Some Biola students are feeling the effects of state budget cuts as community colleges in their California hometowns cut winter classes.

Nearby schools like Golden West College in Huntington Beach and Fullerton College are merely two of the 112 colleges listed on the California Community Colleges chancellor’s office Web site that, unlike previous years, aren’t offering classes this coming winter session. Golden West’s online schedule reads, “Winter Intercession for January 2010 has been suspended due to the severe budget cuts the college experienced for this academic year 2009-10.”

Julie Richardson, assistant director of academic advising at Biola, said the university is very aware of the effects of the budgets cuts schools are facing and thought some students might take more Biola interterm courses as a result. Numbers for interterm are “hard to predict” at the moment, she said.

“Students take advantage of interterm, and if community colleges aren’t offering it, they’ll be looking for it in other places,” Richardson said.

Some, like junior Shalissa Mueller, were depending on community colleges for winter classes — not anymore.

“I am looking at many different [colleges], most of which are saying they are full or are simply not offering classes this winter term because of the budget cuts,” Muller said. “Biola’s interterm was never an option — just way too expensive.”

Ironically, community colleges around the United States have seen dramatic increases in enrollment for this academic year as those out of work head back to school. Those with tight budets turn to community colleges as an alternative to higher-priced universities. USA Today attributed the record-high college enrollment numbers nationwide much in part to community colleges, which are educating 300,000 enrollees this year.

Budget cuts, however, have only intensified issues of overcrowding and insufficient class offerings at community colleges.

With the new opportunities offered by Biola, hopes are high that participation in interterm will be no different than last year, regardless of the economic strain.

As this semester rapidly comes to an end, Biola is offering two new opportunities this interterm that will be beneficial to students’ education. For the first time, Biola is offering an online class over the interterm, making it possible for students to be able to study from home rather than remaining on campus to gain needed units. Also, the university will be offering the IRIS program, a new way to approach general education, allowing students to acquire six units during interterm.

Students and faculty alike are upset by the budget cuts because of the negative result it has provoked on academics. At Fullerton College, 219 classes were cut from the class schedule as a result of the statewide budget cuts, according to an Oct. 21 article in the school’s newspaper, the Hornet.

The budget cuts have caused many Fullerton College faculty members to be perturbed as they fear it will negatively impact students. Some faculty members, according to the article, don’t believe such drastic budget cuts were actually necessary.

Jack Scott, the California Community Colleges chancellor, acknowledged the difficulties created by the budget cuts in a press release at the beginning of the semester.

“This divestment will hurt California for years to come and undermine the state’s economic recovery,” Scott was quoted as saying. “Our funding doesn’t match our enrollment and students will see the effects in many ways.”

With interterm registration upon Biola students in the coming days, decisions will have to be made speedily.