“The bailout is kind of like drinking castor oil … it’s something we have to do,” said Cal State Long Beach President F. King Alexander at the academic senate meeting Thursday.
Alexander spurred discussion on the national economic situation and how it will affect students and student services.
Students can expect a decrease in part-time employment opportunities on and off campus, Alexander said.
He also explained that private student loans will become increasingly expensive and few and far between. However, governmental loans will still be available to students. Alexander emphasized the importance of educating students on loans.
“We need to work with our students, particularly our first generation students, about the difference between good and bad loans,” Alexander said.
Alexander said that the national average for endowments is down 6 percent, and there has been a significant decrease in monetary gifts to the university over the past couple of years. A decrease in endowments means less funding for some student programs and for the 49er Shops.
Alexander said that we as an institution of higher education need to do what we can “until we can get out of this mess.”
Both students and parents of students are, and will be, affected by the current status of the economy.
“Rents will probably jump off campus,” Alexander said. He also said that landlords will probably do this within the next year, but there shouldn’t be an increase in on-campus living.
“We will not be following this trend,” Alexander said.
Alexander also addressed enrollment numbers, and said, “More people unemployed means more enrolling in college.”
CSULB is not expected to accommodate this trend.
“I think we’re going to be scaling back our enrollment next year,” Alexander said.
Alexander also spoke on his concern for the funding of public schools in Long Beach. He explained that with the devaluation of homes there will be a decrease in property taxes, and with property taxes being a main source of funds for public schools, these institutions will receive less funding and will have to consolidate within the district.
“Our schools aren’t going to get more money,” Alexander said. “We need to prepare for this.”
The lack of funds will in turn allow for less preparation for college, and freshmen students coming into CSULB will need more remedial training in order to progress through college.
Alexander suggested encouraging high school students to start taking college courses sooner and taking summer courses.
“We need to develop some ways to get them here earlier,” Alexander said.
It was mentioned that the College of Business Administration may be planning to hold a forum on the budget and its effects on the economy and employment. Alexander said he would encourage and support the formation of the event.
“We need to get as much information to the students as we can,” Alexander said. “They are subjected to the same type of job losses.”
When the senate suggested that employment services and career planning services need to be vamped up, Vice President of Student Services Doug Robinson responded by saying, “We do have an extensive career development program … [the] problem is there aren’t jobs to put them [students] in.”
Alexander said that another thing that happens when the economy goes bad is that many white-collared workers who lose their jobs turn to higher education. He said that the same type of thing might happen with students who are planning to graduate but have no job opportunities immediately after graduation.
“Graduate education is a good way to hide from the economy,” Alexander said. It was said that graduate opportunities might be more suggested for programs like nursing and engineering, as well as other fields of study, by academic advisers in the future due to the state of the economy and employment.
Alexander’s discussion with the senate ended with the issue of bikes on campus and biking to campus. One senator brought up the lack of proper lighting along bike paths and the lack of bike paths themselves on and around campus.
Alexander was quick to point out that the university is working with the city and local residents to get Atherton Street lit up for both bicyclist and pedestrian students leaving campus late at night.
He also said that the university is hoping to eventually make more bike paths on campus and get permission from the city to create more bike paths from Brooks College to CSULB.
“I think it’s good we have them [students] on bikes,” Alexander said, but that the university needs to create a safe environment for them.