At a faculty meeting held Tuesday there were discussions of the college’s transfer rate, the updated master plan, and the general obligation bond proposed to raise revenue for the campus.

It was also announced that Chris McCarthy, Vice President of Instructional Services, was leaving to become president of Napa College, and that his interim replacement would be Steve White, chair of the Social Science division.

John Davitt, president of the college, started the meeting for a surprisingly full audience of faculty and staff members. After a warm welcome, Davitt introduced the first topic at the meeting: transfer rates. Sarkis Ghazarian, coordinator and counselor for the transfer center, gave a brief overview of a program the center is working on to prepare students to transfer. He wanted to make it known to the faculty that this goal requires the collaboration of everyone at GCC. “My goal is to give students an opportunity,” he said. “I want to make the transfer rate higher and I’m open to suggestions.”

The Master Plan was outlined by Jean Lecuyer, the physics professor who heads the Master Plan Committee. Lecuyer said that the existing master plan needs updating to take into account current goals for building and the expansion on campus. Much of the work of the master plan, including a new aviation and nursing building, and possibly new parking facilities, require funds that the school doesn’t have. To raise needed money, a bond measure is being considered for sometime in 2002.

A consultant has been contracted to study the feasibility of a bond measure. Gene Bregman and Associates has determined through a poll that Glendale voters would likely vote for a bond measure to help the college.

The results of the recent poll indicate that a surprising 70 percent of voters would agree to a $25 property tax increase to pay for needed facilities on campus. The bond measure may be on the March 2002 ballot.