News and Information for California State University Leaders.
Volume 2, No. 31: August 27, 2003

CSU Will Preserve Fall Courses, Sections

Unlike many of the public universities around the country that are eliminating courses and sections as a result of state budget cuts, the California State University will largely preserve its academic offerings for the fall - despite a net 2003/04 budget reduction of $304 million. CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed, meeting with CSU campus presidents in Long Beach this week, commended the presidents for their careful planning in anticipation of deep budget cuts.

"We have been doing everything we can for the past 18 months to prepare for these budget reductions, and as a result, we will be able to serve all of the students who were admitted for this fall," said Reed. "Our presidents and administrators deserve credit for recognizing that some very dramatic budget cuts were on the horizon, and for preserving student instruction as our top budgetary priority."

The CSU's 23 campuses expect to serve a record 414,000 students in fall 2003, an increase of approximately 6,000 students over last year's record enrollment.

Reed cautioned, however, that campuses would feel more dramatic effects from the cutbacks in spring 2004. Many campuses have either closed or placed new limits on spring 2004 admissions, and some classes and sections will be canceled.

Reed emphasized to the presidents that the near-term challenge for the CSU is to manage its resources and enrollment growth while preserving quality at its institutions. In the long term, he said, the CSU would continue to work with policymakers to develop a higher education funding plan and fee policy that would allow public universities to fulfill their mission of providing access in good economic times and bad.

More information:

CSU's Budget Central

Spring application status at CSU campuses (select "Spring 2004" from the pull-down menu)

CPEC's Q & A on student fees and financial aid (.pdf)

Candidates to Debate at CSUS

The California Broadcasters Association has announced that it will host a debate among gubernatorial recall candidates on September 17 at CSU Sacramento. Candidates who have received at least 10 percent support in the Field Poll, the Public Policy Institute of California poll, or the Los Angeles Times poll prior to Sept. 5 will be invited to participate. If a total of six candidates do not meet the criteria, an independent poll conducted by the CSU will survey undecided voters to determine which of the remaining candidates - those who polled between 5 and 10 percent - will be invited to participate in the debate. The list of qualifying candidates will be announced on Sept. 8.

California voters may submit public policy questions on postcards to: California Decides 2003, 915 L Street #C440, Sacramento, CA 95814. Voters whose questions are selected will be videotaped in their hometowns prior to the debate with the questions being featured during the live debate. More information.

NOTEWORTHY

Honors/Awards

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) will honor departing Cal State Bakersfield President Tomás A. Arciniega with a roast and scholarship fundraising event on October 17 in Anaheim. More information.

Patricia L. Farris, vice president for administrative affairs and chief financial officer at Cal Poly Pomona, has been elected chair of the board of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO). More information (.pdf).

Two Cal State Long Beach Student Health Services staff members - clinical coordinator Lawrence Harvey and physician Christian Jagusch - have received the Governor's Employee Safety Award for their efforts in developing and implementing an automated external defibrillator program on the campus. Five lives have been saved since the program was begun. More information.

Openings
CSU Monterey Bay has named its first new building on campus the Chapman Science Academic Center for Patricia and Robert Chapman, whose $2.5 million gift is the largest in the young university's history. More information.

The CSU Dominguez Hills Orthotics & Prosthetics program has opened a new state-of-the-art teaching facility at Ossur North America's corporate headquarters in Aliso Viejo. More information.

San Francisco State has opened a new high school on its campus. Small Schools for Equity, a partnership between San Francisco Unified School District and the university, will serve about 100 students from across the city. More information.