The budget crunch has been felt state wide, and it has affected many programs here at Cerritos College. One of the harder hit programs at Cerritos and in the state will be Disabled Students Programs & Services.
The program aids approximately 1, 200 students on campus with their different services such as parking assistance, elevator access, and assists many thru liaisons with the Department of Rehabilitation and outside referral services.
The projected cuts for the 2002-2003 year will be 3.66% of $995,295. That will render the budget at 958,868 a loss of approximately $36,427.That is only the first of two cuts are being disscused. The second cut will be 45%for the 2003-2004 year that sums up a total cut to the state DSPS program of $467,917.
The loss of funding will cause inevitable cuts in programs and services in the different branches of DSPS. “When these cuts go thru, some our programs will have to be cut” director Bob Hughlett said in referring to the consequences of the budget cuts.
The entire program at Cerritos involves five main centers that serve different purposes and services for its students some or all of which will be curtailed to meet the budget cuts for next year. One of the centers is the Central Intake and Services which provides the initial interview, counseling, voter registration and referrals as needed.
Also the Alice Collins Resource Center assist students with mobility vision, psychological, or other disabilities or health limitations. The Instructional Support Center serves students who are learning disabled, developmentally delayed and those with acquired head injuries.Along with the High Tech Microcomputer Center, the Speech Language and Hearing Center and the Rancho Los Amigos Rehabilitation Center
These programs and services who help many students may be no more when many of them will be at least trimmed if not cut completely.
“I really hope that they dont cut the programs hard because i depend on the alot.” Communications major Peter Choi said about the looming cuts. He also said “I mainly use the resource center but its very helpfull.”
Although DSPS has found some ways of helping students through asking for volunteers to donate their time to help students by reading book s on to tape for the blind among other things.
Hughlett said that if that unless they can find outside funding of some kind they will have to cut back on many services that are very necessary to students on campus.
