Letter: Chico State growth adequate

Enterprise-Record 5/15/07

In his May 9 letter, Gene Lucas wonders why Chico State cannot grow faster than it is to make room for more eligible students. As provost and vice president for academic affairs, I would like to respond. The first reason is inadequate funding. The state has not been able to restore several years of consecutive base budget cuts, and every California State University campus has struggled with providing the additional faculty and staff needed to provide the instruction and student services required to meet enrollment increases.

The second reason is the difference between Chico and other campuses. We believe — and the city of Chico leaders agree with us — that a 1.5 percent annual enrollment increase is a good growth figure for Chico State. The 2.5 percent annual enrollment increase Lucas references is better suited for urban, commuter CSU campuses with many part-time, local students. The CSU trustees have endorsed our master plan with 1.5 percent annual enrollment growth, and we feel this is the right number both for maintaining our academic quality and for our community.

Lucas makes a valuable point about maximizing our facilities. While every residential campus struggles to add more early morning, evening and Friday classes, we know this is something we must do to make better use of our infrastructure. We believe you will see positive efforts in this area as enrollment continues to grow.

— Sandra Flake, Chico