The California Performance Review, a commission appointed by
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to review the efficiency of the state
government, called for several major changes to the state’s
higher education system when it released its final report last
week.
In an effort to save the state money, commission recommendations
included the creation of a new Higher Education Division in the
government, allowing community colleges to award four-year
bachelor’s degrees and mandating community service for
college students.
“We are facing some monumental problems in the
state,” said Chon Gutierrez, the Co-executive director of the
review, in a press release. “But the consequences of not
doing something now to mend the structural disrepair in California
government are frightening.”
The report was set to be released July 1 but was delayed until
the state budget was passed.
Steve Olsen, the vice chancellor for finance and budget at UCLA
and a member of the commission, said in an earlier interview that
one of the aims of the commission was to reduce the operating costs
of the colleges and universities. In so doing, he said, the
“pressure on student fees can be lessened.”
The recommendations, which the committee believes could show
savings “into the billions” of dollars, have met with
mixed reviews from budget analysts and higher education
officials.
The proposed Higher Education Division would oversee all 109
community colleges in California as well as the community college
chancellor’s office but leave the governing systems of the
University of California and the California State Universities
intact.
Some community college officials believe community colleges
would suffer as a result of a new authority because the schools
would not receive the attention they feel they deserve in the state
government.
The committee also recommended allowing community colleges to
award four-year bachelor’s degrees in what effectively would
reduce the number of transfer applicants to the UC and CSU.
The committee said that as many community college credits do not
transfer to the UC or CSU, transfer students on average take an
extra year of classes than is necessary for a four-year degree.
Accordingly, the committee argued, the state would save money by
graduating students more quickly by eliminating the need for
students to transfer from community colleges.
The committee’s recommendations expanded beyond financial
reforms and included a philanthropic recommendation, calling for a
community service requirement for all college students.
“There are several roadblocks discouraging those who want
to contribute to their communities,” the committee members
wrote in the report.
The committee’s solution to this problem is to make such
contributions a requirement.
Eligio Martinez, the academic affairs commissioner for the
Undergraduate Students Association Council, said the idea of
required community service is paradoxical.
“It has to come from within you,” he said, adding
that such a requirement would not benefit students in the same way
as if they were to perform community service on their own
accord.
Other aspects of the report are being received more warmly.
The California Public Interest Research Group applauded the
commission’s recommendation that textbook prices be reduced
in order to make college more affordable.
“We commend the commission for recognizing that textbooks
contribute to the high cost of college,” said Merriah
Fairchild, the higher education program advocate for CALPIRG, in a
press release.
CALPIRG has been actively fighting rising textbook prices since
January. The group published a report titled “Rip-off
101,”calling for lower book prices.