In June, Seattle Central Community College announced it would be cutting its film and video program—to loud protests from students, faculty, and a broad base of supporters who said the college didn't give the program a chance to prove how it could survive without costing the college.

Further bad news was to come: Students already enrolled were told that they would be able to finish their degrees. But now even that isn't slated to happen—the program is set to be cut immediately, leaving students with half-completed degrees.

The program's faculty members, Sal Tonnachio and Sandy Cioffi, have circulated a petition to save the program—or at the very least allow the remaining students to finish what they started under a plan that will cost the college nothing. Sign it here. They've also organized a town-hall meeting Monday (March 5) at 6 pm at Broadway Performance Hall. It will be hosted by Warren Etheredge of The Warren Report, with a panel including Tom Skerritt, Amy Lillard from the State Film Office, Cioffi, students, and representatives from the college have been invited. They've circulated an outline for the forum (PDF) and a fact sheet about the program, with numbers and history (PDF).

In other SCCC Film & Video news this week, Cameron Rumford, class of 2007, was assistant editor on this year's Oscar-winning documentary, Undefeated.