President Focuses on Higher Student Enrollment, State Funding Cuts and a Continued Commitment to Academic Quality.
California State University, Stanislaus (CSU) President Hamid Shirvani outlined some of the key issues facing the campus in his State of the University address today. Shirvani noted a significant increase in the student population since 2010, and spoke to the challenges of managing higher enrollment in the midst of plummeting state higher education funding. He pledged to continue open and consultative planning and communication to address any additional budget reductions, and emphasized the protection of academic quality— a point illustrated, in part, by the recent hiring of 31 full-time faculty members.
Enrollment Gains
President Shirvani noted an overall increase of 11.5 percent in the number of students attending CSU Stanislaus over last year, bringing the total headcount for the Fall 2011 semester to 9,248 students. Similarly, the number of full-time-equivalent (FTE) students is up nearly 14 percent over the same period. Factors contributing to the rise in FTE are the increased number of students and a higher average credit load per student, which indicate that students are increasingly serious about completing their education in a timely manner. Further, the percentage of qualified students applying to CSU Stanislaus increased, as the campus becomes a first-choice destination for more students.
State Funding Outlook
After losing over $14 million in state funds since 2007, CSU Stanislaus faces the strong likelihood of at least another $2 million reduction in January 2012. This mid-year “trigger” cut is a factor of whether actual state revenues meet the projections that the state relied upon when it approved the 2011-12 budget. President Shirvani said the University Budget Advisory Committee (UBAC) will continue its work as the principal campus group for collecting budget feedback from the campus community. He pledged to continue the open and consultative budget planning process and told the audience that, based on the various organizational changes and process improvements made over the last few years, he feels confident the University can manage this additional potential cut with minimal disruption to the campus.
Other Highlights
President Shirvani concluded by thanking the faculty and staff for their continued dedication to serving students and enabling CSU Stanislaus to continue its tradition of providing a high-quality education even in the face of deep budget cuts.
PowerPoint slides from the State of the University address may be downloaded via the following link: http://bit.ly/omzcrh.
California State University, Stanislaus (CSU) President Hamid Shirvani outlined some of the key issues facing the campus in his State of the University address today. Shirvani noted a significant increase in the student population since 2010, and spoke to the challenges of managing higher enrollment in the midst of plummeting state higher education funding. He pledged to continue open and consultative planning and communication to address any additional budget reductions, and emphasized the protection of academic quality— a point illustrated, in part, by the recent hiring of 31 full-time faculty members.
Enrollment Gains
President Shirvani noted an overall increase of 11.5 percent in the number of students attending CSU Stanislaus over last year, bringing the total headcount for the Fall 2011 semester to 9,248 students. Similarly, the number of full-time-equivalent (FTE) students is up nearly 14 percent over the same period. Factors contributing to the rise in FTE are the increased number of students and a higher average credit load per student, which indicate that students are increasingly serious about completing their education in a timely manner. Further, the percentage of qualified students applying to CSU Stanislaus increased, as the campus becomes a first-choice destination for more students.
State Funding Outlook
After losing over $14 million in state funds since 2007, CSU Stanislaus faces the strong likelihood of at least another $2 million reduction in January 2012. This mid-year “trigger” cut is a factor of whether actual state revenues meet the projections that the state relied upon when it approved the 2011-12 budget. President Shirvani said the University Budget Advisory Committee (UBAC) will continue its work as the principal campus group for collecting budget feedback from the campus community. He pledged to continue the open and consultative budget planning process and told the audience that, based on the various organizational changes and process improvements made over the last few years, he feels confident the University can manage this additional potential cut with minimal disruption to the campus.
Other Highlights
- A total of 31 new full-time faculty members — including 1 tenured and 21 tenure-track positions —were recently appointed as CSU Stanislaus continues to prioritize meeting student needs and protection of academic quality.
- CSU Stanislaus is slated to receive a $5.5 million grant over five years under the U.S. Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution (HIS) program to support a cooperative arrangement with San Joaquin Delta College and Merc ed College. The partnership will work to improve enrollment and degree completion by Hispanic and low-income students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. CSU Stanislaus received $1.1 million for 2011-12.
President Shirvani concluded by thanking the faculty and staff for their continued dedication to serving students and enabling CSU Stanislaus to continue its tradition of providing a high-quality education even in the face of deep budget cuts.
PowerPoint slides from the State of the University address may be downloaded via the following link: http://bit.ly/omzcrh.