Not Clearly Pro or Con: "The price for enrolling in a class at SMC for a resident student is $46/unit UNLESS that student qualifies for a Board of Governors (BOG) fee waiver. 50% of SMC students and 70% of CA community college students qualify for BOG waivers and pay no 'tuition' or fee/unit. In addition, students with annual family incomes up to $80,000 are usually eligible for Cal grants and Federal Financial Aid grants that further reduce or cover their per unit cost. So the cost to a student for the class is probably 'fair' but there is another issue: low income community college students do not receive sufficient financial aid to cover their living expenses, text book costs, and attend college full time. This has a big negative consequence: Students who split their time and concentration between work and college are much less likely to complete their degrees. So, the problem lies not so much with the “price of education' but with the 'price of getting an education.' It is not 'fair' that students without the financial means to attend college full time are severely disadvantaged."

Pro: "Offering 4-year degrees need not reduce open access to community colleges. Rather, it can and would extend that open access to 4-year programs. In the past 30 years, CA has built 22 prisons and 1 new university. CSU and UC do not have the capacity to meet the current demand for baccalaureate degrees, especially for applied workforce degrees. Many applied fields – i.e. nursing – now insist on a 4-year degree for new hires.

California community colleges have not had the authority to offer 4-year degrees. That's why Governor Brown just signed SB 850, legislation passed unanimously by both the Assembly and State Senate that permits 15 community colleges to each offer a single 4-year applied workforce degree that does not duplicate any degree currently offered by a CSU or UC. I supported this bill because it will help students and I will support SMC’s application to be one of the 15 pilot colleges.

Students who attend community colleges are disproportionately Latino students, low-income students, and first generation students. Permitting community colleges to offer 4-year degrees would provide a viable pathway for more community college students to complete college and achieve their goals."

Con: "Every year I've been on the Board, one of our goals is to strengthen and expand Career Technical Education (CTE) (formerly vocational education). But it's not your father's voc ed. The economy has changed and technology has disrupted just about every industry.

To a great extent, and especially via funding decisions, the state determines CTE programming on a regional basis by industry sector demand. The high delivery cost of CTE programs and the rapid industry change are challenging. To figure out how to meet these challenges, the Chancellor's Office is forming a task force to re-examine the where, what, and how-will-we-fund-it issues.

That said, SMC currently offers more than 70 degrees or certificates in CTE – these are the 2-year (or less) programs that lead to 'Middle Skills' jobs. Last year, we awarded 1,373 Chancellor-approved CTE certificates, and 37% of SMC credit students take at least one CTE course. In recent years, we added courses in logistics, recycling, and solar photovoltaic installation, to name a few. We just received a $2m grant to expand information, communication, technology, and entertainment career pathways.

Providing high quality relevant CTE programs that lead to good jobs is an on-going and evolving process, challenge, and priority."

Not Clearly Pro or Con: "SMC has a special obligation to our local community that we fulfill through many programs: Emeritus College for older adults; participation with the City of SM in Cradle to Career; fields, pool and track open to neighbors; the Broad State; and countless other special programs.

SMC also works closely with SMMUSD through our Education Collaborative to make sure we are serving local students well. In fact, one of our Board Goals/Priorities is to 'strengthen and expand programs and partnerships that serve SMMUSD students.' We do this by coordinating schedules, providing SMC counselors at SMMUSD schools, offering dual enrollment and Counseling 20 classes at Samohi, and recruiting local students to participate in special student success programs like Young Collegians, Summer JAMS, First Year Experience, and Pico Promise. These programs are designed to connect access with success. I would like to see these programs expanded with more and more local students participating and we are working on that, growing these successful programs every year. I would also like to see SMC and SMMUSD faculty working together to improve student readiness. These are the kinds of programs and partnerships – programs that will increase student success – that I support."

Pro: "Yes! Santa Monica College offers our entire community unparalleled access to breadth, depth, and high quality public post-secondary education. We are so lucky!

Our Fall 2014 course schedule offers 1013 unique course offerings. Residents have access to the courses they want to take. And take them, we do: SMC has the #1 District Participation rate in the state. SMC is a resource for our local residents and a college of choice for the region because of the high quality we provide. Yes, we are #1 in transfers to USC, UCLA, and the entire UC system; we also have the highest counselor to students in the state; we have excellent faculty, administrators and staff. Our facilities are beautiful and sustainable, and we provide students and faculty with cutting edge technology. We have a diverse and committed student population, including students from around the world who enrich the perspective and relevance of our classrooms. We have built a strong department of institutional research so that we can monitor our programs and invest resources where they will do the most good. We are very good and getting better!"

Not Clearly Pro or Con: "With the exception of building a new campus in Malibu that will be a wonderful new resource for the community and the college, SMC has no plans to 'expand.' We will however continue to need new or upgraded facilities. We still have 'temporaries' on several campuses and definitely need a new Math Complex. I expect that over time, replacement buildings and renovations will be built on the campus properties we already own --- infilling rather than expanding SMC's footprint.

SMC has several major new facility projects in the works right now including information technology; central plant; health, physical education, fitness, and dance; and student services buildings on the main campus; a new east wing on our Performing Arts Center campus, and several new buildings including a new home for KCRW at our Academy for Entertainment and Technology."