Students hurt by class cancellations
By Jordan Goldman
IV Leader Staff, Jan. 30, 2003
Pending state budget cuts led to the cancellation of more than 100 classes this semester at Illinois Valley Community College, a move that some students say was poorly timed.
Nearly 300 Illinois Valley Community College students felt the effect of the failed Nov. 5 referendum and the state’s nearly $5 billion budget deficit when the spring semester classes were cancelled because of new minimum enrollment standards.
“It was hard on most of the students because IVCC did a poor job of notifying us,” said IVCC sophomore Justin Immel. “They called me a day before my class started, and said it was cancelled.”
IVCC administrators instituted the new class size minimums in an attempt to save money this year because of potential budget cuts that Gov. Rod Blagojevich may make to help solve the state’s budget crisis.
“A total of 114 class sections were cancelled due to the policy which mandates minimum enrollments of 12 students in on-campus day classes and 10 for off-campus and night classes,” said IVCC President Jean Goodnow.
The enrollment minimums are likely to stay in place for awhile since the IVCC district also has to cut costs because of the failure of the Nov. 5 referendum.
“Throughout the (referendum) campaign we said we would have to reduce programs and services if the referendum failed. This is an example of what we will be doing to balance our budget. It’s unfortunate so many students had to suffer,” said Goodnow.
Night students, traditionally working adults, were hit the hardest. Of the sections cancelled, 54 percent were evening offerings. A total of 28 extension classes at area high schools also were cancelled.
Loss of the Nov. 5 referendum will cost the college an estimated $750,000 in the 2003-04 academic year. In addition, college administrators expect the governor to ax at least $70,000 from the current year budget.
“We are following what other community colleges and universities are doing. We simply cannot afford to offer low enrollment classes anymore,” Goodnow said.