Academic forces on the national security front - CSUSB Magazine ...

president’s observationsDoing morewith lessFollowing years of diminished statebudget appropriations, it appears publichigher education will soon be headedfor even more difficult financial challenges.If adopted, the proposed $500million cut to the California State Universitywill further shackle our ability to provideacademic programs and services.Given California’s staggering budgetdeficit, the need for the state to increaserevenues and reduce expendituresis understandable. Unfortunately,it will likely mean a renewed limit onthe number of students we will be ableto accommodate, as well as fewer classofferings. However, no matterhow severe the cuts, we’ll continueto do our best to serveas many students as possiblewith a high quality education.That will mean doing morewith significantly less. At CalState San Bernardino, we’ll face thechallenge by being faster, friendlier,more responsive and more entrepreneurial.We’ll have to, because the proposedcuts will reduce the CSU system’soverall budget appropriation to 1998-1999 levels, despite a total enrollmentof 70,000 additional students.The proposed 18 percent reductionin state support for the CSU is a “bestcase” scenario, because it assumes anextension of some temporary statetaxes due to expire at the end of June.If those tax extensions don’t pass in aspecial election in June, the CSU couldsuffer further deep cuts to its budget.Sharp budget cutbacks in recentyears have already caused the CSU torely more on tuition fees to provide asmany students as possible with a qualityeducation. Compared to other states,California provides among the lowestlevels of support for its public universitystudents, despite having among thelowest tuition fees in the nation. Appropriationsto the CSU are already lowerper student than they are in Alabama,Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippiand West Virginia, among manyothers. If the proposed budget cut isapproved by the Legislature, next year’sCSUSB students will pay more than halfof the total cost of their education.That outcome would totally shred the1960 California Master Plan for HigherEducation, which called for nearly freepublic university education.Nonetheless, the CSU system haspledged not to increase student tuitionfees next year. But it’s almost certainthat will change if the temporary statetaxes are not extended.Despite the rough waters we’ve beenthrough and the storm that is almostThat outcome would totally shred the 1960California Master Plan for Higher Education,which called for nearly free public university education.certainly ahead, I’m extremely proud ofthe way our students, faculty and staffhave worked to cope with the situation.CSUSB students have recorded consistentlyhigher student persistence andgraduation rates than other campuses,and Cal State San Bernardino studentsdemonstrate more improvement inskills than students at most comparisoninstitutions nationally, according to aCollegiate Learning Assessment report.Among some recent highlights, EuropeanCEO Magazine recently rankedCSUSB’s M.B.A. program as one of the18 most innovative in the world. It wasone of only four in the United Statesand the lone U.S. university west of theMississippi.There are now more than 170 studentsin our President’s <strong>Academic</strong> ExcellenceScholarship program, whichattracts San Bernardino County’s tophigh school students, who all rank inthe top 1 percent of their high schoolgraduating classes.The accomplishments of our campusand students are especially encouraging,because California needs additional,not fewer, college graduates if it’s tocompete with other states as well ascompete globally. We need higher educationto foster more educated workers,who will eventually be our future businessand government leaders, entrepreneurs,nurses, engineers, physicians,social workers, scientists, teachers, andcountless other important professionals.Without an educated workforce,economic development will be furtherdeferred or rendered impossible.Reduced funding for higher educationmay help balance the state budgetin the short term, but it also meansthere will be fewer college graduates forfaster-growing,higher-paying,knowledgebasedjobs. Wehope you’ll joinus in encouragingthe Legislatureto support higher education in California,and clear the way for the state’seconomic recovery by reinvesting inour future, which will be led by the collegestudents of today and tomorrow.Thank you for your support of theuniversity and higher education.2 | magazine.csusb.edu