The first day of summer school will be the first day of the newfiscal year and the last day of the daytime College InformationDesk. The decision to eliminate the information desk staffing wasmade in early March. Budget cuts were the reason.
“There won’t be anyone to answer questions over the phone,” saidPatty Jobs, who staffs the Information Desk. Jobs’ position, alongwith the positions of two students who also staff the area, hasbeen eliminated. Jobs will bump into another position in thedistrict.
“I truly sympathize … but I don’t have the money and I have tocut,” said Donna Jones-Dulin, the director of College Services.According to a budget analysis created by Allen Frische, 89 percentof the Information Desk’s budget goes to salaries and benefits forthe three employees, so salaries had to be cut.
Jobs said she was surprised when she learned that theInformation Desk would be closed, because she feels it is veryimportant to students.
“We relieve the stress from the Admissions and Records officeand counseling office because if you come here on the first twoweeks of each quarter and the last two weeks of each quarter youcould come here and see [how many students are served],” said FemiAwosanya, an international student who has been with theInformation Desk for two months. “We are like the trafficdirectors. We tell students where to go.”
The Information Desk has been under College Services for fiveyears. Initially, the De Anza Associated Student Body handled theoperations, until administration took over its operation.
Tina Zulueta and other students use its services everyquarter.
“I think it’s very useful,” said Zuleueta. “I use it fordirections and to [help me find] certain professor’s offices. Ithink they should keep it, especially for the new people who don’tknow where everything is.”
Other students have often just walked by and ignored itsservices for several reasons.
“It hasn’t helped me,” said student Anita Montaldo. “I justnoticed it a week ago. I don’t go to the info booth because I’mcapable of finding things by myself.”
College Services is looking into ways it can direct studentquestions with the closure. There will be informational signsdirecting students, but there will be not staff to answer questionsin the daytime, said Jones-Dulin.
She is in discussion with the college’s Marketing Department todetermine who will answer e-mails that previously were answered orforwarded by the Information Desk staff. Some of the questions thatare asked at the Desk are “pretty routine,” she said, and will beanswered on the college Web site.
The Information Desk will not be eliminated completely. TheEvening Campus Coordinator, Al Guevera, will continue to offerservices to evening students.
In addition to directing students and giving information inperson, by phone and by e-mail, the Information Desk also handlesfaculty key requests. These duties will be absorbed by Paula Josephin College Services.
Final plans on distribution of all of the duties will not becompleted until mid-May, as College Services is continuing to makedecisions.
Jobs will be moving to her new position on July 1, but does notyet know what it will be.
