Report on university a mix of good, bad news
By Daniel Wolowicz camarillo@theacorn.com

Richard Rush

Since they were announced last month, impending statewide budget cuts have education officials throughout California bracing for the worst as law makers in Sacramento struggle to balance a budget $14 billion in the red.

California State University Channel Islands President Richard Rush said the Camarillo campus is preparing for the impact of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's decision to cut $312.9 million to the California State University system.

It's a decision that will effectively put on hold any future growth at the five-year-old university with a reputation for one of the fastest growing campuses in the state university system.

The cuts come three years after the state slashed more than $500 million in funding for the 23 state universities.

"For us at California State University Channel Islands, the pressure is the 2008 state budget," Rush said Tuesday during a State of the University speech at Spanish Hills Country Club.

In addition to having to limit their number of incoming freshmen, Rush said CSUCI will lose approximately $2 million in state money next year

Rush asked the 200 city officials and business leaders in attendance to contact their state representatives and insist they make state universities a leading priority when it comes to California's budget.

"I ask you to help us illuminate and educate our decision makers so that they understand that while the state budget may have margins on it right now, higher education needs to be at the top if the economy and the quality of our life that relies on economic health remains high," Rush said.

CSUCI officials have long said the university plans to reach its maximum number of 15,000 students by 2025.

It's a milestone the university may hit sooner than later as annual enrollment numbers continue to exceed expectations.

In 2007, Rush said, the university accepted a record 500 incoming freshmen- a 15 percent gain from the year before.

The lack of state funding, however, will curtail enrollment numbers at CSUCI.

"We are mandated to replace those that graduate this year and no more," Rush said. "So instead of anticipating a class of more than 500 in growth, as we have been doing every year, we'll stay static."

He said in addition to the 500 freshmen, CSUCI will only accept 340 transfer students, the same number of students who were accepted this year.

"We are denying access. We are denying opportunity," Rush said. "We're denying you, as employers, educated people ready to go to work in your business of industry."

But not all was bad news, as Rush touted the university's continuous expansion- both physically and academically.

Rush said the university continues to expand its study programs, including nursing, performing arts, Chicano studies, communications and applied physics.

"We are surrounded by over 500 tech and bio-tech firms," Rush said, noting the importance of strong science and engineering programs.

"We need to be their partners in their success . . . so that we can help them develop what they need."

He said the burgeoning international studies program will help send CSUCI students to study abroad and make it easier for foreign students to study locally.

The university currently has more than $150 million in construction projects either in the planning or building stages at the campus.

Through Proposition 1D, a $10.4 billion measure passed in November, the university received approximately $88 million in funding for campus improvements.

Of that money, $62 million will be used to refurbish the university's 70yearold infrastructure, while the remaining $22 million will pay for the new four-lane entry road leading into the university from Lewis Road.

The new road was made possible following a land swap agreement that gave the university an additional 153 acres last October.

Rush also said the 137,000square-foot John Spoor Broome Library is expected to officially open in April, and ground was recently broken for the Martin V. Smith Center for Integrative Decision-Making, a $3-million building that will expand the university's business school.

In May, the university received its official accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.