CSU's supply-and-demand tuition
By The Bakersfield Californian
The fact that the California State University announced plans to consider new, targeted fee hikes just days after voters approved Proposition 30 says something. Those new taxes aren't a cure-all. The system is still struggling.
What the proposed new revenue would do is stave off massive trigger cuts planned throughout the state's education system if the measure had failed. The money it brings in only starts to bring back what's already been cut -- it doesn't fully restore previous levels of funding.
The timing may be bad but the CSU isn't totally out of bounds with its higher fee proposal for this simple reason: The idea is to move students more quickly through the education system to free up room for others. The fees would apply only to students who:
* already have enough credits to graduate. Those who continue to hang around and take classes after they're eligible to graduate would pay an extra $372 per unit. Space for an estimated 12,000 students could open up if the higher fees work as hoped and motivate "graduates" to move on.
* must repeat a course. That will cost an extra $91 per unit.
* take on heavy course loads. An extra $182 would be charged for every unit in excess of 18 taken by a student.
These fees are high but not unreasonable. And it's hard to find too much fault with them considering they're entirely avoidable. Students simply have to graduate on time, pass their classes the first time they take them, and not load up on extra classes. The fee for taking more than 18 units may be unfair to students who want to pile up on classes in order to graduate early but it's hard to justify letting students take extra classes when so many are being shut out of the system.
The community college system has also made changes to its system to encourage students to move more efficiently through the system, but it was based on registration priorities and not new fees.
The CSU's supply-and-demand strategy is based on a reliable motivational tool: money talks. Students shouldn't be allowed to linger indefinitely and repeat classes without consequences. Space in the CSU system is a precious commodity these days. Helping students understand that by charging higher fees under trying circumstances makes sense.
Facebook
Twitter
Mobile
RSS
Most CommentedMost Popular
Two cellphones confiscated last week from witnesses to the in-custody death of David Sal Silva were returned Wednesday to the attorney representing the witnesses.
About two dozen protesters stood in front of Kern County Superior Court next to the Liberty Bell Thursday morning to make a statement about police brutality.
The death of a man in custody following a prolonged struggle with Kern County Sheriff's deputies and CHP officers and the subsequent fracas over confiscated witness cellphones have gained international attention and raised concerns here that the incidents could tarnish the county's emerging...
Sheriff’s investigators served a search warrant on Kern Medical Center and the Mary K. Shell Mental Health Center seeking medical records to find possible reasons for David Sal Silva’s behavior prior to and during his encounter with law enforcement, The Californian learned Friday.
Blood stains are still visible on the sidewalk at the corner of Flower Street and Palm Drive, where a Bakersfield man struggled with as many as nine officers and later died this week.
Responding to what he called a case that “has consumed the media and our community,” Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said Tuesday he has asked the FBI to conduct a “parallel” investigation into the death of Bakersfield father of four David Sal Silva, who died May 8 after he was beaten by deputies.
A war of words erupted Friday over video footage taken of David Sal Silva’s deadly encounter with law enforcement officers.
Bakersfield College will vacate its 2012 state football championship and forfeit its regular-season wins from the 2011 and 2012 seasons because of California Community College Athletic Association rules violations.