By Teresa Acosta
Student questions focused on issues with the Allied Health Department, instructor accountability and concerns about elevator and bathroom accessibility during Tuesday’s Coffee with the Presidents’ open forum.
Allied Health Student complaints covered different issues within the department.
Students said they have experienced push back from their instructors in the form of attitude, laziness and unavailability.
Christian Alexander Perler was in the medical assistant program, but changed to the nursing program because of lack of support from faculty and staff. Perler asked about instructor accountability, wanting to know who oversees the quality of online classes.
President Alberto J. Román encouraged him and others in his position to report any issues they have to the department chair or dean. Associated Student Union President Steven Gallegos offered his phone number and told Perler to visit him to discuss his issues further.
Perler has been at East Los Angeles College for two years now and has had the same issues with more than one department.
He said the focus of the department is student recruitment for funding purposes and not on the success of students who are already enrolled.
Both presidents want students to know that there are avenues that should be followed for any grievances students may have, starting with the department chair or dean.
When it came to the responses he was given, Perler said, “It’s good that they gave me the opportunity to reach out to them and to go more in depth with them, so I’m going to do that.”
Another student spoke about her experience as a former student in the medical assistant program. She participated in an internship and has since graduated.
Her complaint was she has gone through all of the proper channels for formal grievances to remedy her situation and has still not had her problems resolved. She has yet to receive her diploma which has prevented her from being certified as a medical assistant which she needs to obtain a job. She said she felt “left in the dark.”
Vice president of Administrative Services Michael Pascual said the process of revamping the elevators in the E-3 building started back in November. This was in response to a student’s caretaker’s complaint about the difficulty they encounter when trying to use these elevators.
The same student caretaker also said there was a need for more gender neutral restrooms so that if they are taking care of a student of the opposite gender, they are able to help them use the facilities.
Gallegos said ASU is there to help with student advocacy so students don’t have to do it alone.
Both presidents said students should communicate their needs and concerns so that they can be properly addressed.
Román said he plans to start having office hours for anyone that wants to reach out to him and ask questions in-office.
Gallegos said he wants to see more students voting in the current elections.