporting

TAKE NOTES 3

ON RESERVE 6

BUFFALO SOLDIERS 21

The RangeRVol. 85 Issue 1 Single copies free Sept. 10, 2010

A forum of free voices serving San Antonio College since 1926

GULF COAST

Lives and Livelihoods

Part 1 of a continuing series

SPRING SCHEDULE 3

SMOKERS GET FLICKED 4

SGA ELECTIONS 6

The RangeRVol. 85 Issue 8 Single copies free Nov. 5, 2010

A forum of free voices serving San Antonio College since 1926

Veterans remembered

These pages are among The Ranger’s 2010 contest entries.

The Ranger April 25, 2011 • 39News

By Joshua Fechter

The board of trustees Tuesday approved a

measure that limits college sports teams’ travel

to a 175-mile radius from the district service

area.

District 9 trustee James Rindfuss cast the

lone dissenting vote.

The measure also reaffirms board policy that

forbids using operational funds to support col-

lege sports programs and instead requires use

of the student activity fee funds along with pri-

vately raised funds. The policy as first proposed

would not have allowed teams to travel and play

teams outside of the district or use private funds

raised by the teams.

Men’s volleyball coach Henry Hines said

after the meeting he is grateful for the board’s

decision to allow teams to fundraise, but he

does not know how the teams will be able to

compete regionally and nationally.

Both the men’s and women’s volleyball

teams at this college are part of the Southern

Intercollegiate Volleyball Association, which

has 19 participating colleges and universities,

including Palo Alto College.

All the members are in Texas except

Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La.

“We don’t know what the limits are. We

don’t know if we’re going to be able to compete

nationally,” he said.

Women’s volleyball coach Marisa Martinez

also expressed concern after the meeting about

how the teams would be able to compete out-

side of the radius because the team has previ-

ously competed in Waco, outside of the 175-

mile radius.

Hines said the men’s volleyball team has

played in Dallas about 300 miles away.

Martinez said the teams are willing to fun-

draise.

Men’s basketball coach Curtis McGlown

said after the meeting he is relieved the board

allowed the teams to raise money privately.

“We stood up there and fought for the stu-

dents,” he said.

Ernesto Olivares, social work sophomore

and volleyball player, spoke during the citizens-

to-be-heard segment of the meeting. He said

athletics exposes students to universities and

motivates them.

“It keeps me motivated to stay in school,

knowing that I have to keep my GPA over a 2.5

in order to play,” he said.

Olivares said his team tutors one another and

studies five hours a week. He said the athletic

programs give college athletes an opportunity

to grow academically and athletically as well as

giving them an opportunity to do what they love.

Hines, Martinez, McGlown and women’s

basketball coach Desiree Crawford also spoke

during citizens-to-be-heard.

Crawford said during citizens-to-be-heard

the programs are integral to creating an envi-

ronment for academia.

She said 90 percent of her athletes work

to support themselves or a household, which

shows how much drive they have to do well in

school and athletics.

“For our students to perform not only aca-

demically but athletically speaks a lot for them,

and ultimately, it speaks well for the institu-

tion,” she said.

During discussion of the policy, District

7 trustee Blakely Fernandez said she did not

understand why the board was taking action to

limit sports activity when other campus organi-

zations and teams are not limited.

“We wouldn’t limit the cyber or academic

teams’ travel,” she said. “Why would we get

involved?”

District 2 trustee Denver McClendon said

the motion was to clarify existing policy, which

disallowed colleges from using operational

funds for sports programs and allowed teams to

compete only in intramurals with other colleges

in the district.

Confusion arose during board discussion of

the policy of what constitutes intramural and

intercollegiate sports, which prompted audible

protest from the coaches.

Intramural sports involve playing teams

from other colleges within the district.

Intercollegiate sports involve playing col-

leges and universities outside of the district.

“They need to do their homework,” Hines

said from his seat in the crowd.

Fernandez introduced a friendly amend-

ment that extended travel to the 175-mile radius

and allowed teams to fundraise.

District 1 trustee Joe Alderete seconded the

motion.

Rindfuss was the only trustee to vote against

the amendment.

The board then voted on the measure, which

Rindfuss also voted against.

Rindfuss disagreed with allowing travel.

“Students can still have fun within the district,”

he said.

Baseball coach Sam Gallegos said he does

not know how the radius will affect the team’s

ability to play the College World Series if they

win the National Club Gulf Coast conference.

“Right now, we’re just focusing on one con-

ference at a time,” he said.

President Robert Zeigler said he does not

know how this policy will affect the baseball

team.

Zeigler said for the 2010-11 academic year,

$70,000 of the sports operating budget came

from the college’s operating budget.

He said $14,700 came from the student

activity fee. The Student Activity Fee Committee

decides how the student activity fee is spent.

Board sets 175-mile radius for college sports teams

Student activity fee and fundraising will pay for sports.

Lady Rangers volleyball coach Marisa Martinez, Ranger men’s volleyball coach Henry Hinesand intramural specialist Patricia Patten listen to trustees discuss the possible elimina-tion of out-of-county games for club sports Tuesday in Killen. Tyler K. Cleveland

40 • April 25, 2011 The Ranger

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