Chico State's interim boss has had just one surprise, Chico Enterprise-Record
At the first of July, Scott McNall, who is the provost and vice president for academic affairs, took over the big chair as temporary president with the retirement of Manuel Esteban.

CSU Hayward wants to help rebuild Iraq, Hayward Daily Review
In a further expansion of its global presence and perspective, Cal State Hayward officials want to help American-occupied Iraq rebuild its higher education system.

Cal Poly Campus Aims to Keep Its Name, and Profits, to Itself, Los Angeles Times
Officials at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, have realized the full potential in the "Cal Poly" moniker, as the university has evolved in the last decade into one of the most exclusive public colleges in the nation.

College houses junior highers, Fresno Bee
The charter school is a partnership between the Lemoore school district, West Hills College and California State University, Fresno. Students in teacher preparation programs at West Hills and Fresno State will help teach the seventh-graders so they can gain classroom experience.

Cal State SB educators spend summer at U.S. Department of Agriculture headquarters, San Bernardino Sun
The U.S. Department of Agriculture it's more than just farming. That is according to three Cal State San Bernardino educators who spent their summer at its headquarters.

SSU to limit spring admission, Santa Rosa Press-Democrat
For the second year in a row, Sonoma State University has closed admission to all freshmen and lower-division transfer students for the spring semester.

Earlier deadline shrinks enrollment at Stan State, Modesto Bee
An earlier cutoff for winter term enrollment led to 60 percent fewer applications this year at California State University, Stanislaus.

Arson fire destroys fraternity house, Chico Enterprise-Record
For the third time since late spring, a fraternity house was set on fire by an arsonist.

Breaking new ground, San Diego Union-Tribune
Founding dean hopes to assemble an MBA program at UCSD that will compete with the nation's old-guard best.

New college will protect local economy, Turlock Journal
An associate economics professor at California State University, Stanislaus says that the one-year delay in opening the 10th University of California campus in Merced won’t have much of a negative effect on the local economy.

College plan casualty of budget, Sacramento Bee
Three distinct institutions -- the University of California, California State University and California Community Colleges -- grew into 140 campuses statewide, where students could buy a first-rate education for little money. Now, California's record budget crisis has state leaders backing off that pledge.

State colleges, universities charge more but offer less, Ventura County Star
Students denied access to a UC or CSU campus because of budget constraints are likely to turn to community colleges, creating a domino effect and putting additional strain on another system strapped by budget constraints.

Students Aren't the Only Ones Challenged by the State Exams, Los Angeles Times
The varieties and scoring of the tests, especially a new one, can leave parents puzzled. 'Is my child getting a good education?' is the most important question.

School scores up statewide for fifth year, Contra Costa Times
Latino and poor students have begun to slowly catch up academically to other students in California as the overall performance on state tests improved for the fifth year in a row, state education leaders said Friday.

Colleges aim to end piracy, guard privacy, Sacramento Bee
As they descend upon college campuses in coming weeks, millions of music-loving students could find themselves confronting an unprecedented legal assault by the recording industry against online piracy.

Walters: Here they go again, shaking up the Capitol establishment, Sacramento Bee
The phenomenon dates back at least to 1966, when California voters dumped their governor, Pat Brown, and elected a fading actor named Ronald Reagan as his replacement. It shook up Democrats and establishment Republicans alike, changing the state's political dynamics for a generation.

Walters: Recall, term limits could make for end-of-session scramble, Sacramento Bee
The first seven months of the 2003 legislative session were dominated by a deep -- and still unresolved -- budget crisis. The last month of the session, which begins today, will be dominated by the most dramatic political conflict in modern California history: a looming recall election aimed at Gov. Gray Davis, and the incredible scramble among would-be successors.

Weintraub: Cruz, Arnold lead pack, Sacramento Bee
A new Field Polls shows Cruz Bustamante and Arnold Schwarzenegger in a statistical dead-heat in the race to replace Gray Davis, with Bustamante at 25 percent among likely voters and Arnold trailing with 22.

Weintraub: Davis finally gets religion on reforming worker comp, Sacramento Bee
This is the governor's fifth year in office, and he's become famous in the Capitol for keeping his agenda a secret. Now, facing what he perceives to be a political lynching, Davis has issued a list of the things he'd most like to accomplish after the Legislature returns Monday from its summer recess.

Editorial: The testing muddle, Sacramento Bee
California parents should be forgiven this week for any urge they feel to throw up their hands at all the confusing test scores just released to the public. The state's accountability system was enough to try to master; now we've got a federal accountability system layered on top of it.

Opinion: Taxpayers under attack, Long Beach Press-Telegram
Alarcon and fellow would-be tax hikers have set their sights on a key component of the landmark 1978 voter initiative that requires a two-thirds electoral supermajority to approve sales-tax and bond measures. They'd like to see the constitutional threshold lowered to a more easily obtained 55 percent.

Court casts doubt on Oct. 7 election, Sacramento Bee
U.S. civil rights edict could postpone vote.

Cruz takes a slim lead, The Daily Bulletin
Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante has cast himself as a backup Democrat if voters recall Gov. Gray Davis in October, but experts say he has a real shot at becoming California's first Latino governor in more than 125 years.

Recall loss could mean housecleaning, Los Angeles Daily News
As many as 500 of the 3,000 officials and workers appointed by the governor -- including the influential heads of nearly a dozen state agencies -- could be replaced immediately if Gray Davis is recalled on Oct. 7, experts say.

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