At least 16 of the CSU’s 23 campuses have declared impaction for first-time freshmen—meaning that the campus will likely have more applicants than available slots—and 15 of those campuses are also impacted at the transfer level. Students applying to impacted campuses may face additional criteria, such as a higher grade point average. Some programs at various campuses may also be impacted and students are being encouraged to apply to a second CSU campus in case they are not admitted to the campus or major of their first choice. More information.
CSU Improves Process for Community College Transfers with Historic Bill
California community college students, who often have too many course credits when they transfer to the CSU, will now have an easier and better defined path to transfer with the passage of Senate Bill 1440, the Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act (STAR Act). The historic bill, authored by Sen. Alex Padilla and signed into law Sept. 29 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, establishes a transfer Associate of Arts Degree (AA) for those students who have completed 60 transferrable units. Community college students that obtain the transfer AA degree would be admitted to the CSU with junior standing.
The legislation, which takes effect in fall 2011, simplifies the transfer process and allows the CSU and California Community Colleges (CCC) to serve more students and save millions of dollars by eliminating excess units that transfer students often accumulate in completing their degrees. Additionally, Assembly Bill 2302, a complementary bill that encourages the University of California to follow a similar course to improve transfers from the CCC authored by Assembly Member Paul Fong, was also signed by the governor.
“I commend the governor, the legislature, Senator Padilla, Assembly Member Fong, Chancellor Scott and the many people whose hard work over the past 12 years helped us arrive at this historic day,” said CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed. “This is a watershed moment for future college students across the state of California, who will now be able to more easily reach their goal of obtaining a bachelor’s degree.”
Chancellor Reed and California Community College Chancellor Jack Scott joined the governor and Sen. Alex Padilla and Assembly Member Paul Fong for a ceremonial bill signing ceremony Oct. 4 at Los Angeles Mission College in Sylmar. More information.
Other bills approved by the governor include:
- AB 867 (Nava) California State University: Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree—California needs additional nursing professionals in the workforce, and the CSU faces the challenge of having enough nursing faculty to accommodate the growing enrollments in nursing programs. The governor’s signing of AB 867 allows the CSU to offer the Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree to prepare nursing faculty for the CSU and community college nursing programs. The CSU graduates 65 percent of the state’s bachelor’s degree nurses.
- AB 2382 (Blumenfield) California State University: Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree—The passage of this bill by the governor gives the CSU the authority to award the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, which will help address the state’s shortage of physical therapy professionals. More information.
The governor vetoed SB 330 (Yee) Public Records: Auxiliary Organizations, which would have subjected campus auxiliaries to the California Public Records Act. The governor noted that the bill “inappropriately places private auxiliary organizations that receive private funds, under the provisions of the California Public Records Act,” without providing “sufficient protection” for private donors who request anonymity. The CSU had opposed the bill unless amended.
Bargaining Updates Posted
The CSU and the California Faculty Association have begun the bargaining process for a new contract. Updates on the bargaining sessions are posted after each session on the CSU’s website.
View the original article on the California State University homepage.