CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE : Ventura Campus Copes With Cuts

Cal State Northridge’s Ventura campus has had to cope with state budget cuts this fall, along with the main campus, forcing the facility to postpone much of its planned growth, the campus’ director said.

“We are one. We are Northridge in Ventura County. We’ve taken the same budget hits. It has been difficult because we mandate for growth,” said Joyce M. Kennedy, director of CSUN Ventura Campus.

Kennedy said the center has had to cut back on its growth, although enrollment has gone up.

As of the third week of classes, she said, there were the equivalent of 516 full-time students at the facility and about 700 part-timers.

The 1990 school year saw 466 full-time equivalency students, Kennedy said. In 1975, when the Ventura campus opened as a learning center jointly owned by CSUN and UC Santa Barbara, there were only 16 students.

The campus planned for 507 full-time students this fall. “We’re pretty much on target,” Kennedy said.

However, the campus has had to put some of its planned growth on the back burner, including expanding its facilities by 4,000 square feet so that more students could be accommodated. That project, Kennedy said, had to be cut in half.

Cuts also were made in the number of student assistants, leasing arrangements, supplies and library hours.

Dan Wakelee, assistant director of the campus, said that the number of student assistants was cut from three to one, which limits the use of the campus computer lab. He said that the purchase of some supplies, such as copy paper, was eliminated.