Trustees Review Sister Campus Study

Cal State University trustees said Wednesday they are a step closer to resolving issues holding up funding for Ventura County’s public university, expressing support for a new study aimed at boosting revenue at a sister campus in Stockton.

In unveiling his preliminary budget for fiscal 2000-01, Gov. Gray Davis said CSU officials need to make more progress on development of the Stockton campus before he would grant a $10-million budget request for Cal State Channel Islands.

Specifically, Davis wanted Cal State University planners to figure out what went wrong with efforts to establish a range of income-generating ventures to offset operating costs for the Stockton off-campus center.

A study reviewed Wednesday by the CSU’s committee on off-campus facilities went a long way toward addressing Davis’ concerns, committee Chairman Anthony Vitti said.

Among other moneymaking strategies, the study called for the creation of educational facilities, offices and apartments around the Stockton campus that could be leased out by a joint powers authority formed between the university system and the city of Stockton.

“This report is an excellent response to the state’s request,” Vitti said.

Davis linked the Stockton and Channel Islands campuses because of their similar development plans.

In both cases, CSU officials are converting closed mental hospitals into college campuses. Both are satellite campuses of Cal State universities. And both are counting on leasing unused buildings and launching commercial ventures to raise money for expansion.

But the similarities end there.

Stockton will remain a branch campus of Cal State Stanislaus, while the Camarillo site--which opened last fall as a branch of Cal State Northridge--is expected to evolve into a full-fledged institution by fall 2002.

CSU officials plan to review the results of the study with state officials in coming weeks in an effort to convince Davis to provide the money for Channel Islands in his May budget update.