Students, former students and faculty alike were advocating for their programs from all angles during the VCCCD Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 8.  The board met to discuss the upcoming program cuts due to take place in response to the recently decreased budget from the State of California.

The big-ticket item on the agenda was programs cuts, and the other means of business took a backseat to this elephant in the room.

After hearing recommendations for the removal of Moorpark College’s Men’s Baseball program and Oxnard College’s Auto Body and OCTV programs, representatives were present and very vocal during the public forum.

Matt Tosczynski, a sophomore at Moorpark College, was one of many baseball players to get up in front of the Board and plead a case for their program.

“When you hear that your baseball program is going to be cut as a sophomore, I could have easily said, you know what, this isn’t my problem,” Tosczynski said. “But I’ve taken it on my back to help my teammates, to show them that there is going to be a tomorrow.”

With the number of enrolled students already exceeding the maximum capacity of state funds, the district is faced with budget cuts that will exceed those from previous years.  The district is anticipating a $11-$12 million budget deficit.

VCCCD is unable to rely on money from the state because of its unbalanced budget, and the district has already been deprived money from the months of July, August and September.  Money from the next fiscal year is being used to balance the state budget creating more problems for years to come.

All of the representatives were desperately trying to save their programs.  OCTV students were wearing T-shirts opposing the program eliminations, and many shed tears upon addressing the board. The Trustees were not unaffected. 

Board member Arturo Hernández, representative of Oxnard College, was concerned that the district would be making uninformed cuts if not provided with more information.

“The process that I’ve seen gives me concern.  So I am not trying to blame anybody, I am not trying to say take from anybody,” said Hernández. “I just feel like we are all in a little bit of denial, and we need to be informed,”

After a presentation of the expected impact on the district from Vice Chancellor Sue Johnson, Hernández was the only board member to speak out on the behalf of his specific college, Oxnard, while the rest of the board focused on the district as a whole.  He suggested that demographics, wealth, opportunity, and need in the surrounding community be considered when the board votes.

“In my mind, I’m believing that there is going to be another year for Moorpark College Baseball,” Tosczynski said.

Despite a hopeful Tosczynski, program reduction and elimination is inevitable given the current scenario.