Cal State University Chancellor Timothy P. White discussed plans to increase enrollment opportunities, student success through technology and the status of the CSU’s budget in a press conference for student media Friday.
White emphasized the importance of the additional $250 million the CSU Board of Trustees requested from the State during last week’s Board meeting. He said $250 million, which the CSU would receive for next year’s budget, would go toward improving the system for students, especially with regards to enrollment needs.
“We had over 22,000 qualified students last year that we had no room for,” White said. “It makes me frustrated. Part of that $250 million we asked for will help with that.”
When asked why so many qualified students were denied admission to the system, White said their acceptance wouldn’t have been fair to those students or currently enrolled students.
“If we admit a student knowing that we can’t provide that student classes, it’s wrong. We don’t mislead people,” White said. “We have a cap enrollment so that students enrolled have a chance to get the classes they need.”
White also addressed the need to improve student success through technology throughout the system. He said Cal State Long Beach is one of the 19 to 20 campuses in the 23-campus system trying new technology-based initiatives.
“If what [CSULB] is doing is working, why not try it?” White said. “We want to create a better learning environment.”
The chancellor also discussed a plan recently revealed by President Barack Obama, which would tie future federal financial aid for universities to their performance and four-year graduation rates.
Under the plan, colleges would be rated based on their average student debt, graduation rates, the percentage of lower-income students who attend and post-graduation income, according to whitehouse.gov.
White, however, said this performance-based system would not be a problem for the CSU.
“The CSU has a low-cost, high education program,” White said. “That’s what they’re looking for … With graduation statistics, we are less focused on rate but number of degrees given. We are focused on one word: completion. We’re just not emphasizing enrollment but finishing the process as well.”
White said although $250 million was requested for next year’s budget, the State will probably provide a lower amount, and the Board will decide what to do with the funding after receiving feedback from stakeholders, including students and faculty.
“The education price hasn’t changed. Who’s paying it has,” White said. “As the State has paid less and less, students have been paying more and more. Our job is to be persuasive in Sacramento. The money is not really for the CSU. It’s about the student and families to become successful.”