In higher education there was also a mix of joy and fear.

Rollin Richmond, who became Humboldt State University's president last year, was officially inaugurated in May. He spent the early part of 2003 assembling his team of administrators, including new vice presidents Carl Coffey, vice president for administrative affairs, and Rick Vrem, provost and vice president for academic affairs.

But one of the first grim tasks, particularly for Vrem, was to cut nearly $10 million out of the university's budget -- which translates to hundreds of class sections for the 2003-2004 year.

The university increased its partnerships with businesses and its long-term planning efforts. This fall Richmond announced HSU's plan to double enrollment over the next 40 years.

The plans for the long-debated Behavioral and Social Sciences Building were also unveiled this fall.

HSU created a formal sister-city partnership with a Mexican university, Universidad Autonoma Benito Juarez de Oaxaca, in March.