Share: The PCC Academic Senate discussed passing a new policy regarding the use of AI in the classroom at their meeting on March 10, but a policy is not expected to be devised until after the 2025 spring semester. According to Boarddocs, the official website for all PCC board meetings, the AI policy will draw a clear line on AI and academic dishonesty and assist students and teachers with navigating AI as a potential resource. As for limits on AI as a classroom tool, it …
FEMA hiring local residents to assist with wildfire recovery
Share: Recently the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) posted a job advertisement directed towards local residents in Los Angeles County to support wildfire recovery efforts following the horrid destruction caused by the Eaton and Palisades fires. Found in the advertisement were employment opportunities open to the general public in multiple departments such as Acquisitions, Civil Rights, External Affairs, Disaster Field Training Operations, Hazard Mitigation, Human Resources, Individual Assistance, Interagency Recovery Coordination, Information Technology, and Public Assistance and Planning. New hires will be directed to aid …
False alarm in Piazza wakes up morning crowd
Share: The fire alarm went off in the piazza around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, but it ended up being a false alarm. According to campus security, while the alarm was still going off, the vents were closed and it was just smoke. They did say they would be checking things out more to make sure there wasn’t any immediate danger and informed students present in the piazza that if there was, he would need to evacuate us. Shortly after, the alarm stopped. Chelsea Morales, a chef …
Might there be a bachelor’s degree at PCC?
Share: Pasadena City College is planning to submit a proposal to the chancellor’s office this August for a new four-year bachelor’s degree program. The college is part of a growing trend of community colleges offering bachelor’s degree programs by possibly introducing a bachelor’s degree in Arts Management and Administration. The trend comes with one major caveat: the programs must be unique to community colleges and can not be offered at any UC or CSU schools. This is to prevent community colleges from offering any bachelor’s …
Student health fee gets $1 hike
Share: The Board of Trustees voted on March 12th to increase the Student Health Fee by $1 to align with the current state maximum allowed for community colleges. Every semester, students are charged a fee that allows them to use the health services provided on campus. Currently, the regular, full-term semester health fee is $26, $22 for the summer and winter intersessions. This increase will make the fee $27 beginning in Fall 2025 while the intersession fee will remain $22, as per state laws. “The …
BLOTTER: Stranger catcalls students while throwing money
Share: Editorial note: The information provided in the police blotter has not been independently verified by the Courier. The details in this article are reported as provided by campus police, and readers should consider this when interpreting the information. Monday, March 3, 2025 5:30 a.m.: An officer asked a person in Lot 1 to leave. They complied. 8:00 a.m.: A person was yelling and screaming at Jameson Amphitheater. Officers spoke with them, and they were released. 8:56 a.m.: A staff member reported someone making inappropriate comments and …
Fire in D building triggers evacuation, no injuries reported
Share: A fire broke out in the student success center at Pasadena City College (PCC)’s D building Tuesday afternoon, prompting a swift evacuation but resulting in no injuries. At approximately 2:14 p.m., emergency services received a call about a fire in the D building, according to a Rave alert and data published in PulsePoint, a portal that reports active 911 calls. The cause of the fire was a bluetooth speaker that was charging when its lithium battery exploded, igniting a fire inside a wooden storage …
Referral-based counseling is out, caseload counseling is in
Share: PCC counseling has adopted a new counseling model this spring called community-based or caseload counseling, replacing the previous referral-based model. This new model allows all students access to more counselors and appointments through PCC Connect, eliminating the need for a student service referral to make an appointment. Students have access to a network of counselors and advisors, called success teams, based on the community their major falls in, but they may also meet counselors and coaches outside of that community. Majors are divided into …
Charity donates $1 million to support PCC community after Eaton Fire
Share: One million dollars in aid was secured by Pasadena City College for the more than 2,400 students, staff and faculty that were caught within, and up to a half mile, of the Eaton Fire burn area. Ballmer Group, an investment company of Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his wife Connie Ballmer, made the largest single gift to the PCC Community Relief Fund, according to a press release on February 13, after the College spoke with Frank Cardenas, interim-executive director of the PCC Foundation. “Amy …
Finding the root of the tree removal problem at the mirror pools
Share: A construction site at Pasadena City College’s (PCC) Mirror Pools has raised questions among students and faculty after decades-old trees were removed from the landmark at the start of January. According to PCC spokesperson Alexander Boekelheide, the project aims to renovate the mirror pools, relocate pool pumps and other equipment beneath the main entrance of the Jack Scott building. “The renovation of the pools will consist of repairing cracks, replacing the coping caps, along with replacing and relocating all the pool equipment,” Boekelheide said …