Students, faculty and administrators of the State Center Community College will head to the polls in less than two months to make critical decisions for the community.   Among those decisions will be the selection of the board of trustees for the district. On Sept. 20, voters can take the first step in making that decision.

As part of the Cross Campus and Community Colloquium, Fresno City College will host an open forum for candidates running for the SCCCD board of trustees.

The candidates include educator Eric Payne, businesswoman Paulina Miranda, retired real estate appraiser Phil Maher, and case manager Brian Murillo.

“The board is one of the most important policy setting and decision making educational boards in the Central Valley. The citizens of the Valley should be as informed as possible in casting their votes for the candidates,” said Philosophy instructor Wendell Stephenson. “Candidates are often not known very well by the voters. I want to be more informed and I’m hoping others voters will be more informed so they can make the best decision.”

Stephenson emphasizes the significance of the upcoming elections, particularly because of the present financial crisis. “We’re going to have to absorb more cuts and the board is in the hot seat because they have to decide what will be cut. Or they may be able to find other possibilities,” Stephenson said. “Maybe we can elect somebody who knows how to get more funds.”

The board will also be making other critical decisions such as whether or not there will be summer school next year. And in a time where the district is dealing with instability, the board is expected to provide a positive outlook.

“The kind of environment the board creates might want to make people leave or stay,’ Stephenson said. “It’s about keeping morale high so people stay around and work hard.”

Eight of the 11 candidates are expected to attend the forum. Stephenson said, “I hope a lot of students come. It’s free, and it’s a great opportunity for students to learn about the people who determine the direction of the college.”

English instructor Jean Carroll says she hopes to see a board with a new sense of direction.  “We need a board that has vision. We need a board that is not stuck in the traditional k-12 thinking,” Carroll said. “We need people [on the board] who see the community college for what it is and for the importance it has in the community. We need a board that can be problem solvers. Our board hasn’t been a problem solving board.”

This year’s election for the board of trustees is somewhat unusual and overshadowed by national and state election campaigns. Also William Smith, a current trustee, has chosen not to run for reelection, leaving another opening on the board.  Nevertheless, the expectations are as high as ever.

Paul Gilmore, history instructor, said. “For the last 50 years, [the state] has committed itself to a higher education system that is inclusive of anybody who wants to go.  I don’t want to dismantle that.”

Despite the budget problem, Gilmore believes the community college can go back to what it used to be.  He visualizes a free comprehensive community college where first generation college students, working class students, and anybody else can get a college education even if they haven’t thought about it when they get out of high school.

“People are saying we don’t have the resources to do that anymore but I disagree. We don’t have the resources from the state, but we should try and go get them. I would like a board of trustees that feels that way,” said Gilmore. “They [the board] need to recognize there is an invention in California that is unprecedented in the history of the world. We need to get out there and make our case not to destroy that.”

Gilmore said students should take charge of their education and attend the forum tomorrow at 7 p.m. in the Old Administration Building. He explained SCCCD’s budget is about $170 million per year, and he hopes to hear the candidates talk about what they want to do with the money and how they want to prioritize.

Keeping the community college legacy intact is like using the sidewalk every day. “You don’t have to build a sidewalk every day you walk down the street.  It was built for you. All you have to do is maintain it,” said Gilmore.  “If it gets a crack in it, you fix it. What I’m afraid of is that we’re dismantling the sidewalk. That’s what we’re beginning to do in California. I think it’s a huge mistake.”