State Universities

* In his commentary, “Look Inward for Budget Solutions” (April 18), Sidney Harman offers advice for higher education in California on rethinking its mission.

Many in the business community seem to be unaware of the changes that have occurred in public higher education in California in the last five years. In my own system, the California State University (CSU), central administrative costs have been cut 20%, faculty “productivity” as measured by student/faculty ratio has risen nearly 20%; and “through-put,” as measured by time-to-degree, has remained constant. Not a bad record.

Higher education leadership in California has been trying to stimulate public debate on the needs of future generations of students. In the CSU we are told to expect an increase of perhaps 50% in student numbers a decade from now. Any “industry” told that the demand for its services would increase by such an amount would be remiss if it didn’t tell its “shareholders” about it, and start planning to raise the necessary capital, to design appropriate facilities, to investigate new methods of “production” and to hire the work force. Higher education in California has begun this planning, but to plan successfully we need a public policy debate on what sort of higher education opportunities the citizens of this state expect to offer the Class of 2005.

I thank Mr. Harman for his contribution to that debate, even though I don’t agree with many of his comments.

HAROLD GOLDWHITE, Chair

Academic Senate

Cal State Long Beach