California's public universities grapple with high enrollment, budget deficit

Wednesday December 18, 2002

By CHELSEA J. CARTER
Associated Press Writer

Soaring enrollment has overwhelmed the state's public college systems at a time when the California State University and University of California systems are raising tuition and the state is facing an enormous budget deficit.

Now those problems have put the systems that have served as a national model for accessibility and affordability at a crossroads: Make hard financial choices or risk repeating the 1990s budget crisis that saw classes cut and students taking longer to graduate.

``We are just beginning to understand the scope of this,'' said Gerald Hayward, an analyst with Policy Analysis for California Education, a Stanford-based education policy research group.

``The budget situation is so severe, maybe more severe than any other time, that we are just beginning to see the need for greater fee increases ... and negative impact on student access. It's going to get much worse before it gets better.''

More than a decade ago, California State University and University of California were hit with huge budget cuts, which saw classes eliminated, and a somewhat stagnant enrollment. During that financial crisis, students camped out for classes, professors were forced to limit enrollment and some students waited up to a year to get classes needed to graduate.

Now, the CSU and UC face a similar budget crunch. But this time, it also must deal with a flood of students.

``We are seriously going to have to examine how we pay for this. It can't just be raising student fees,'' said Nancy Brownell, director of the CSU Institute for Education Reform in Sacramento. ``It's going to require some sacrifices from all segments.''

CSU, dubbed ``the people's university,'' is mandated by the state to take the top third of all high school graduates. Its more prestigious counterpart, the University of California, is required to admit the top 12 percent of high school graduates.

With the children of baby boomers reaching college age and a shaky economy forcing others back to school, the post-secondary education commission has estimated an additional 100,000 students will enter the CSU by 2010, while the UC faced a 40 percent jump in students by the end of the decade.

To help ease the budget constraints and enrollment pressures, the CSU and UC voted Monday to increase fees for students in the face of cutbacks expected under Gov. Gray Davis' proposal to reduce state spending by $10.2 billion over the next 18 months.

Both university systems warned more fee increases and cuts were likely when the governor's 2003-2004 budget proposal is released in January.

CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed said the 23-campus system, the largest public university system in the nation, may be forced to consider salary reductions, hiring freezes, layoffs and even more fee increases.

``The chancellor called it a double whammy because you have budget cuts at a time when you have tremendous enrollment growth. That makes it a much more difficult situation than anything before,'' said Louis Caldera, CSU's vice chancellor for university advancement.

Although the UC's Board of Regents was committed to protecting core instruction, it expected further cuts in administration, library services, research and technology.

``We have taken cuts in every major budget area other than instruction,'' said UC spokesman Hannan Eisenman.

Despite the budget cuts, both university systems have said they will apply the lessons learned from the 1990s budget shortfall to maintain affordability and accessibility.

``You're seeing more management enrollment measures being put in place,'' Caldera said, adding the CSU has raised and streamlined admission standards and helped students maintain a four-year graduation plan.

But Caldera admitted that rising fees and a shaky economy could force some students out of the system.

Meanwhile, California's community colleges, which see thousands of students transfer to UC and CSU campuses, were bracing for an influx of students while grappling with $200 million in budget cuts.

``The districts ... are already reviewing all of their offerings and making hard choices about what they aren't going to offer in the spring and in summer,'' said Community College Chancellor Thomas Nussbaum.

Although the state's community colleges also were considering possible fee increases to cover the governor's proposed cuts, no decision had been made, he said.

A day after the university systems raised fees, students were expressing concern about future access and costs.

Christopher Meyer, 45, a student at Sacramento City College studying electronics and computer information science, said he and others were closely watching what happened to university fees and state scholarship and grant money.

``It may make transfer a non-option for them or they may have to take a year off and work and save enough money so that they can fill the hole in their budget so they can go,'' said Meyer, who also is a member of the community colleges' Student Senate.

At University of California, Los Angeles, student Teddy Kang said the fee increases were frustrating.

``Private's private, but this a public school and they should make it affordable,'' said Kang, 23, a junior majoring in biochemistry.

Dale Weaver, an associate professor in the Department of Social Work at California State University, Los Angeles, remembered the budget cuts more than a decade ago.

``I still hear horror stories about the subject,'' said Weaver, who recalled a colleague had to teach remedial math because university resources were so scarce. ``The old-timers talk about the battle days.''

Associated Press writers Nada El Sawy in Los Angeles and Jessica Brice in Sacramento contributed to this report.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)