California officials reached a budget agreement late Monday that in closing a $26-billion gap will cause immediate damage to the state's colleges and universities, leading to restricted admissions, reduced salaries for faculty and staff members, and sharply higher tuition. But the full effect of this year's budget cuts will not be felt until 2010, when federal stimulus money is expected to dwindle or disappear and the state's public institutions will face their most difficult financial decisions in decades. Under the budget plan announced last night, the state will cut its support for California State University and the University of California by about 20 percent in the 2009-10 fiscal year...
California lawmakers, their state broke and its credit rating shot, finally sealed the deal with the governor Monday night on a plan to close a $26 billion budget gap...While the Legislature pushed back on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to eliminate health care programs for children and the state's generous welfare program, both took large cuts. So did public education, universities and local governments...
...The push to reinvigorate the mission of these institutions, founded to provide practical training in fields like agriculture and engineering to students of all economic classes, dates back nearly a decade to the release of a report by the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities. It called for a new "covenant" between public research universities and their surrounding communities and for making engagement central to the whole institution, not just a handful of departments or colleges...At the University of Wisconsin, minisummits bring together campus specialists and community and business leaders around hot topics, like bioenergy. The connections made can lead to interdisciplinary collaborations on specific projects, says Greg Wise, director of the university's Center for Community and Economic Development. Land-grant institutions have always run many outreach programs, of course, but they have often been uncoordinated efforts by individual faculty members. What makes these recent projects distinct is their coordinated approach, which helps make the university much more visible in the community...
...Each year, admissions officers know that a small percentage of admitted applicants who sent deposits will not show up. The phenomenon, known as "summer melt," has many causes...This year the unstable economy prompted many admissions officers to brace for more attrition than usual. To minimize summer melt -- and to ease the transition to campus -- some colleges are developing new ways to engage admitted students during the dog days. At Lawrence University, in Wisconsin, students who work in the admissions office usually call prospective applicants during the summer. This year, however, the students are also calling all 360 incoming freshmen, just to say hello and ask whether they have any questions about the months ahead...
...Students with degrees in nursing, health care, accounting, computer science, economics, general science and engineering report the most success in finding jobs, say local and national experts and college placement officials. Those with degrees in finance, journalism, graphic design, and international relations have had tougher times. Liberal arts graduates also struggle. Still, career experts say students should major in whatever area most interests them, even if it's a less specialized liberal arts field, such as English or sociology. In a national survey, communication, followed closely by a strong work ethic and teamwork skills, was rated as the most important attribute sought by employers...
There's an app for just about anything, or so Apple says. And colleges and universities across the country are taking notice, offering courses in programming iPhone applications to computer-related majors. The courses represent a new path of study for many colleges and universities recognizing the longevity of smartphones and social media, college professors say...
