About That Californian University System. (October 24, 2005)

     Kevin Starr, is California's state librarian emeritus, and professor of history at the University of Southern California (USC), one of California's private universities. Yesterday he wrote an opinion piece for the Los Angeles Times "San Bernardino, Fresno, Chico ... these universities save the state -- The CSU system transforms the poor and middle class into California's farmers, cops, teachers and business leaders."

Seventeen months ago TFW had an opinion piece on "The California Compact: Schwarzenegger & the Universities" which which described California's three tier university system.

The University of California (UC) consists of nine campuses servicing over 200,000 students. In addition the California State University (CSU) maintains 23 campuses and currently enrols some 410,000 students. The University of California’s missions are designated to be teaching, research and public service, while the primary function of California State University is the provision of undergraduate instruction, applied research and community service. The legislation proclaiming the two systems also stipulates that UC is to provide space for the top 12.5 percent of graduating high school seniors wishing to attend while CSU provides space for the top one-third of graduating high school seniors wishing to attend.

    The third segment of the Californian higher education system consists of the 109 two-year California Community Colleges (overseen by the Colleges' Chancellor) which service some 2.9 million students. They are somewhat similar to Australia's TAFEs; they offer academic and vocational education at the lower division level for both recent high school graduates and those returning to school. They are required to admit any California resident with a high school diploma or the equivalent. On completing the two year course students wishing to attend either UC or CSU who are judged to be of sufficient standard will be accepted to complete a bachelor's degree.

In his opinion piece Kevin Starr makes the point that

...there's only one part of state government that is clearly there still to help ordinary people reach their dreams: the California State University system, an institution that has survived from what sometimes seems the long-gone golden age of California promise. The CSU system is not just a government agency, however. It is, rather, a primary expression of the collective sovereignty of the people of California. It is the primary means and cutting edge in the struggle for California to sustain itself as a viable, competitive and humane society for ordinary citizens. One could write a history of contemporary California's creation almost exclusively by examining the rise and development of this institution.

 

The University of California, according to the Master Plan for Higher Education adopted in 1960, has as its primary mission research and teaching. The California State University, by contrast, has as its primary mission the education and training of Californians through a fusion program of instruction, applied research and preparation for employment.

These distinct missions cannot over time remain so clear-cut. A number of departments in the CSU system — such as Cal State Fresno's viticulture and enology program — are at least as distinguished, in research terms, as comparable departments at UC, despite the heavier teaching load borne by the CSU faculty.

This distinction between what should be learned (research) and how that knowledge should be passed on (teaching) cannot in the long run be sustained. From this perspective, the University of California has to reconsider its policy of turning so much undergraduate instruction over to graduate students. And California State University cannot continue to be so limited in its research agenda, especially in areas such as education, its primary expertise — hence the recent announcement that the CSU system will now be authorized to grant a doctorate in that field.

What seems so cogent when comparing Professor Starr's comments to the claptrap continuing to be enunciated by the Minister for Education. Science and Training, Brendan Nelson, is that you don't have teaching only universities. While the research emphases within the University of California group and that of the California State University group can be distinguished, it has never been the case that the CSU should be teaching only institutions, and Starr is saying that it is now time to up the research component within the CSU tier. That may or may not happen, but turning the CSU into teaching only drones certainly won't occur.

Is it unreasonable to suggest that the real object of the "Nelsonian reforms" is to bring the university sector to heel and to minimise it's share of governmental revenue.