California State University Chancellor Timothy P. White gave the first state of the CSU address on Jan. 29 at the Board of Trustees meeting at the CSU Office of the Chancellor in Long Beach.
The chancellor announced that $50 million will be divided into seven key areas throughout the CSU system. White said these areas include tenure-track faculty hiring, enhanced advising and student preparation for first-year students. Other focus areas include high-impact practices such as service learning, undergraduate participation in applied research, internships, study abroad programs, first-year student learning communities, as well as expanding data-driven decision making and bolstering transfer degree completion rates.
[quote]“Our top priority must be to firm up our fiscal and policy commitments to access, persistence to degree and degree completion to improve the educational experience and degree attainment for all students, and to enable students to earn a high-quality degree in a shorter amount of time,” White said in the address.[/quote]
The chancellor’s goals stem from the need for workers with degrees in California.
“The Public Policy Institute of California, among others, has estimated that our state will need about 60,000 more baccalaureate degrees per year to reach the goal of 1 million additional graduates by 2025,” White said in the address. “To meet this goal requires a degree production that’s about 40 percent higher than current levels.”
During the next 10 years, White plans to improve the graduation rates of undergraduate students starting at a CSU by 10 percent, and community college transfers by 5 percent.
White said he hopes funding for the $50 million investment will come from public-private partnerships, resources from the state and student tuition. He also estimated that approximately 10-20 percent of the funds will go toward new faculty hires.
“To remain competitive in a global economy, California must prepare the next generation of leaders with access to the educational tools they need to succeed, and the California State University system is doing just that,” California State Senator Ricardo Lara said in a press release. “It is through this vision that we can grow our economy, strengthen our communities and develop a workforce that can meet the challenges of tomorrow.”
San Diego State Chief Communications Officer Greg Block said the chancellor’s plans match the goals of SDSU.
“We are supportive of the areas the chancellor discussed,” Block said. “They align with initiatives in our strategic plan, Building on Excellence. We welcome efforts to move the university forward and help our students be more successful.”
Photo courtesy of the CSU website.
