Our debate on Nevada County Public Television went incredibly well last night. I'm told it will be posted on the web soon, and I'll share it with you here on the blog.
We kept it very positive, and didn't stoop to their level. Frankly, we didn't need to — the facts are on our side.
Sierra College is growing by leaps and bounds. We’re serving 7% more students this year than we did last year, and over 18% more students than when I took office. It's just not accurate to say the college is "turning students away" in some inappropriate way. We can't meet every single demand — the state is only funding 3% growth this year, and our balanced budget is carrying the rest.
Sierra College did balance the budget. Six out of seven trustees, voting across party lines, affirmed that a balanced budget means spending less than you bring in. And that’s exactly what we’ve done that for four years in a row.
Sierra College’s accreditation is secure. The college’s accreditation is not on probation, as our opponents have said. Earlier this year, the state commission gave our staff a sense of urgency about finishing the job on some of the reforms we started four years ago, and it worked – their recommendations were substantially completed as of October 15. Our opponents should be thanking our faculty and staff for their hard work, not attacking them.
11 days to the finish line!
Great Job Aaron!
I already voted and YOU got it!
lt
Posted by: larry tonini | October 30, 2008 at 12:53 PM