The College Council at San Diego City College met to discuss enrollment, budget updates and new positions to enhance student experiences March 19.

City College’s student enrollment is up 1,227 students compared to last year, according to President Ricky Shabazz.

This increase in enrollment reflects growth within the college, maintaining a 90% Full-Time Equivalent Student target goal. 

Shabazz explained that while programs are growing, others are declining, leading administrators to shift focus on reallocating resources with plans to rebuild programs on the decline.

“There are some programs that we need to put additional resources and support (into), because they were hardest hit during the pandemic and have been slower to recover,” Shabazz said.

Andy MacNeill, Dean of the School of Arts, Humanities, Communications & Telecommunications, addressed concerns about making cuts to programs.

“We’re not cutting,” MacNeill said. “We are shifting.”

Neither administrator specified which programs the school will be shifting.

According to Shabazz, City’s budget is $100 million, with 50% required to be spent on instruction, and roughly 1% allocated to the day-to-day operations of the college.

“The budget is not promising,” Shabazz said, “but I would say I’m not afraid.”

Much of California’s community college funding is tied to the Student-Centered Funding Formula, according to the SDCCD 2023-2023 adopted budget.

With SCFF, 70% of district funding is reliant on student enrollment, 20% of supplemental funding is for the financial needs of students, and 10% is dependent on outcomes of student success.

The council meeting also introduced new positions that aim to better serve students.

To capitalize on the growth of the Promise Program, the College Council introduced a new position called Director of Promise and Outreach.

Additionally, the Dean of Equity position will be replaced by a Dean of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Anti-Racism, Accessibility and Social Justice, or IDEAAS for short, expanding on student needs.

“Some things that were in place needed to be reimagined for the best interest of students,” Shabazz said. 

The meeting is available to watch on San Diego City College’s YouTube’s page here.