Monday, May 12, 2008

Oh my

Watch Bill O'Reilly totally lose it in this "Inside Edition" outtake from maybe twenty years ago. You'll love it. (Bill drops lots of F bombs, has lots of hair.)

REALLY pissed off (Click on the blue words)
OR
Once Again

ALSO: some ancient history for you. For some reason, this is the fourth most popular "Dissent the Blog" video (out of 34). If you haven't seen it, check it out:

THE FAMOUS "GET THE GOO OUT" RALLY, 2005


REMINDER: It's the election, stupid:


Visit Save SOCCCD

IHE interviews new Cal community college chief

From this morning’s Inside Higher Ed: California’s New Community College Chief:
The California Community College system selected its leader last week: State Senator Jack Scott, a two-time community college president (at Pasadena City and Cypress Colleges) and lawmaker since 1997….

Senator Scott takes over as system chancellor January 1 after completing his term in Sacramento. He comes to a 109-college system facing challenges on multiple fronts. Funding-wise, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recently estimated that the state’s budget deficit has climbed to $20 billion, as the San Jose Mercury News reports, and the governor has proposed $525 million in community college cuts….

While the California Community College system is widely praised for its low barriers to entry (quantified in its $20-per-credit tuition rates), it has also been under pressure to increase degree completion and transfer rates to four-year institutions.

In addition, the Accrediting Commission of Western Association of Schools and Colleges — for which Scott once served as chair — placed nine of the California community colleges on warning or probation at its January meeting. Six others were continued on either status.
…..
Q. Broadly speaking, what’s on your agenda?

A. One thing obviously is to increase the funding. Community colleges in California aren’t very well funded in the sense that there are 2.6 million students that in a year’s time attend a community college, so you can see the gigantic task that’s there....
…..
Q: I’m intrigued that you formerly chaired WASC. In January, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges placed nine California community colleges on warning or probation....Are there any academic or financial problems that you see that are somewhat systemic, that need to be confronted?

A: I haven’t read those reports. I served on the commission of course frankly in a past time. The last time I was on the commission as I recall was probably in the early 90s, so it’s been 15 years since I’ve been directly connected with the accrediting commissions. ¶ One of the problems that California community colleges frankly have is a lack of funding. There needs to be increased funding and that does mean that those community colleges, if they’re in economic trouble, perhaps they need to be managed more effectively, vis-a-vis the budget. If it’s academic trouble they have, that may be that there has been a movement nationwide to more outcomes-based accreditation.... ¶ I frankly haven’t read those reports. I’ve been immersed in legislative actions ever since January when we went into session. I chair two important committees and frankly I deal with a huge number of issues that aren’t related to community colleges, so I don’t know the individual situations within the certain community colleges.
…..
Q: California community colleges enjoy a lot of local control, strong local boards, sometimes to the detriment, as some have argued, to system-wide coordination. How do you envision the relationship between local and state control evolving in your tenure as chancellor?

One of the strengths of California community colleges is that they are local, that they do respond to the needs of the community and that there is a certain autonomy. Naturally when there needs to be coordination, sometimes it is not always easy to do that but I think we can work toward that....I think you can maintain a certain coordination at the system level and still have a great deal of local autonomy. I think that’s one of the geniuses of the community colleges.
Senator Jack Scott on proposed budget cuts:

Roy's obituary in LA Times and Register: "we were lucky to have you while we did"

  This ran in the Sunday December 24, 2023 edition of the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register : July 14, 1955 - November 20, 2...