Lack of Funds Delays New Cal State Fullerton Branch

State funding problems in Sacramento will delay the expected opening of a proposed south Orange County branch of Cal State Fullerton for at least six months, to the fall of 1988, a university official said Tuesday.

The facility, which would be located somewhere between Irvine and Mission Viejo, would serve junior- and senior-level students, such as community college graduates, seeking a four-year degree without having to commute to the Fullerton campus.

Jack W. Coleman, CSUF vice president for academic affairs, said the California Postsecondary Commission voted unanimously Monday to give final state approval for the off-campus branch. The commission’s blessing had been expected since its staff study, in a report last December, had recommended the south county branch.

Lack of money, however, will delay construction or rental of a building to house the south county operation, Coleman said Tuesday.

Coleman noted that Gov. George Deukmejian’s proposed 1987-88 budget doesn’t contain the estimated $500,000 needed to launch the south county branch.

“For this reason, we’ll now wait and again request the money in the 1988-89 budget,” Coleman said. “We don’t think it will delay us longer than a semester. We had hoped to start the (south county) operation in the spring of 1988, but now we’ll shoot for the fall semester of that year.”

Coleman said a site has not been selected for the branch operation. After lively debate, the Cal State Fullerton Academic Senate last year voted to support the proposed expansion. Coleman said the California State University Board of Trustees has, in effect, already approved the south county branch proposal because the trustees authorized the request for about $500,000 in the 1987-88 budget. That request, however, was rejected by Deukmejian when he released his proposed state budget last month.