CSU board of trustees discusses likely budget cuts, student fee increases, North County Times/AP
California State University trustees on Tuesday reviewed painful potential budgets cuts that could force the 23-campus system to raise fees as much as 40 percent and turn away tens of thousands of students. [Also: Modesto Bee, Fresno Bee, Monterey Herald, Bakersfield Californian, Press-Democrat]

CSU faces rejecting 20,000 students, San Francisco Chronicle
The California State University's 23 campuses must brace to turn away 20,000 qualified students this fall because of probable budget cuts, Chancellor Charles Reed said Tuesday.

5% Cal State Enrollment Cut Studied, Los Angeles Times
Officials of the 400,000-student system envision a reduction of 20,000 students in response to the state's budget restraints.

SSU music center set for construction, Press-Democrat
Sonoma State University announced Tuesday that a flurry of year-end donations has boosted the Green Music Center's fund-raising campaign to the $39 million mark, paving the way for construction of the center to begin this spring.

Fewer Chico State students need remediation than elsewhere in system, Chico Enterprise-Record
While Chico State University still has a lot of freshmen who have to play catch-up in math and English, figures released by the California State University today say it is beating the system average.

Reed: CSU has to institute enrollment cuts of 20,000, Chico Enterprise-Record
California State University Chancellor Charles Reed said Tuesday that state budget cuts have left the system little choice but to implement immediate enrollment reductions that will bar 20,000 students from CSU campuses in the fall.

CSU to enroll 20,000 fewer, Long Beach Press-Telegram
The California State University system will enroll 20,000 fewer students next year in an effort to cope with expected state budget cuts, it was announced Tuesday.

New CSU transfer rules start this fall, Oakland Tribune
Community college students transferring into California State University campuses next fall will be the first ones affected by guidelines adopted several years ago that require students to complete more units to be eligible for admission.

New student trustee sought for CSU board, Oakland Tribune
Candidate must be at least a junior, have good grades to qualify.

Gonzalez's CSUS face-lift plan gets trustees' approval, Sacramento Bee
Higher education officials on Tuesday approved President Alexander Gonzalez's bid to turn an aging California State University, Sacramento, into a modern university with a vibrant, on-campus life.

Cal State to limit enrollment; fee increase to be considered, San Diego Union-Tribune
The state's largest university system has agreed to shut out at least 20,000 qualified students next year.

CSUCI tries to find 100 who haven't yet enrolled, Ventura County Star
California State University, Channel Islands officials are trying to track down about 100 students who are eligible to enroll for the spring semester but haven't yet signed up for classes.

Former police chief sues Cal Poly Pomona, Daily Bulletin
A former Cal Poly Pomona police chief is suing the school and the Cal State University system, claiming he was fired because he refused to hire an unqualified black woman to be his second in command.

Students who turned in false survey results may face expulsion, Turlock Journal
California State University, Stanislaus, is commited to finding the truth behind allegations of misconduct, president Marvalene Hughes said Thursday.

Cuesta may close new 4-year nursing program, San Luis Obispo Tribune
Through a partnership with CSU Dominguez Hills in Carson, Cuesta revived a program last fall that died a decade ago. It enables students to earn a bachelor's of science degree in nursing.

UCD freshman enrollment declines, Sacramento Bee
The number of freshman applicants to the University of California, Davis, fell for the first time in a decade, while students applying to transfer from community colleges and other schools reached an all-time high.

4.1% Fewer Freshmen Apply to UC, Los Angeles Times
For the first time in more than a decade, the number of high school seniors applying to the University of California declined this year, a drop university officials attributed in part to increased student fees and toughened immigration policies for foreign students.

'Shock, outrage' as UC axes program, San Francisco Chronicle
The English language program for foreign students at UC Berkeley Extension -- one of the oldest and most highly regarded such programs in the nation -- is being axed because it doesn't fit the school's changing mission, campus officials said.

Overseas applicants to UC down by 37.5%, San Francisco Chronicle
International student applications to the University of California's nine campuses have dropped 37.5 percent from last year, largely because of tighter restrictions on entry into the United States, a UC spokesman said.

UC applications drop, easing turnaway woes, Contra Costa Times
For the first time in a decade, applications to the University of California have dropped, fueling speculation that UC may not have to turn away as many eligible students to cope with the budget crisis as it had anticipated. [CSU also referenced.]

L.A. High School Contract Is OKd, Los Angeles Times
The 1,713-seat campus would be built downtown and could cost $85 million.

College-bound hurt by state's finances, Contra Costa Times
I cannot tell you how frustrating it is for prospective college students like myself, who have worked so hard in school, to face the prospect of being turned away by the state's universities because of the budget crisis.

What the Media Are Missing, Washington Post
Reports of Average Test Scores Mask Improvements Made by Minorities.

250,000 Eligible Students Shut Out of College, Group Says, Chronicle of Higher Education
Higher tuition rates and slashed state appropriations to colleges denied at least 250,000 prospective students access to college in the 2003-4 fiscal year, and governors and state lawmakers must enact "emergency measures" to keep that number from growing in 2004-5, according to the National Center for Public Policy in Higher Education.

Home-schooled students head to college, CNN/AP
Strong academic track records help ease path to campus.

Education Chief Defends Policy and Past, New York Times
In a lengthy interview recently, Dr. Paige defended his record in Houston and as secretary of education, saying he was part of "a very effective team that has good things to get done."

U.S. Appeals Court Upholds Plan to Settle Mississippi's Long-Running College-Desegregation Case, Chronicle of Higher Education
A federal appeals court upheld a $503-million plan to end Mississippi's long-running college-desegregation lawsuit in a unanimous decision issued on Tuesday. Many of the original plaintiffs in the case had opposed the settlement and had asked the court to reject it.

Editorial: Vital investment, Fresno Bee
Cuts in higher education won't help state's financial recovery.

Peter Schrag: Did CTA eat Arnold's lunch -- and the kids', too?, Sacramento Bee
Barbara Kerr is proving that you can be president of the CTA, the muscular California Teachers Association, and a nice person at the same time.

Dan Walters: Schwarzenegger demonstrates world-class salesmanship skills, Sacramento Bee
All great politicians, of course, are at heart great salesmen -- and that certainly includes those who, because of their accomplishments, have been elevated by historians to the status of statesmen.

James Flanigan: Budget Cutbacks and Neglect Could Turn State's High-Tech Industry Into an Also-Ran, Los Angeles Times
Cutbacks in state funding for top-level research, coupled with a failure by Sacramento to nurture our leading-edge industries, could make California a high-tech also-ran if we're not careful.

Letters to the Editor, Modesto Bee
Cheating common at CSUS.

Governor keeps options open on tax increases, San Jose Mercury-News
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger would not rule out raising taxes as part of this year's budget solution and chided state lawmakers on Tuesday for moving slowly on his demand that they send him a workers' compensation reform package by March 1.

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

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