Cuts at Cal State Force Students to Scramble for Classes

Students and administrators at Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson are reeling from course cutbacks that left more than 1,000 students without much-needed classes this semester and one university administrator with a demotion.

About 80 classes were canceled one week before the spring quarter began last month because the Academic Affairs Department, the division of the school responsible for scheduling classes, spent the bulk of its $11.5-million budget for classes during the fall semester. The department has a $300,000 deficit.

The cutbacks resulted in the largest number of classes dropped at the university in recent years and left more than 1,000 students scrambling to find classes. Many would not be able to continue to receive financial aid without a full course load.

University President Bob Detweiler called the cancellations “a mess” and is using funds from the university foundation to reinstate about 15 classes, most of which are in the College of Arts and Sciences, which suffered the most cutbacks. In addition, he has reassigned Sam Wiley, who was vice president of academic affairs, to the classroom.

“There were no embezzlements or anything like that. The division of academic affairs just did not keep good track of the budget,” Detweiler said. “What happened disrupted the lives of many students, especially since it wasn’t communicated until the last minute.”

Detweiler said that he reassigned Wiley, who is on sabbatical from the university, because the mismanagement left hundreds of students without classes they needed to graduate on time. Many part-time faculty members are now without work.

“I’m taking full responsibility for this,” Detweiler said. “I have reinstated some additional sections to protect the interests of students and I’m taking some personnel actions.”

Students said the schedule changes had many of them worried that they would face delays in graduating. Richard Moncure, 51, who is completing his master’s degree in sociology, said one class he needed for graduation was canceled so he signed up for an independent study class, another option Detweiler has made available to those whose core courses were canceled.

The class, however, was reinstated, and he is taking both courses.

“Everyone was really confused, especially since we had to rearrange our time frames,” said Moncure. “Many students have been able to get their schedules corrected and are taking the right amount of classes now.”