Fresh Back From Summer : There Are Plenty of New Faces on Opening Day at Cal State Fullerton

Marvin Menjivar began a new daily routine Thursday: Hop a bus in East Los Angeles at 9 a.m. and make it to Cal State Fullerton by 11:30, in time for his first class of the day.

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“It’s a long ride, but I’m glad to be here because this school is going to help me become something in life,” said Menjivar, 18, among 1,945 freshmen beginning classes at the Fullerton campus this week.

The freshman class, up 30% over last year’s, is the largest in three years. University officials said an increase in state funding and more recruiting allowed for the rise in enrollment, bringing the total student population to 22,000 students. The school’s budget this year totals about $116 million--$2 million more than last year.

“For the past three years, the plan was to accept fewer freshmen as part of the budget downsizing,” said Jim Blackburn, Cal State Fullerton’s director of admissions and records. “The funding still is not great, but it’s not getting worse so we’re reversing the plan. . . . And, the demand to enroll more students is there.”

All Cal State campuses had limited enrollment because of lean budgets in the early 1990s. But this school year, the 11-campus system received its first budget increase since 1990-91.

“The worst part of the budget erosion seems to have stopped,” Blackburn said.

He said funds were provided this year to add more entry-level classes, such as English, critical thinking, public speaking and math courses.

Last year, there were 1,501 freshmen. In 1993, there were 1,473. The biggest freshman class in recent history was 2,156 in 1991, Blackburn said.

With more freshmen, the Fullerton campus this year began allowing students to sign up for classes by phone rather than waiting in registration lines. It also has begun a new program to encourage freshmen to graduate in four years and a new class to teach studying and time management skills.

During the first day of school Thursday, many freshmen said they were happy with their new environment.

“It’s really different from high school,” said a smiling Alfred Pamplona, 18, of Cerritos. “I like it. I’m really excited to be here.”

Even though Jeannette Alcaraz, who lives in the campus dormitories, could not get the classes she sought, she said she was wild about her new school. “I’m going to the bookstore to buy a Cal State Fullerton backpack,” the 18-year-old said. “I already got a key chain.”

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Frosh Faces

After suffering a nearly 30% decline in three years, freshman enrollment at Cal State Fullerton has rebounded. Fall semester enrollments:

1995: 1,945

Source: Cal State Fullerton