Northridge : Professor Urges State Education Reforms

Harvard Graduate School of Education professor David W. Breneman urged that steps be taken to improve efficiency in the state’s higher education system during a meeting this week with Cal State Northridge administrators and faculty.

Breneman is the author of a controversial California Higher Education Policy Center study calling for drastic changes in most state university programs.

The study advises shifting resources from research and graduate work to undergraduate education. It also urges Gov. Pete Wilson to declare a state of emergency for higher education and appoint a blue-ribbon commission to plan more efficient operation of the system.

His study recommends “rationing” enrollment to allow preference to first-time students under age 24, excluding admission of out-of-state undergraduates and eliminating doctoral-degree programs for arts and sciences in five University of California schools.

The main objective of the study, Breneman told the CSUN audience Tuesday, was to “generate action in this state” in rethinking priorities for higher education.

American education is going through a fundamental shift, Breneman said. After decades of stability, he said, it may not be able to accommodate what will be a surge in students demanding a four-year education.

Experts predict that by 2007, there will be a 73% increase in the number of high school graduates applying to the nation’s colleges and universities. With changing priorities in state budget allocations, Breneman said, California schools will not have enough resources to meet the demand.

Pointing to a recent study done for CSUN showing that 70% of last year’s freshmen arrived unprepared to handle college-level math and English courses, some CSUN faculty members lamented the state of K-12 education in California.

“We are seeing more poorly prepared young people entering colleges today and should focus on educating teachers at the graduate and doctoral levels on how to better instruct,” one audience member said.

Breneman agreed, but said that a large portion of the burden might also lie with community colleges.

“We are straying from the original community college function” of providing preparatory education, he said.

“It’s a cheap way to do the first two years of college. Yet, community colleges are sacrificing classroom space by embarking on too many community-outreach-oriented programs,” he said.

CSUN President Blenda Wilson summed up the frustration felt by administrators forced to make the kinds of choices proposed by Breneman.

Observing that Breneman was recently hired by the University of Virginia as a dean, Wilson said: “I’d like to talk to you six months from now to see how you feel about the complexity of these choices.”