An Art Department and the Budget Crunch

Art classes are being targeted for greater budget cuts than other classes: true or false?
For the next two years the 17 community colleges throughout Oregon were given approximately $100 million less from the state for operation than they were originally told. As a result, budget cuts had to be made and there has been talk of the art department being hit with these cuts harder than any other subject.
In the past, the community colleges of Oregon were given around $500 million biannually to cover costs of operation. At the beginning of this year the estimate in funds landed at $550 million. That estimate fluctuated over the year causing much worry among the staff for the safety of their jobs. At one point the estimate given went as low as $410 million. This was not quite the case and instead they were given $443 million to cover them for the next two years.
The drop in funds meant that the administration needed to find a way to decrease expenditure at LBCC or increase revenue. The entire staff received salary cuts in order to prevent having to lay off employees. Beth Hogeland, the dean of the art department said. “LBCC has been very thoughtful with their decisions.”
Last year the photography department was closed down. This caused quite a bit of distress among students, especially those who were taking part in the program. Hogeland also stated that there still were photography classes, they just no longer offered classes that held college credentials. The digital imaging program also was halted this year but will return soon if everything goes as planned. The instructor is doing a tour in Iraq and to save money while he was overseas they simply didn't fill the position.
“There were a lot of rumors running around, such as that the art department was going to be closed down entirely,” last year’s Art Dean Gary Ruppert explained. He also confirmed that such rumors were indeed false.
Gary Westford, art history instructor, said “The administration spoke to us about developing a solid curriculum in the fine arts.” He went on to explain that classes were moved around and new ones were added even, such as watercolor. They're now offering more art-based classes at the Benton Center as well.
As part of our campus, the art department is part of what we are. “Student involvement is important,” Westford explained. To have an art department healthy and strong, students need to take a step in helping it stay that way.