SMC Bankrolls Jim Keeshen's Legal Defense

On March 1, 2006, Jim Keeshen made a formal announcement to his ET18 Storyboarding students in which he defamed my good name, made discriminatory remarks against the disabled, and threatened his students. Acting in his capacity as a professor at the Academy of Entertainment and Technology, Jim Keeshen told his class:

I'm gonna come after you. I'm going to find out who the spy is in this class and in ET 2 and I'm going to get you to the letter of the law and have you either kicked out or whatever other consequences they can do to you in terms of doing this. Got it?


HOW MUCH MONEY IS JAMES F. KEESHEN COSTING THE TAXPAYER???

I subsequently asked Keeshen for an apology. I never received one. I wrote many letters and emails to various individuals in charge at Santa Monica College where Keeshen works as a full-time instructor. Still, no one responded or took one step to reprimand him. I even personally addressed the SMC Board of Trustees on April 10, 2006 to no avail. Keeshen, of course, continued to retaliate against me as did the SMC administration.

Back in April, Robert Sammis, the attorney for the college, stated the following to Dustin Curran, an SMC student, and me regarding Jim Keeshen's March 1, 2006 in-class speech:

Jim was speaking on his own behalf. He was not articulating any position on behalf of the college. It's not something we would condone. ... Official in his mind. And school policy in his own mind. That's not our policy. He was speaking completely on his own. He had no authority to represent the college. And quite honestly, if he were ever to be sued for that, we would not defend him. We would not be liable for it. He was on his own when he said those things.

Having exhausted my administrative remedies, I filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on or about August 9, 2006 for libel and slander. I thereafter received an introductory letter from attorney Herman S. Palarz from the law offices of Tyre Kamins, stating that he was representing defendant Jim Keeshen in the underlying case. However, I never heard another word from their office and no answer was filed within the mandated period.

Then, after emailing Mr. Palarz, I received a response to contact Edward W. Lukas, Jr., as he was now Keeshen's new attorney. That name sounded strikingly familiar, so I checked my SMC Litigation and Legal Guide and, sure enough, Edward W. Lukas' name appeared again and again. Attorney Lukas has represented SMC in ten different lawsuits, acting on behalf of the law office of Harrington, Foxx, Dubrow & Canter, LLP. This law firm has represented the Santa Monica Community College District on twenty-one different legal occasions.

One can only image how much money they have pocketed in legal fees and expenses in the last twenty years they have represented the District. Their service fees for the year 2001-2002, from the SMC Human Resources budget (run back then by Robert Sammis) was $50,000! Here's the screenshot I made from the SMC Board of Trustees minutes from June 4, 2001:



The following year, Harrington, Foxx, Dubrow & Canter raked in approximately another $30,000. In 1999, they got another $50,000. In 2004, their going rate was shown at $160.00 an hour, plus expenses. Their paralegals took in another $75.00 an hour.

Harrington, Foxx, Dubrow & Canter has cost the college at least $130,000. But what does the SMC administration care; it's not their money, it's our money. But it is worth it to them to keep Jim Keeshen in as tight a leash as possible. But Keeshen is willing to bow down to them as long as he himself doesn't have to be either morally or financially accountable for the hate speech, threats, and false statements he made against me and other students at the school.

If Sammis' words are not just hollow promises, then why is SMC bankrolling Jim Keeshen's legal defense? Is it that SMC's anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies are little more than ink printed on paper? Well, we'll never know, as SMC has failed for almost two months to disclose them under the California Public Records Act (CPRA) as can be seen in our set six request to President Chui L. Tsang.

As students, we either pay for our courses out of our own pockets or receive some form of financial aid, via state and federal funds. It is us, our parents, and the taxpayers who pay to keep these lawyers, administrators, and faculty in the positions they hold. Jim Keeshen does not financially contribute to SMC's fiscal stability, but depletes it. He's reeled in a salary of $633,087 in just an eight-year period. We don't know what his current salary is, as SMC has also refused to disclose that under the CPRA.

Add to this the $46,937 for an allegedly falsified sabbatical he took back in Fall 2003 and the $$83,000 in secret consultant contracts with the school, and we're looking at an approximate cost to the consumer of $680,107! This isn't counting all the medical benefits, other kickbacks with AET industry partners, lunches, and salary he's received from the other years not calculated. If anything, SMC should come to the plate and defend its students who are harmed, not those who harm us. SMC complains about the amount of legal fees its pays out in litigation, but somehow it seems to create the very litigation it wishes to avoid.

-- Des Manttari,
Editor-in-Chief,
Phoenix Genesis

(c) 2006: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP

Feel free to link or print this; just include the SAVE SMC URL: http://savesmc.blogspot.com/

Technorati Tags: Santa Monica College, Academy of Entertainment and Technology, public schools, Jim Keeshen, legal, James Keeshen, Robert Sammis, Los Angeles Superior Court, lawsuit, Chui L. Tsang, News and politics, litigation, California Public Records Act

Maggie LeDuc's Upcoming Art Shows

Most students know Santa Monica College professor Maggie LeDuc as the person who helps keep them healthy and full of energy thanks to her physical education courses. Maggie has been teaching at SMC for over two decades. Her classes rank from general fitness to rock climbing, cycling, hiking, and surfing. Maggie is a highly skilled and dedicated professor, unfortunately slated to retire within the next year. Everyone at SMC will miss her, myself included.

But there is another side to Maggie, one of exceptional creativity and talent. Not only does Maggie take photographs that look like they belong on the cover of National Geographic, she also designs custom jewelry. She also creates unique designs from gourds and baskets. Maggie's basket and gourd art will be showcased in two upcoming arts and crafts festivals this October. Maggie invites all her SMC students and fellow faculty to attend. To obtain information about the shows, you can view her flyer. To read more about Maggie and to view samples of her work, click HERE.

Hope to see you there!

-- Des Manttari,
Editor-in-Chief,
Phoenix Genesis

(c) 2006: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP

Feel free to link or print this; just include the SAVE SMC URL: http://savesmc.blogspot.com/

Technorati Tags: Santa Monica College, Maggie LeDuc, public schools, physical education, art, festivals, jewelry, baskets, gourds, arts and crafts, News and politics, entertainment, National Geographic

Bunnyhero Labs Adoptions of Virtual Pets

We're all on the search for free cute little animations to spice up our websites, blogs, and MySpace personal pages. Bunnyhero Labs has just the answer with its interactive virtual pets. Just drop over to their Adoption Centre and get one for yourself. You can choose from among a variety of domesticated pets (kittens, puppies, bunnies, fish, turtles, and hamsters) to farm animals (pigs, ducks, llamas) to zoo animals (pandas, tigers, penguins, and monkeys) to wild ferocious animals (wolves and spiders). They even have an animated pencil, scissors, and light bulb.

Once you've selected your pet, you can give it a name, provide your name on the adoption certificate, and customize the color of your pet. There's a wide palette of colors, from traditional ones to hot pink, neon green, or flaming red. Once you're finished, you can select the appropriate code to cut and paste into your website or blog. If you don't have a place to permanently park your pet, you can simply add your new creation to your favorites and bookmark the link and email it to your friends. Depending on which pet you select, you have a variety of ways to play with it, from feeding it, to making it move and speak. To view our two adopted pets' virtual permanent home, go HERE. Try playing with our new kitten, Corsair, or taming our cyber mascot, Wolfie. I commend Bunnyhero Labs for their innovation.

-- Des Manttari,
Editor-in-Chief,
Phoenix Genesis

(c) 2006: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP

Feel free to link or print this; just include the SAVE SMC URL: http://savesmc.blogspot.com/

Technorati Tags: Bunnyhero Labs, adoptions, virtual pets, cyber pets, adoption centre, animation, interactive pets, kittens, puppies, hamsters, News and politics, entertainment, Corsair

Santa Monica College Lawsuits

Exactly how many lawsuits do Santa Monica College (SMC) and Santa Monica Community College District (SMCCD) entangle themselves in? I took a little field trip down to the Los Angeles Superior Court in downtown L.A. today and did some research. I counted a whopping 58 lawsuits in all. Some are still pending while others have either been dismissed or settled. Most involve Santa Monica College as a defendant, but some had SMC as the plaintiff. Two lawsuits were from the Santa Monica College Faculty Association.

What do people sue SMC for? Cases ranged from typical slip and falls to civil rights violations, compliance with the California Public Records Act, breach of contract, labor disputes, auto accidents, injunctive relief, declaratory relief, defamation, wrongful termination, and general personal injury. You name it and SMC has probably been sued for it. Unfortunately, these lawsuits cost the college considerable time and money to litigate. The District not only has its own attorneys at hand, but it retains an army of outside law firms at its beck and call. These law firms typically range from $160 to $250 an hour, plus expenses. Two law firms that repeatedly showed their faces as SMC's legal pit bulls were Harrington, Foxx, Dubrow and Canter and Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo.


Perhaps SMC and the District should examine its risk management and negotiation strategies and develop ways to prevent lawsuits rather than exasperating them. Our student tuition and tax dollars could be better spent on improving our student services and paying our faculty rather than draining the college financially and the plaintiffs emotionally. In April 2006, SMC Faculty Association President Lantz Simpson wrote a fantastic article entitled "How SMC Is Run Like WAL-MART." I highly urge anyone interested in the fate of SMC to read this now. If you're interested in doing more research on SMC's litigation, I made a handy Adobe PDF file of all the cases with the dates filed as well as the parties and attorneys. You can view it HERE.


-- Des Manttari,
Editor-in-Chief,
Phoenix Genesis

(c) 2006: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP

Feel free to link or print this; just include the SAVE SMC URL: http://savesmc.blogspot.com/

Technorati Tags: Santa Monica College, Santa Monica Community College District, risk management, litigation, legal, lawsuits, wrongful termination, Los Angeles Superior Court, civil rights, breach of contract, News and politics, personal injury, California Public Records Act

Big Fun with Furby

One of the best courses at Santa Monica College's Academy of Entertainment and Technology is called ET 11: Computer Skills and Software for Animation and Interactive Media. This course is taught by Ian MacGillivray. One of our assignments was to design a book cover using layers in Adobe Photoshop. I combined the interactive things I felt have influenced me and others: Furby, Sony's PlayStation 2 (PS2), and the Internet. Here's the final result:



To view the full sized image, click HERE. Sadly, AET never spends the time to place any of its students work online on its website. Many students produced outstanding work the semester I took this course, thanks to Ian, and it is a real shame that this work is not showcased. If anyone from AET has some work they've done and would like to submit it to SAVE SMC, drop me an email and I will try to accommodate you.

In the meantime, it's time to hunt around for a new Furby as mine has seen better days. Since its creation in 1998, Hasbro (through Tiger Electronics) has sold 40 million Furbys worldwide. Not only were there the interactive Furbys, but there were plush versions as well (I still have my black one). According to the official website, "FURBY toys were once banned from the NSA (National Security Agency) in Maryland, because it was said they could 'learn'."


CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Original Furby, Assorted Furbys, Gutted Furby, New Furby

Although a huge fad, the Furby craze died down by 2002. However, in 2005, Hasbro released the new and improved (and larger) Furby, driven by "EMOTO-TRONICS" that consists of an advanced voice recognition system, more expressive emotions, and an expanded "bilingual" vocabulary of Furbish and English. Hasbro boasts that the new Furby has six times the memory of the original one. The new Furbys, much to my disappointment, cannot communicate with its light-sensor driven predecessors.

dah doo-ay wah!
(Furbish for "Big Fun!")
-- Des Manttari,
Editor-in-Chief,
Phoenix Genesis

(c) 2006: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP

Feel free to link or print this; just include the SAVE SMC URL: http://savesmc.blogspot.com/

Technorati Tags: Santa Monica College, Academy of Entertainment and Technology, public schools, vocational schools, photoshop, Furby, Tiger Electronics, interactive toys, Furbish, emoto-tronics, News and politics, Ian MacGillivray, interactive media

California's Hemorrhaging Educational Pipeline

In a May 2004 online report entitled "Ensuring Access with Quality to California's Community Colleges," it is stated that the California Community Colleges have "eroded substantially" and have not lived up to the promises envisioned by the state's 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education. In fact, "California’s 1960 promise of opportunity has become problematic." There are seven concerns that California Community Colleges face, three of which are highlighted below:

Poor preparation.
Many college students and prospective college students are inadequately prepared for college-level academic work.

Hemorrhaging educational pipeline.
In California, for every 100 ninth graders, 70 graduate from high school four years later; of these 70 graduates, 37 enroll in college; of the 37 who enter college, 25 are still enrolled in the sophomore year; and of these 25, 19 graduate with an associate’s degree within three years or a bachelor’s degree within six years. California’s production of baccalaureate degrees falls well below the leading states.

State budgetary difficulties.
The state government is in financial crisis. For the first time in its modern history, California simultaneously faces unprecedented demands for higher education enrollment and declining state financial resources.

Additionally, "a set of perennial weaknesses plague California education" including few incentives, little accountability, unacceptable transfer rates to four-year colleges, inadequate preparation for college, and "chronic underfunding" of California community colleges. A "policy vacuum" of failed strategic planning has only exasperated these problems. The community colleges are additionally burdened by "cookie cutter" uniformity, governmental regulations and statutes, and "shackled by the conditions of categorical funding." As it stands, California ranks 36th among the 50 states "in the ratio of baccalaureate degrees awarded compared to high school graduates six years earlier" and "46th in the number of baccalaureate degrees awarded per 100 undergraduates."

Sadly, our governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is himself the result of the California community college system, having graduated from Santa Monica Community College. Since he's taken office, he's struggled in what the report describes as "a budget crisis of unprecedented magnitude." Our state's deficit is allegedly the largest in the nation. While our enrollment fees have been increased dramatically, our budget for community college education has been slashed considerably. As expected, enrollment has dropped across the board. The report offers this frightening bit of information:

The combination of increased fees and reduction in overall funding is unprecedented. In the two periods in California history in which the state faced a financial crisis, from 1981 to 1984 and from 1991 to 1995, student enrollment dropped by 296,000 students and 179,000 students respectively. In neither of those situations were the fee increases as great nor were the reductions in state funding nearly so dramatic. The chancellor’s office estimated a reduction in enrollment of 146,000 in fall 2003.

The report offers some suggestions for improvement, including a bridge between K-12 and community colleges as well as between community colleges and four-year colleges and universities. However, the report is not optimistic in the least, stating that state legislature is more intent on maintaining the status quo than answering our pressing needs. The California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC) is described as "California’s relatively weak coordinating body."

Apparently, there have been calls for the abolishment of local boards of trustees, such as the one in charge of Santa Monica College. Although our college engages in what is referred to as "shared governance," this glorified system is in fact "too cumbersome" with an administration that is "not collaborative enough." Finally, the funding mechanism is breaking down, with extremely low funding for FTES (full-time equivalent students) and the inability to generate local sources of revenue due to Proposition 13. The transfer programs are described as "uncoordinated," "redundant" and "expensive." Unfortunately, with the state's enrollment cap in place, there exists more hiring of inaccessible part-time faculty and unfunded FTES that "lowers the average revenue generated per student." The report makes clear the following:

The combination of inadequate levels of funding and support for insufficient numbers of FTE students has resulted in a situation in which colleges are forced to compromise both quality and access. In the "absence" of "real leadership" from then Governor Gray Davis and the Legislature, there seems to be no easy solution to fix this very severe problem. The old enrollment driven model of funding only leads to unpredictability in the annual budget. Budget cuts in turn lead to low morale across the board as programs and services can be cut out from under a student.

Finally, how does Santa Monica College truly compare in its overall course completion? According to the SANTA MONICA COLLEGE STUDENT EQUITY REPORT for Spring 2005, here are some rather depressing statistics:

Overall Course Completion:
- Success Rates for ‘92=67.5%, ‘97=65%, ‘02=69%.
- In ten year period overall student success has improved by an average of 1.5% .
- African American and Latino student success rates are significantly lower than average.

ESL/Basic Skills Course Completion:
- Success Rates for ‘92=62.4%, ‘97=56.5%, ‘02=55.7%.
- In ten year period overall success rates have decreased by 6.7%.
- Latino student success is lower than the average.
- African American student success is significantly lower than average.

Vocational Course Completion:
- Success Rates for ‘92=66.8%, ‘97=64.9%, ‘02=77.3%.
- In ten year period overall student success has improved by an average of 10.5%.
- Latino student success is slightly lower than average.
- African American students is significantly lower than average.

Transfer Course Completion:
- Success Rates for ‘92=68.3%, ‘97=66.4%, ‘02=69.8%.
- In ten year period overall student success has improved by an average of 1.5%.
- Latino student success rate slightly lower (62.9%).
- African American student success significantly lower (58%).

AA Degree Completion:
- Slight decrease in awards for male students in 10 year period.
- African American and Asian students have a decrease in awards in 10 year period.

Certificate Completion:
- Significantly lower levels of certificates were awarded to females.
- All students except for Native American and Unknown category had a decrease in awards in 10 year period.
- All have a significantly lower award level than overall student population.

Equal Employment Opportunity:
- Full-Time and Part-Time White faculty is overrepresented compared to student population while Full-Time and Part-Time Asian and Latino faculty are underrepresented compared to student population.

According to our new president, Chui L. Tsang, "Santa Monica College has the highest transfer rates to the UC campuses in all of the California Community Colleges,” says Tsang. "Santa Monica College is a very prestigious transfer institution with a strong international education focus." But the statistics above do not paint the rosy picture that Tsang presents. Keep in mind that the Latino college age population in Los Angeles County is growing substantially. Given the problems statewide with the budget cuts, increased enrollment, and failure to provide the appropriate education and criteria for transfer, and Santa Monica College is not keeping its promises to serve its Latino and African-American student community. According to SMC Board of Trustees Chair Carole Currey, "We were particularly impressed with Dr. Tsang’s perspicacity and sense of humor." Unfortunately, the joke is on the students.

-- Des Manttari,
Editor-in-Chief,
Phoenix Genesis

(c) 2006: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP

Feel free to link or print this; just include the SAVE SMC URL: http://savesmc.blogspot.com/

Technorati Tags: Santa Monica College, Academy of Entertainment and Technology, public schools, vocational schools, transfer rates, student equity, completion rates, Chui L. Tsang, enrollment caps, budget problems, News and politics, vocational course completion, minority students

Where are All the SMC AET Internships and Jobs?

Santa Monica College's Academy of Entertainment and Technology (AET) has been around for almost a decade. However, it has not delivered on all its glorified promises. Let's look at those juicy internships with industry partners that were supposed to launch us into high paying careers.

When AET's website first started back around December 1998, it stated that it offered "internships leading to proficiency in each of these fields with the goal of immediate employment. The Advisory Board's members currently represent motion picture and television studios, visual effect houses, theme park operators, distribution companies, and multi-media and music companies." [emphasis added]

You can browse our handy SMC AET Industry Partnership chart to see all the alleged entertainment companies that were supposed to partner with the Academy program. Now, although AET has once again redesigned its website, there isn't even a single mention of any company being a current partner of the AET program. So, what happened? In fact, you will see the following:

The Entertainment Technology program works in close collaboration with the entertainment industry to ensure that students learn practical, job-oriented skills. Certificate students develop professional portfolios, work in teams, and may participate in internships with industry partners when available. [emphasis added]

Here's a screenshot I made:




On the support page, AET internship coordinator, Gloria Mottler, seems to be shamelessly begging companies to provide internships and job placements. The page reads:

Companies who want to support the Design Technology Department by providing internship or employment opportunities for students and graduates can contact:
Gloria Mottler, Internship Coordinator

Here's a screenshot I made:



The fact that AET Dean Katharine Muller is also begging for "donations of equipment and software" as well as "financial contribution[s]" from "an individual or company" should throw up a huge red flag for any prospective student considering enrolling in the AET program.

And where's those "employment opportunities" allegedly guaranteed to AET students? In Santa Monica College's "Request for Approval of an Educational Center," dated November 8, 1996, to then Chancellor Thomas J. Nussbaum and The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, SMC (by and through then President Piedad Robertson) wrote the following:

As these programs have been identified by the major employers as meeting their most critical workforce needs, there is a high level of confidence that students trained in the Academy's programs will find employment in California at above average salaries in positions with potential for six figure incomes with a community college education.

Six figure incomes? A high level of confidence? Didn't Robertson receive a vote of no-confidence from SMC? Didn't she abandon SMC and the AET program to take up shop at the Education Commission of the States in Denver, Colorado? There's a huge difference between "above average salaries" and "six figure incomes." Where's the hard data to prove these claims? AET's Alumni webpage only lists one graduate from AET working in the industry: Steve Rembuskos. And Rembuskos graduated five years ago!

Where's all the other AET alumni reeling in those six figure entertainment industry salaries? AET shamelessly offers an AET Alumni Google Group in which Gloria Mottler states in her little press release the following:

I wanted to welcome each and everyone of you to this wonderful new feature on our AET website. This is a great way of communicating with fellow students both past and present. Let us know what you are currently doing and share your experiences here at the academy and in your current career. I look forward to hearing from you!

Only two students responded to her call to adventure: Bob Paulson and Jason Marley. And remember that Bob Paulson worked for both Mottler and Jim Keeshen. (See our blog article: Family Guy Pilot Episode Scandal and Lawsuit). And what did Jason Marley write about his life after AET? Here's the relevant excerpt from his blurb:

I just stumbled across this group, but I am an Alumni of The AET. Just wondering where everyone is and what happend [sic] to the Business Module? I was one of the few special students in the Production Management Module but I see that it is no longer existing...

Marley points out that the Production Management certificate no longer exists. Also, he mentions that he's currently "consulting as a Multimedia Specialist." That's a bit vague and ambiguous. If he were working for some major entertainment company, you'd think he would brag about it. Paulson's entry is entitled "yo this place is deserted" and gives a nice visual of tumbleweeds passing by. Paulson makes two additional postings, but mentions nothing of his lucrative career in the entertainment industry. This reminds me of that saying: "Buyer Beware."

-- Des Manttari,
Editor-in-Chief,
Phoenix Genesis

(c) 2006: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP

Feel free to link or print this; just include the SAVE SMC URL: http://savesmc.blogspot.com/

Technorati Tags: Santa Monica College, Academy of Entertainment and Technology, Steve Rembuskos, vocational schools, internships, employment opportunities, entertainment industry, Gloria Mottler, Jim Keeshen, Piedad Robertson, News and politics, Katharine Muller, Bob Paulson

More Lawyers Jump on the Legal Bandwagon

The other day, I got a letter in the mail from the law offices of Tyre Kamins. You can click on the envelope below to open the letter and read it for yourself. How many more attorneys will jump on the legal bandwagon until all these issues are resolved? A letter from a law firm such as this can easily cost $200 to $300. What a waste of money in my opinion.


ATTORNEY LETTER: CLICK ON ENVELOPE TO OPEN AND READ CONTENTS.

-- Des Manttari,
Editor-in-Chief,
Phoenix Genesis

(c) 2006: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP

Feel free to link or print this; just include the SAVE SMC URL: http://savesmc.blogspot.com/

Technorati Tags: Tyre Kamins, attorneys, lawyers, envelope, legal, letter, Jim Keeshen, Los Angeles Superior Court, lawsuit, defamation, News and politics, libel, slander

Happy Birthday SAVE SMC Blog!

Today is the very first birthday of the SAVE SMC Blog!!! An entire year of online news, politics, and entertainment through this weblog and our two supporting websites, SAVE SMC and Phoenix Genesis Online News Media. With all the unpublished material we have gathered, it looks like we'll be going strong for another year or two, so bookmark this page now.

When I first envisioned this blog, I did not expect that it would become so large or that it would build a small, but loyal fan base. I did not know what the future would hold, or all the obstacles I would overcome, or all the information I would learn. I simply stayed in the process and the results took care of themselves.

There have been moments of joy and moments of sadness, moments of pure energy and moments of complete and utter exhaustion. Was it all worth it? In retrospective: absolutely. We've provided so much informative news and research about Santa Monica College (SMC), its vocational satellite campus, the Academy of Entertainment and Technology (AET), as well as other news and politics.

We've learned how to create videos and provided some video game entertainment to balance our breaking news. We've sharpened our web design skills and learned how to all work together as a team. We've learned quite a bit of new law, including the ins and outs of the California Public Records Act and the Ralph M. Brown Act. We've also gained a tremendous amount of knowledge about our student rights and civil rights, including our free speech issues and our due process issues. We've kept the students informed, stood up to unscrupulous administrators, negotiated with attorneys, and supported our faculty in their fight for their rights.

We've made new friends along the way and strengthened existing friendships. But I can't take all this credit alone for the success of the SAVE SMC Blog. I have to first and foremost thank my loyal readers who have kept me going through all those long nights, who have offered suggestions and words of praise. This is our story of what it is like to be a student at SMC, standing up for all our rights, and I thank you for sharing it together.

Here's to another successful year!

-- Des Manttari,
Editor-in-Chief,
Phoenix Genesis

(c) 2006: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP

Feel free to link or print this; just include the SAVE SMC URL: http://savesmc.blogspot.com/

Technorati Tags: Santa Monica College, Academy of Entertainment and Technology, public schools, vocational schools, happy birthday, anniversary, student rights, free speech, due process, weblog, News and politics, Phoenix Genesis, California Public Records Act

Final Fantasy Music Videos

Well, I am a huge Final Fantasy fan, as is evident on my Phoenix Genesis video game website. I've been rummaging through YouTube the last few weeks, building a nice collection of the Best of Final Fantasy music videos. I also have a few Metal Gear Solid and Kingdom Hearts videos as well. You can check out my favorites at my Phoenix Genesis YouTube page. In the meantime, check out our new Movie page here at SAVE SMC. You can also access the movie page through the links on the Phoenix Genesis website.

The Final Fantasy VIII Enigma "Eyes of Truth" remix was done by my dear friend Jason Iaquilino. He and his girlfriend, Jesse, have a new website called Waking Dreams. Not much up now, but it is sure to be great when it's done. Jason and I had his Final Fantasy VIII movie (Squaresoft, now Square-Enix) up on the Phoenix Genesis site years ago, but I had to take it down as it simply took up too much bandwidth. That problem is now resolved thanks to YouTube. However, I have no clue why the clarity isn't what it should be when I uploaded it. Oh, well... enjoy!

-- Des Manttari,
Editor-in-Chief,
Phoenix Genesis

(c) 2006: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP

Feel free to link or print this; just include the SAVE SMC URL: http://savesmc.blogspot.com/

Technorati Tags: Final Fantasy, YouTube, music videos, movies, video games, Squaresoft, Square-Enix, Enigma, The Eyes of Truth, Waking Dreams, News and politics, Phoenix Genesis, Jason Iaquilino

AET Career Certificates Have Mysteriously Vanished

Santa Monica College's Academy of Entertainment and Technology (AET) has a history of not coming through on its vocational occupational certificates, alternatively known as "career certificates." First it was the theme park management, then the project management, and the game development program. Certificates get renamed, reshuffled, or on "pending" status. Let's see what's new for Fall 2006.

Here's a screenshot of the Entertainment Technology course offerings at SMC for Fall 2006:



Notice how SMC is misrepresenting that AET "offers career certificates in Animation, Game Development, Post Production, Visual Effects and Web Design." AET doesn't even say these certificates are "pending." Rather, they allegedly falsely advertise that they are offered, period. This misinformation is posted on SMC's official website in the hopes of luring students to enroll in these courses that are supposed to lead to these certificates.

Now, let's jump over to AET's official website. On or about June 19, 2006, AET yet again revised and redesigned its website. It's that new and improved thing that is really a repackaging of the old and unreliable. Before the last revision, earlier this year, AET stated on its "certificates" webpage that it had four certificates pending approval: Game Development, Post Production, Visual Effect, and Web Design. It gave detailed descriptions of each. Only one certificate was stated as actually existing: Animation. Now, all of these "pending" certificates have mysteriously vanished. Here's a screenshot of AET's webpage for Entertainment Technology (ET):



Now, as the above screenshot reveals, SMC's AET program only offers "courses," not "career certificates" in "Game Development, Post Production, and Visual Effects." Web Design didn't make it to the downgraded "course" status. Hmmm.... So, why does SMC continue to tell students in its Entertainment Technology course listings for Fall 2006 that these career certificates are available? Sounds like a bit of false and deceptive advertising to me.

Notice in this screenshot that there's a link to the ET Program Guide for Summer/Fall 2006, available as an Adobe PDF document. Let's take a peek inside. Go to the section entitled "Career Certificate Information" and you will see the following:

The Entertainment Technology program currently offers a Career Certificate in Animation. This certificate requires that students first complete the required coursework for the Digital Foundation Certificate of Completion as listed above.

There is a single sentence that reads as follows:

Additional certificates in Game Development, Post-Production and Visual Effects are under development.

So, it is confirmed that the Animation Career Certificate Track is the only currently approved program offered at AET. What happened to Interactive Media? Five years to get it approved and then AET simply cancels it from its curriculum? That seems like a huge waste of time, resources, and money. What about Web Design, another stable at AET? Not a word mentioned anywhere on their website or 2006 Program Guide, despite being listed on the SMC ET course webpage for Fall 2006.

What about these career certificates that have been "pending approval" since last year and have now been reclassified as "under development." Let's go to one of my favorite online resources, the California Community College's Chancellor's Office webpage of Inventory of Approved and Projected Programs Sorted by Colleges. Scroll down to Santa Monica City College and view its approved and pending programs. It is fairly accurate, having been revised since Sept. 12, 2006.

Here's what you'll find there. In 2002, SMC received approval for three certificates: Interactive Media Level 1, Interactive Media Level 2, and Computer Animation & Visual Effects. What's up for pending approval? In 2006, only Nutrition and Wellness. What about in 2007? We have the following: Environmental and Urban Studies, Real Estate, Entertainment Industry Business, Web Programmer, and Ethnic Studies. Note that the Web Programmer is under Computer Programming, not Multimedia, which would have fallen into Entertainment Technology's domain.

Let's compare screenshots from earlier this year to yesterday's listings under the CCCCO's Program Inventory. Here's the relevant excerpt from January 4, 2006:




And here's the screenshots from the relevant excerpt for September 12, 2006:




Notice that Website Software Specialist was listed as pending approval in 2007 under Website Design and Development. Now, it has been approved in 2006, but under Software Applications. This leads me to believe that the SMC main campus scooped this up in the computer science department rather than granting it to the AET program. Although a "certificate and degree" were slated, it seems that it is only approved now as a degree. So much for web design at AET.

Also, as previously mentioned, it took SMC from 1997 (when the AET program started) until 2002 to get Interactive Media approved and now they've simply cast the baby out with the bathwater. And, what about that Women's Studies program approved in 2005, a mere two years ago, and now SMC no longer allegedly has either a Women's College or Women's Center?

As to Entertainment Industry Business, there is a projected certificate and degree under "Other Business and Management." It appears on its face that this will fall into the business school at SMC and not AET's Entertainment Technology program. Previously, AET has had entertainment business certificates that never really flew off the ground. I only know of one student who has admitted to actually finishing this type of program at AET. Nowhere is there any mention of a pending "Game Development" certificate or "Post Production" certificate. So, what does "under development" truly mean? That a bunch of people at AET will sit around in committee meetings, racking up our tax dollars, shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic, and trying to get something approved, or, alternatively, it is just another educational carrot dangled on the stick to lure prospective and gullible students into the AET program? I will leave that for you to decide.

-- Des Manttari,
Editor-in-Chief,
Phoenix Genesis

(c) 2006: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP

Feel free to link or print this; just include the SAVE SMC URL: http://savesmc.blogspot.com/

Technorati Tags: Santa Monica College, Academy of Entertainment and Technology, public schools, vocational schools, false advertising, approved programs, entertainment technology, game development, web design, interactive media, News and politics, animation, post production, vocational certificates, career certificates, occupational certificates, computer animation, pending certificates, deceptive advertising, entertainment business, program inventory, visual effects, vocational courses, News and politics, SMC, AET

What Happened to SMC's Women's Center and College?

About a year or so ago, Santa Monica College offered a Women's Center. The webpage stated the following:

The Santa Monica College Women's Center provides:
Assistance and orientation for mature female students to smooth their transition back into college;
Counseling and support for single and teen parents, homemakers, and a gender equity program to encourage and support students pursuing non-traditional careers for their gender;
Assistance in locating on- and off-campus resources such as child care and financial aid for women returning to school;
Peer tutoring, study skills, workshops, conferences, and special events; and
Small support groups that deal with issues such as assertiveness training.
The Women's Center also holds weekly seminars and workshops related to women's issues, as well as an annual celebration of Women's History Month. These are open to all students and are often open to guests of students. Announcements are posted around the campus and in the Corsair.

Here's a screenshot:



Now, the Women's Center page from SMC has vanished. Click on the link to see for yourself or merely look at the screenshot I made below:



The Women's College course offerings for Fall 2006 also suffered a similar fate. Now we see it, now we don't. The webpage read as follows:

The Women’s College facilitates and promotes the success of women through curriculum, academic events, and leadership opportunities. The program offers an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary course of study that focuses on women’s experiences across race, ethnic, gender and socio-economic lines. The coursework examines the role of gender as a social construction, as a dynamic in power relationships, and as a factor in social, historical and cultural participation.

For further information, contact: Brenda Antrim, Women’s College Faculty Leader (ext. 3538)

Here's a partial screenshot confirming that the page was online:



Here's the list of full courses for Fall 2006 offered through the Women's College:

FALL 2006 WOMEN’S COLLEGE COURSES

ANATMY 1, General Human Anatomy 4 units UC, CSU
1047 7:30a-10:35a MW SCI 224 Dell M M
Arrange-1 Hour SCI 245

BIOL 2, Human Biology 3 units UC, CSU
4051 6:45p-9:50p T SCI 151 Cramer A E

ECON 1, Principles of Microeconomics 3 units UC, CSU
1664 9:30a-10:50a MW MC 16 Garcia C P

ECON 5, Political Economy 3 units UC, CSU
1697 12:45p-3:50p Th LV 160 Rabach E R

ENGL 2, Critical Analysis and Interm. Composition 3 units UC, CSU
1822 9:30a-10:50a TTh DRSCHR 211 Goldthwait B F

FILM STUDIES 6, Women in Film 3 units UC, CSU
4273 6:00p-10:05p F LS 152 Hunt S E

HIST 10, Ethnicity and American Culture 3 units UC, CSU
2244 9:30a-10:50a MW HSS 106 Kawaguchi L A

HIST 52, Women in American Culture 3 units UC, CSU
2298 9:30a-10:50a TTh HSS 106 Manoff R J

PHILOS 52, Modern Political Thought 3 units UC, CSU
2806 2:15p-3:35p MW LA 240 Katherine A L

POL SC 5, Political Economy 3 units UC, CSU
2897 12:45p-3:50p Th LV 160 Rabach E R

POL SC 23, The Politics of Gender 3 units UC, CSU
2904 9:30a-10:50a MW MC 3 Oifer E R

POL SC 52, Modern Political Thought 3 units UC, CSU
2907 2:15p-3:35p MW LA 240 Katherine A L

SOCIOL 1, Introduction to Sociology 3 units UC, CSU
2999 12:45p-2:05p MW LA 115 Preciado C

SOCIOL 33, Sociology of Sex and Gender 3 units C, CSU
3014 11:15a-12:35p MW MC 9 Livings G S

SPEECH 5, Interpersonal Communication 3 units CSU
3079 8:00a-11:05a F LS 105 Grass Hemmert N L

WOM ST 10, Introduction to Women’s Studies 3 units UC, CSU
3127 12:45p-2:05p TTh MC 4 Manoff R J

The Women's College main webpage has vanished as well. The main page is gone, too, despite the fact it was there about a year or so ago. Here's another screenshot I made of the webpage that was online:




With all the hype SMC places on student success, it is a shame that the Women's College is gone. Additionally, according to SMC's statistics, women comprise the majority of students enrolled at SMC since 2001! You can view SMC's overall enrollment data from Winter 2001 to Spring 2006 HERE. Here's a nice Adobe PDF I made of SMC enrollment data to keep handy.

As you can see, female students really outnumber male students at SMC. To take away the Women's Center and Women's College is a real step backwards for women's rights. Not only does this have the potential of cutting enrollment to the college, it could potentially hurt donations from non-profit women's foundations and wealthy women individual donors.

Another embarrassing fact that SMC would not like you to realize is that SMC's enrollment has failed to recover. Over the last five years, from Spring 2001 to Spring 2006, it has actually decreased despite the growing number of Californians attending college. In Spring 2001, total SMC enrollment was 82,857 students. Fast-forward to Spring 2006, and you'll see that the total SMC enrollment plummeted to 76,417 students, down by 6,440 students. If those students were full time students, taking a minimum of 12 units at $26.00 a unit, that translates into a student tuition fee loss of $2,009,280. That's over two million dollars! SMC needs to seriously reconsider how it recruits and retains its students and to give us the respect we deserve.

-- Des Manttari,
Editor-in-Chief,
Phoenix Genesis

(c) 2006: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP


Feel free to link or print this; just include the SAVE SMC URL: http://savesmc.blogspot.com/

Technorati Tags: Santa Monica College, enrollment data, public schools, failed enrollment recovery, Women's Center, Women's College, Women's Studies, gender equality, courses, statistics, News and politics, SMC overall enrollment, student success

Anniversaries and Tragedies

Today is the first anniversary of the official SAVE SMC website. However, it is overshadowed by a far sadder anniversary: 9/11. Five years ago, numerous innocent victims lost their lives. As this has been covered extensively on other websites, we shall simply say that this is a day of mourning and remembrance.

Also in the news today, another personal tragedy. Controversial celebrity Anna Nicole Smith, 38, has lost her 20 year-old son, Daniel Wayne Smith, who died mysteriously while vacationing in the Bahamas. My heart goes out to her and to all mothers who tragically lose their children.

Peace,
-- Des Manttari,
Editor-in-Chief,
Phoenix Genesis

(c) 2006: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP

Feel free to link or print this; just include the SAVE SMC URL: http://savesmc.blogspot.com/

Technorati Tags: 9/11, anniversary, tragedy, victims, Anna Nicole Smith, Daniel Wayne Smith, SAVE SMC, website, terrorism, weblog, News and politics, Phoenix Genesis, obituary