LIFE SCIENCES
Appendix A: Budget History and Impact
Audience: Budget Committee, PRBC,and Administrators
Purpose: This analysis describes your history of budget requests from the previous two years and
the impacts of funds received and needs that were not met. This history of documented need
can both support your narrative in Section A and provide additional information for Budget
Committee recommendations.
Instructions: Please provide the requested information, and fully explain the impact of the budget
decisions.
Category
Classified Staffing (# of positions)
Supplies & Services
Technology/Equipment
Other
2011-12
Budget
Requested
1 additional
Bond $7,368
Bond $116,386
2011-12
Budget
Received
No change
2012-13
Budget
Requested
1 additional
Bond $55,945
GenFund Bond $89,525
$8,000
equip maint
2012-13
Budget
Received
No change
TOTAL
1. How has your investment of the budget monies you did receive improved student learning? When
you requested the funding, you provided a rationale. In this section, assess if the anticipated
positive impacts you projected have, in fact, been realized.
Allocations from bond funding have allowed us to replace some old, deteriorated equipment, supplies,
and models. For example, in anatomy the students can now view models of the reproductive tracts
while the organs are in their correct anatomical position, whereas previously the broken pins required
students to continuously reconstruct and hold the tracts in the (hopefully!) correct position. Also,
students can identify the foramina (holes) in the skull models without having to determine if the hole
was supposed to be there or if it was one that had been created by overuse.
The Biology subdivision is in the process of replacing a 30-year old autoclave. A new autoclave was
purchased and is currently being installed. This critical piece of equipment is extensively used to prepare
sterile reagents and culture media utilized in the laboratory component of courses like MICR 1, BIOL 2,
BIOL 6, and BIOL 2A.
We can see the immediate impact on student learning in the significant decrease in both student and
instructor time spent addressing equipment usage and malfunction issues. We hope to see an impact
on learning when we enter or second cycle of SLO assessment next year.
2. What has been the impact of not receiving some of your requested funding? How has student
learning been impacted, or safety compromised, or enrollment or retention negatively impacted?
The cost of supplies and maintenance increases every year, but our budget allocations for these items
has not kept pace. We have not been able to incorporate new laboratory techniques that are in
common use in science laboratories, so our students are at a disadvantage in both 4-year transfer
programs and in industry. We are constantly battling just to maintain our current levels of success and
enrollment. The fact they these measures did not decrease is a testament to the resourcefulness and
dedication of our faculty and lab techs.
Our biggest funding gap is glaringly present in the space issues our laboratory rooms face and in the
safety violations we having been trying to work around for years:
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Laboratory classrooms have only 24 work stations. Even with this small number of students, you
cannot easily walk between the benches without tripping over a chair or bumping into another
student. When carrying hazardous chemicals, this is extremely dangerous.
Counter space and electrical capacity is inadequate to accommodate the computers, monitors,
and other laboratory equipment needed to conduct experiments.
Basic safety equipment is lacking or not maintained – fume hoods, safety showers, eye wash
stations, ventilation and temperature control systems.
Corroded pipes are causing equipment malfunctions and plumbing leaks.
We do not have the two exits for each classroom that are required by fire safety codes. Also,
windows are obstructed by shelves and some do not open, making an evacuation in case of fire
difficult.
The in-window blinds in most windows do not work, meaning that some cannot be closed in the
case of an active threat on campus (or just to use the projectors!).
Air and gas valves are exposed on the ends of lab benches, right at the knee height of students,
so they are frequently opened accidentally.
The cadaver rooms do not have proper temperature control and ventilation, exposing students
and staff to unnecessary formaldehyde fumes.
Safety code requires that laboratory technicians not work alone in a room, but the current
arrangement has each in their own room at different locations in the building.