Students feel impact of rise in rent

→ RENT FROM PAGE 1

El Camino College students who need immediate housing can speak to a Basic Needs Coordinator at the Basic Needs Center located on the second floor of the Bookstore.

The college’s proposal to reduce the hourly rate for psychologists would result in the college falling behind other local institutions including Cerritos College which compensates its clinical psychologists at a higher rate of $59 per hour, as specified in their own contract.

The national average for a clinical psychologist in the U.S. is around $56 per hour and $57 per hour in the city of Torrance, according to ZipRecruiter, an online American employment marketplace.

“How come other districts can do it and we cannot,” Nilles said. “There never really seems to be an answer.”

Troy Moore, a chemistry professor and member of the faculty union, said faculty members with the lowest earnings are disproportionately left behind, while the college as a whole is declining compared to other colleges.

“It’s an insultingly low rate,” he said. “It’s so insulting and low that it’s just not competitive which means we’re not going to have people in that role.”

As someone who has used the clinical psychologist services, the Associated Students Organization’s Director of Public Relations Sabrina

Rashiq, 20, told The Union she is “disappointed” with the district’s current proposal to cut psychologist’s pay.

“I believe, not only at El Camino, (but) at every single school in the district there are students who require more support and it’s the district’s responsibility to provide the support for those students,” Rashiq said.

Nilles said if the students were better informed of the district’s knowledge and indifference toward the matter, she believes it would be deeply offensive to them as well.

“In some ways I feel powerless,” she said. “I think without the student’s support it’s just me saying this to a district that perhaps doesn’t care or best case scenario, wasn’t aware.”