Tuesday, November 17, 2009

The Silent Unraveling of the CSU | California Progress Report


The Silent Unraveling of the CSU California Progress Report:

"Throughout the state, thousands of students are rushing to get their admissions applications into the California State University’s (CSU) 23 campuses before the November 31 priority deadline. Within the first two weeks of the submission period, applications had already exceeded the number of spots available.

Given the CSU decision to decrease enrollment by 40,000 students, compared to its 2008-09 enrollment, and since record numbers of students are applying, there will be tens of thousands of disappointed qualified students."

While many hope that this is only a temporary setback for the CSU in this time of budget shortfalls, the CSU administration is quietly working to overhaul the system so that it will continue to exclude qualified students.

Those students lucky enough to get in may very well find a CSU that is a mere shadow of its former self without basic departments and programs essential to a university. As administrators restructure the university without public knowledge and public debate, they may be creating a second-class institution that does not meet the social, economic, and educational needs of Californians.