Undergrads Important at Cal State

* (UC Irvine) Chancellor Laurel Wilkening’s plan to position UCI among the top 50 research universities in the United States is certainly ambitious and may indeed lead to significant economic benefits for Orange County. At the same time, it is a plan that likely will lower the quality of undergraduate education at UCI. Larger classes and less emphasis on the quality of undergraduate teaching are the sure consequences of such a plan.

Fortunately, there is an attractive alternative for students who are seeking a quality undergraduate education at reasonable cost. Undergraduate education is the primary mission at Orange County’s other public university--Cal State Fullerton. Here teaching and learning are valued as highly as scholarly and creative pursuits. In most cases our classes are smaller than at the UC campuses, and they are more likely to be taught by a full-time faculty member than a graduate student.

While our research efforts are not as extensive nor as well known as those of our colleagues at UCI, they are, nonetheless, quite respectable. Most important, they provide numerous opportunities for participation by undergraduates--something that is less common at the research universities.

Prospective and current students who want to learn in an environment where undergraduate education is genuinely important should take a close look at CSUF. It remains one of the best values in higher education.

MARK H. SHAPIRO

Professor and chair

Department of physics

Cal State Fullerton