Crowding Cited : CSUN Sets Deadline for Applications

For the second year in a row, a record enrollment has prompted California State University, Northridge to announce an early deadline for applications for the spring semester.

The count of 29,265 students, up from last fall’s previous record of 28,793--which was already more than 8% above capacity--has university officials worrying about whether the campus can accommodate its students.

“This situation is causing considerable stress,” said William Watkins, acting associate vice president for academic planning and resources. “The most frequent complaint we’re getting from students is that they can’t get the classes they need in order to earn their degrees in four years.”

Signs of crowding include more students than usual sitting in hallways and classroom floors, Watkins said.

“It’s standing room only in a lot of classes,” he said. “The teachers are complaining too. We all realize that overcrowding erodes the quality of education here.”

Oct. 1 Cutoff

Because of the high enrollment, CSUN will not accept undergraduate applications for the spring semester if they are postmarked after Oct. 1, Watkins said, the earliest cutoff school officials can recall. Last year, the university stopped accepting applications Nov. 22.

No deadline has yet been set on graduate admissions.

“Our first commitment is to serve the students we already have,” said Lorraine Newlon, CSUN’s director of admissions and records. “To do that, we must not admit students until we serve the ones we already have.”

Newlon said five undergraduate programs have been closed to new applicants: business administration, computer science, engineering, physical therapy and broadcasting.

Open Only to Residents

Those majors had already been designated as “impacted,” meaning they are open only to California residents, and have higher admission standards than other programs.

Officials attributed the record enrollment to various factors, including successful recruitment in central Los Angeles high schools, growth in the Santa Clarita Valley and Ventura County, and the rising cost of private colleges.

Ralph Bigelow, director of analytical studies for the California State University system, said several campuses in the system, including Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Chico, have reported increases in fall enrollment, although official reports have not yet been filed.

CSUN has asked the state for 20 modular classrooms and space for 30 faculty offices to help ease the crowding.