California State University, Long Beach
2006-07 Resource Planning Process
Additional Recommendations and Special Reports
Student Success
Budget plans for 2006-07 in several of the university divisions reflect a strong commitment to student success. Below are some major newly funded initiatives.
Academic Affairs
- The Division of Academic Affairs will continue its program to award $1.2 million to colleges for student success initiatives. These initiatives will be used to reduce class size, enhance advising, provide supplemental instruction, and in other ways support students. The funding is intended to focus college and departmental resources and attention on student success.
- Academic Affairs will continue increased funding for academic advising. With these resources the Academic Advising Center will
- continue to dramatically reduce wait times for students for advising appointments
- expand "Graduation Green Light," which assists students with resolving barriers to graduation
- expand pre-probation workshops to inform college advisors about strategies to use with students who are at risk
- expand workshops for students focused on "Strategies for Success" to assist students on probation and
- expand small-group workshops to assist graduating seniors to ensure they have met all academic requirements needed for graduation.
- Academic Affairs will continue increased funding for learning assistance. With these resources the Learning Assistance Center will
- expand support for writing proficiency
- expand support for supplemental instruction and
- expand support for other forms of learning assistance.
- Academic Affairs will
- expand training for academic faculty and staff advisors
- complete a two-year project to rewrite the university catalog and other communications for students with the goal of increased clarity and consistency
- fund a project assisting each college and department in analyzing and understanding its own retention and graduation rates and making plans for improvement
- implement a campus plan to improve coordination, consistency and communication among advisors, and
- continue to work to expand the transfer credit articulation rules available in the student system and publicized on ASSIST.
- The Department of Mathematics will introduce revisions to the pre-baccalaureate curriculum to better assist remedial students in mathematics.
- The colleges will launch a project aimed at increasing the awareness of retention and graduation rates at the individual department level.
- The Center for Faculty Professional Development will create a process for identifying high failure rate classes and making improvements.
- Pre-baccalaureate Advising Support Services will expand collaborative efforts to intervene early in the semester with at-risk students.
- The College of Education will offer a course to train student academic advisors.
Student Services
- The Career Development Center will expand career planning and counseling support for first-year and undeclared students through increased outreach to faculty, career planning workshops and collaboration with the Academic Advising Center
- The division will Increase support provided for entering students requiring pre-baccalaureate support in English and Mathematics through an expansion of the non-residential instructional component of the Summer Bridge Program
- The division will expand assessment activities by examining student academic performance and persistence data to determine characteristics and program participation factors that influence academic success and
- The division will expand counseling and mental health services to monitor and support students diagnosed with psychological disabilities.
Administration and Finance
- Enrollment Services will continue to develop and offer a rich suite of CMS reports that support student success initiatives.
- Enrollment Services will continue to refine the CMS online "Degree Progress Summary" report, a degree audit that can be run on demand by advisors and by students. At the CSU system level, data gleaned from this process is being investigated at the campus level. It will then be collected in a dataset that will be used for researching student success and readiness to complete issues.
- Institutional Research and Assessment implemented new department and program-specific web pages in Spring 2006. These reports will facilitate department and college access to the valuable "on-demand" reporting utility that allows academic departments to view current and historical data on degrees granted and graduation rates, persistence and retention, credential recommendations, units at degree, and applications and admissions.
- Institutional Research and Assessment is developing grade distribution reports for web distribution. These reports will be instrumental in helping the institution identify "bottleneck" courses and will also allow more thorough analyses of remedial and general education courses. These reports should be operational in Summer 2006.
- Institutional Research and Assessment is developing various faculty workload reports for web distribution. These reports will allow analysis of teaching loads by various disciplines and faculty classifications. These reports should be operational in Fall 2006.
Capital Campaign
CSULB is in the early stages of preparing for a major capital campaign. A major thrust of this comprehensive fund-raising campaign will be the university's endowment, with points of focus on student scholarships, support for faculty, building and equipment improvements, and academic program needs as defined by the individual colleges. This is a long-term and substantial undertaking. The RPP Task Force recognizes that such an endeavor will require an initial investment. Sufficient funding has been identified in prior year savings to provide for start-up costs without interfering with the university's recovery plan. A formal budget request for the campaign will be considered in the 2007-08 RPP deliberations.
Classroom Maintenance
Several years ago, the university set aside an annual budget of $210,000 to address maintenance needs in the classrooms. Accumulated balances in minor capital projects will be used in 2006-07 to augment this budget on a one-time basis. The RPP Task Force acknowledges the importance of continual investments in our classrooms and recommends that after the Recovery Plan is completed, the campus revisit this budget.
Enrollment
In the past several years, CSULB has had sufficient demand for enrollment from freshmen to achieve enrollment goals. During this period, demand in other categories (transfer graduate degree, and credential) has been relatively flat. The freshman demand was sufficient to fuel growth in the past era of limited funding for growth despite these flatter trends. Currently, the statewide expectation is for continued increase in high school graduates and freshman demand for admission for about two more years and then a leveling of that trend or perhaps a very slight decline. Some observers believe that there will be continued growth in transfer demand lagging the freshman demand by two or three years, but recent observations of transfer demand do not consistently support this expectation. Current CSU system capital policy calculates campus enrollment capacity to include summer enrollment at 40% of the academic year average. In 2006-07 the campus expects to achieve only about 15%. For the past two years, the campus has funded all summer enrollment that colleges have been able to generate. Thus our shortfall is due to lack of demand from students, not due to lack of supply of classes. To achieve the 40% target at the current summer average unit load, we would have to enroll 85% of our fall term head count. There are several barriers that prevent this from happening. Of primary importance is the relatively less financial aid in summer which makes taking classes more expensive and prohibitively so for many students. Many students make a rational calculation that taking an extra class in fall or spring is free and fulfills the same credit requirement as taking the class in summer at significant cost. Many students need to work in summer to support themselves during the academic year. Many students choose to take summer classes at community colleges because costs are less. Because of these barriers, there is no reasonable prospect that CSULB summer enrollment will grow at the pace expected by the Chancellor's Office capital planning forecasts. This places several of our major capital projects in jeopardy unless the Chancellor's Office and Department of Finance can be convinced to support these projects despite the likely shortfall in summer enrollment.
In the mid-1990's, California higher education began to experience "Tidal Wave II," the demographic bulge of children of the "Baby Boom" generation coming of college age. In California, this nationwide phenomenon was compounded by growth in the late adolescent demographic category due to immigration and the children of immigrants. These prompted steady increase in high school graduates each year and steady increase in college enrollments of first time freshmen at all three higher education segments.
It has long been expected that an increase in community college transfers would follow this trend, lagging a few years. In the early 1990's, there was some increase but more recently it has been observed that the numbers of students transferring from community colleges is less than might be expected. Community college colleagues have told us that this shortfall is due to the funding cuts experienced in prior three years. This shortfall in transfers is particularly important to CSULB because we have grown the size of the freshman class nearly as large as we are able to accommodate and additional growth, consistent with out growth plan, depends largely on growth in transfer students. CSULB has not emphasized transfer outreach in the past decade but needs to develop much more effective strategies to recruit transfer students in coming years and we are capable of being competitive in this arena.
Since Fall 2002, the campus has seen an increase of nearly 50% in total applications. In Fall 2006 CSULB received nearly 62,000 applications compared to less than 41,000 in Fall 2002. Over this same period, freshmen applications increased from less than 25,000 in Fall 2002 to nearly 43,000 in 2006. While not as substantial, transfer applications have also increased over the last five years. Fall 2006 upper division transfer applications number well over 13,000 compared to just over 9,000 in 2002. Graduate applications have also increased over 20% since 2002, but the total applications received for this student level are much smaller and number less than 5,000. Applications from credential seekers have actually decreased since 2002 as the job market for teachers is not nearly as strong. Fall 2002 actually marked a recent highpoint for such applications with over 2,000 while the number expected for 2006 is projected to be approximately 1,200.
This increase in demand has not led to sustained enrollment growth due to cuts in budget and enrollment targets. To control enrollment the campus declared the freshmen class impacted in Fall 2003, resulting in higher admissions criteria for non-local applicants. As the fiscal crisis worsened in 2003-04 and 2004-05, these heightened admissions criteria were used to limit the enrollment of new students. Eventually impaction criteria were applied to transfer admissions as well.
The governor's compact with higher education began to restore enrollment targets in 2005-06 and promises sustained enrollment growth through 2010-11. Accordingly, enrolled freshmen were systematically reduced to the mid-3,000 range until Fall 2005 when they were allowed to grow to nearly 4,400. Short term plans call for a freshmen class of approximately 4,500 to be sustained for the foreseeable future. Similarly, the campus is actively engaged in outreach efforts to grow transfer enrollment even beyond the level of the 3,538 enrolled in Fall 2002. At this time the university is attempting to foster strong growth in this cohort for the next several years. Other strategies are to grow graduate enrollment slightly while matching credential enrollment to current demand.
For 2006-07, the campus expects to achieve its enrollment target with the following strategies: increase in summer enrollment, moving some non-state supported graduate programs to state support, a slight increase in the size of the entering freshman class, and a moderate increase in the size of the transfer class. In combination, we are fairly confident in the success of these strategies.
University Outreach and School Relations is also increasing its outreach/enrollment yield activities directed toward prospective upper division transfer students majority in non-impacted majors. These activities are targeted at area community colleges and include increased visitations, classroom presentations, and communication and marketing activities.
For 2007-08, the picture is less clear. We will have increased the size of the entering freshman class to nearly the maximum that we can successfully accommodate. Prospects for continued transfer enrollment growth are uncertain. Prospects for significant growth in graduate degree or credential enrollment is unlikely. Of the choices available, the most viable is much more aggressive outreach to community college students where we believe a pool of potential students exist. If CSULB can develop well organized services to help potential transfers understand transfer requirements and work with community college partners to encourage transfer, the campus may be able to achieve one or two additional years at the Compact level of expectation, 2.5%. Beyond that, prospects are quite uncertain.
Campus Capacity (Campus Master Plan)
In May 2003, the CSU Board of Trustees adopted a resolution that directs the presidents to review their respective master plans for enrollment and consider increasing their campus enrollment ceilings. Since CSULB is not currently authorized to receive permanent funding above its trustee-authorized AY enrollment ceiling, it is necessary to decide whether to seek authorization for a higher enrollment ceiling of 25,000 FTES.
With the CSU planned growth projection of 100,000 students statewide over the coming decade, the campus intends to formally request an increase to its physical capacity of about 8,000 headcount or 6,000 FTES over the next 10- to 20-year period. This change would increase our enrollment ceiling during the academic year from the current figure of 25,000 full time equivalent students (FTES) to 31,000 FTES.
The original plan was developed two years ago following extensive campus consultation. In the coming year we will continue our consultation with the campus community regarding the plans and prepare to meet the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The campus expects to be ready to seek Board of Trustees approval by Spring 2008 to avoid negatively impacting our multi-year enrollment growth plan.
International Education
The campus has placed a priority on increasing students' international competencies by infusing global and cross-cultural awareness into the General Education curriculum. There is also a goal to increase the number of students who participate in study abroad, travel study, international service learning and field study. Currently, only 1% of CSULB students have international experiences during their study here. Our goal is to increase this to 5% within five years. Faculty subsidies, student scholarships, and support costs are necessary to support increases in student travel-study, especially for summer activities.
An important dimension of international education is the presence of a significant number of international students enrolled on our campus. Campus international enrollments have declined since 9/11 resulting in a loss in non-resident tuition revenue as well as reducing the international nature of campus life. The Center for International Education is developing new strategies to increase international student enrollment from its current 4% to 7% (2500 students) of the total campus enrollment, through further world wide advertising and recruitment, targeted outreach to international students currently at California community colleges, and continued fostering of good will with sponsoring governmental agencies.
Technology
The Campus Information Technology Committee was established in Fall 2005 as a high-level, cross-divisional body. The committee is charged with developing campus technology policy. It has proven to be very useful in bringing together key individuals to develop campus strategies and to approach issues and planning from an all-university perspective.
The committee has developed a full agenda of issues, some of which have significant budget implications. These are the key issues under consideration and policy development:
- Security of personal information maintained electronically: This is the top priority issue and has potential cost and organizational implications; a policy is under development.
- Access to information technology for persons with disabilities: This is the second priority issue and will be driven by a forthcoming, very important Executive Order from the Chancellor's Office. This issue has significant potential cost and organizational implications; a policy is under development.
- Usability of campus web resources: The campus currently has no uniform web interface and many regard the current interface as in need of overhaul. This issue is somewhat connected with the issue of access because a campus web template can address both issues simultaneously. There are significant potential cost and organizational implications of making changes in this area.
- Learning Management System Choices: While the BeachBoard environment has been successful on our campus, there is interest in reviewing options that might better serve the campus. This area is still under study.
- Operational Management and Coordination of Information Technology Resources. The charge to the committee includes examining and improving the coordination and management of campus information technology resources. This area is still under study.
Capital Planning and Construction
Keeping our highest priority capital projects on track has become dramatically more challenging because of the recent unprecedented cost escalation in the construction market and the overabundance of construction work currently in the marketplace.
- New Parking Structure, Lot 11. Because of the escalation of construction costs, we are able to complete only one of the two planned structures for now. We will erect the second structure in this location when we have collected sufficient revenues.
- Library. Last year, the construction bid for the Library remodel came in significantly over budget. The campus was successful in obtaining a $10 million augmentation to the capital budget, but recent market conditions suggested that may not be enough. The bid was restructured to take some of the project components out of the base bid to provide additional contingency. Even with these adjustments, the construction bids came in significantly over budget which resulted in the alternatives being sacrificed. $3.5 million in campus and division reserves were used to save the project.
- Peterson Hall 3 Replacement. Last year it became apparent that this project was in jeopardy due to the escalation of construction costs. To secure an $11 million augmentation, the project was delayed to 2006-07. More recently, there has been a second delay in the planning approval phase because the Public Works Board declined to approve the plans until the Budget Act was approved. The LAO is challenging the budget augmentation, but we have the support of the Chancellor's Office and a high level of confidence that we will prevail. However, we remain concerned about the budget as delays in this project are costing approximately $700,000 per month.
- Liberal Arts. The replacement project for the PH 1 & 2 buildings is another challenge. The campus is in the process of determining the feasibility of replacement vs. renovation. Also under consideration is whether the construction should be handled as a single or multi-phased project.
Faculty and Staff Housing
CSULB faculty and staff experience a severe housing affordability crisis. Recent studies show that only 16% of Los Angeles County households and 11% of Orange County households have incomes sufficient to afford today's median priced home. Rapidly escalating housing prices have had a major impact on the recruitment and retention of faculty and staff.
Other universities with whom we compete for faculty and staff are generally far ahead of us on this issue. All of the 13 campuses within the University of California system already have faculty and staff housing programs in place. Of the 23 CSU campuses, a vast majority either already have or are planning for faculty/staff housing projects.
The results of a campus survey in Fall 2005 demonstrated a strong need for affordable housing. There are a variety of different approaches, but the most commonly utilized and economically feasible model involves using available campus land for faculty/staff housing. The university is also actively seeking affordable housing opportunities off campus. Achieving this goal is even more challenging due to the lack of undeveloped land within commuting distance of campus and the high cost of existing housing.
The RPP Task Force acknowledges the importance of these efforts and looks forward to receiving a progress report next year.
Common Management System (CMS)
The Common Management System (CMS) is a CSU system-wide initiative designed to replace disparate and outdated administrative application software with a common, integrated system. Our campus successfully completed the initial implementation and two upgrades for all three PeopleSoft modules -- human resources, financials, and student administration. Although this project can be accommodated using the existing financing plan, it will defer repayment by another year and one half and does not address future upgrade requirements such as 9.0 or implementation of the Oracle Fusion product line.
The RPP Task Force acknowledges that the current base budget allocation does not sufficiently address the projected cost of ongoing upgrades and system modifications in the future.