Pete Moye’
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At Cerritos College, major reorganization has taken place for the Computer Assisted Instruction Lab, Math Success Center and the Library, since the beginning of fall 2011. These changes are aimed at giving priority to the MSC and achieving greater efficiency overall.

The CAI Lab is now moved one floor up, taking the space of the quiet study area, which in turn has been shifted to the library.

Andy Mendizabal, a Student Development Aide, said, “These changes meant more responsibilities for the student aide section, such as checking out DVD’s for Medical Terminology, a function that was delegated to a separate section before.”

The Math Success Center was relocated to where the CAI Lab once stood. The new name of the CAI Lab is the Student Success Center Lab, according to Michelle R. Rodriguez, program assistant II of the academic support center.

All of the 192 computers in the CAI Lab have been replaced with the latest HP all-in-one desktops, doing away with previous motherboards.

Added to this facility is the comfort of the working seats, as all chairs have been taken over by those adjustable to suit one’s needs. The older chairs were cushioned and heavier, but the new ones are all plastic and lighter.

However the bulk of the computers did not seem to carry an audio service.

Patrick O’ Donnell, manager of the Information Technology department, clarified that while the computers in the basement area of the CAI Lab have no audio function because he is waiting for a missing part.

However, all the computers on the first floor of the CAI lab are working.

Condazo Lessette, a student aide, said, “The computers in the last two rows of the first floor in the CAI Lab did not have an audio function.”

She did not, however, link the missing audio service in some computers to any missing parts.

Far from the first impression one gets of the effects of these changes, namely ̶ a crammed library with heightened noise level, a remote quiet- study area, and a somewhat scattered MSC ̶ that these changes are triggered by budget cuts, their cause and effect is quite the opposite as per Talon Marks’s inquiries.

Bryan Reece, Dean of Student Success and Institutional Effectiveness, explained, “Although we do have budget cuts going on at the college, through a bond passed by the voters a few years ago we have about $3 million of unspent money.”

Carl Bengston, Dean, Library and Learning Resource Center, said, “The shifting of CAI Lab to the library meant greater use of the Library and Learning Resource Center.”

Monica Lopez, Librarian and Circulation Coordinator commented on the changes, saying, “The lobby area is less quiet during peak hours, that is between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. from Monday through Thursday.

“But as to how the noise level would affect student concentration, it is an individual thing. Some people like to work in company and some actually like background noise. But everyone is doing something.”