Cal State in top 100, Press-Enterprise
The Inland campus' entrepreneur program is ranked among the nation's best.

Weber imposes fee increase for SDSU students, San Diego Union-Tribune
San Diego State University students, already hit with two consecutive years of systemwide fee hikes and one on the way, will be socked with another costlier bill in the fall.

S.F. State hosts town hall on CSU cuts, San Francisco Chronicle
Students and faculty at San Francisco State University will join business and community leaders at a town hall meeting Thursday night to discuss the effects of state budget cuts on the CSU system.

Stanislaus State announces layoffs, Modesto Bee
California State University, Stanislaus, announced Tuesday that it will trim $6.4 million, or nearly 10 percent, from the next academic year's operating budget -- reducing everything from faculty lecturer positions to campus mail delivery.

Carol Burke was a woman who didn't lounge around, Modesto Bee
The Carol Burke Student Lounge will be dedicated Wednesday at noon in the student union at California State University, Stanislaus.

MTV pilot reignites one man's college-team dream, Orange County Register
Music channel's 'Granted' program allows freshman Adam Encinas to try out again for Cal State Fullerton Titans.

UC president offers consortium hope, Fresno Bee
Decision-makers see a need to support higher education, he says.

UC Merced gets boost from official, Fresno Bee
State Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill on Monday doubled her funding recommendation for cash-strapped UC Merced, increasing chances the campus will open on time in fall 2005.

UC leads U.S. in low-income admissions, Chico Enterprise-Record
Six University of California campuses, including Berkeley, lead the nation in enrollment of low-income students who qualify for Pell Grants, according to a new study.

Proposal in California May Force State's Colleges to Pull Out of Direct-Lending Program, Chronicle of Higher Education
Leaders of public colleges in California are seriously considering withdrawing from the federal government's direct-loan program in a deal that could protect them from further deep budget cuts as the state struggles to close a vast deficit.

California high school graduation and dropout rates climb, San Diego Union-Tribune/AP
The percentage of California high school seniors who received diplomas increased in 2003, state education officials said Wednesday.

LAUSD's dropout rate soars, Los Angeles Daily News
The Los Angeles Unified School District's dropout rate jumped about 50 percent in 2002-03, according to a state report Wednesday, but LAUSD officials insisted that the dramatic rise was due to changes in the way the rate is calculated and their own decision not to track students.

Colleges fret losing foreign students, CNN/AP
A steep decline in graduate school applications from foreign students has university administrators pushing the federal government to reform the visa process.

At Princeton, a Move Toward Fewer A's, Washington Post
Professors Vote for New Policy Aimed at Reversing Trend of Grade Inflation.

Making Leaps, but Still Labeled as Failing, New York Times
This is Principal Castle's style, to strive to find a way to help her children soar. It is a challenge; 73 percent get subsidized lunches. Many parents commute 45 minutes to cleaning or cooking jobs at Disney World or work in nearby orange groves.

In Class, the Audience Weighs In, New York Times
For professors across the nation, the newest aid in the classroom is a small wireless keypad, linked to a computer.

Squeezing the Aid Stations, Wall St. Journal
"Many of the colleges you read about measure success by who they exclude," says Charlene Nunley. "We define our success by who we include."

Community Colleges at a Crossroads, Chronicle of Higher Education
With new missions, surging enrollments, and falling support, even the promise of access for all is in question.

Debate: School Desegregation, USA Today
When the U.S. Supreme Court ended school segregation 50 years ago, the decision did more than expand educational opportunities for black students.

Editorial: Say 'no' to proxies, Fresno Bee/Modesto Bee
Ex-officio members of CSU board should take their duties seriously. [Originally ran in Sacramento Bee.]

Daniel Weintraub: On volunteers, state is up a creek without a clue, Sacramento Bee
Creek restoration projects up and down the state are on hold because many of them rely on grants that, the state says, require them to pay everyone who works on the project a wage set by state regulators. No volunteering allowed.

George Skelton: Combination of Deals, Debt Could Yield On-Time Budget, Los Angeles Times
People are beginning to imagine the previously unimaginable in Sacramento: that legislators may actually pass a state budget on time.

Regrouping to fight for free preschool, Sacramento Bee
Backers face an uphill battle in the Legislature because of a tight budget.

Shriver Wields Growing Influence, Los Angeles Times
California's first lady emerges as a powerful partner with her governor husband. 'Arnold and I are a team,' she says.

NOTE: For additional political coverage, visit the Rough & Tumble website.

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