Presidential Perspectives
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Leading Through an Economic Tsunami |
We begin a new academic year in trying times. At California State University, the country’s largest public university, serving over 450,000 students — 47 percent of color — the year opens with an unprecedented $564 million cut to its budget. On my campus, CSU Dominguez Hills, this amounts to $16.1 million, or 22% of my general operating fund.
Even with two day a month furloughs; a 30 percent student fee (tuition) increase; using prior year savings, eliminating vacant positions and decreasing administrative ones, and cutting expenditures, our gap remains $2.9 million. For next year, the situation is only likely to worsen.
The enormity of the economic meltdown sometimes overwhelms me. I worry mostly about the reason I came to CSU Dominguez Hills: its students. On this campus, our students represent every ethnicity and socio-economic stratum. They have come here to better their lives through education. However, in California, education is not a top priority: prisons receive more dollars than higher education and the high school graduation ranking is an abysmal 48th out of 50 nationwide. The “Golden State,” where people of color are the majority, is failing to create a viable future for its citizens.
As presidents and senior administrators, we must use these trying times to push for changes that will shape our institutions and the academy, help expand educational access to all who desire it, and meet the nation’s intellectual, scientific and workforce needs.
For me and my team this crisis is a battle call to strategic action and improved communication, an opportunity to position this university to emerge academically stronger— perhaps smaller and leaner, but more efficient.
For example, as a result of strategic planning begun last year, Academic Affairs has documented the number of majors, faculty, graduation rates and cost for every academic program in the institution. Student learning outcomes, assessments and program improvement will be vital. Through our Academic Senate we will now launch a discussion of which programs are viable and sustainable and which are not based on our mission, strategic plan, and the needs of California. Liberal learning connected with preparation for essential careers and/or graduate work will need to become more focused and intentional. This, as we know, will not be easy, but is critical to any strong university.
We must also provide avenues for open dialogue with all university constituencies. Being a more visible and approachable administration becomes more important in time of crises. So too is celebrating our many successes. While we may know of these, sometimes the campus community does not. We need to facilitate continued pride in the good work our campus does regularly.
Our elitism, as well, needs to disappear. We must be willing to look at successful academic models different from our own. Why is it that so many students of color and low-income students are turning to for-profit institutions? Let’s not become defensive and turn to arguments of inferiority; we too have some among our sector. Why not examine these models. We need to learn how to become entrepreneurial as less state funding is evident.
Externally, we must use our bully pulpit. Meet with local paper’s editorial boards, speak on radio and television programs, work with legislators. We need to educate the community about the lack of support for higher education. They should be as angry as we are. The kind of education many of our children are receiving is intellectual genocide. We, as University Presidents, cannot remain silent.
Paraphrasing the late Senator Ted Kennedy, we will all live in the future we build. Our legacy is shaped by the actions and decisions we make today in time of crises.
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