The 2010-11 budget proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to restore $305 million to the California State University base budget and provide an additional $60.6 million for enrollment growth, if approved by the legislature, will help to ensure the success of regionally focused public universities up and down the state, according to California State University, Northridge President Jolene Koester.
The job of this campus is to remain focused on the needs of the students and employers right here in our four-valley region, and to ensure that we provide high-quality degree offerings and cultural enrichment on behalf of this community, Koester said. I think we lose sight of the reality that our students are the future managers, engineers, entertainers, accountants, entrepreneurs, educators and health professionals whom we all will depend on for a good quality of life down the road. It is vital that we maintain a high level of investment in our future.
President Koesters comments, made to a small group of donors and friends of Cal State Northridge at a series called Discover Northridge, echoed those made recently by California State University Chancellor Charles Reed.
We commend the governor for his renewed investment in the California State University, Reed said. If adopted by the legislature, this budget will allow us to begin restoring student access to our university. In this extremely difficult budget climate, we appreciate the governor making higher education a priority.
While we are still faced with challenging circumstances, this reinvestment will help start the CSU on the path to recovery, he said.
California State University, Northridge has more than 33,000 full- and part-time students and offers 66 bachelors and 53 masters degrees as well as 28 teaching credential programs. Founded in 1958, CSUN is among the largest single-campus universities in the nation and the only four-year public university in the San Fernando Valley. The university serves as the intellectual, economic and cultural heart of the Valley and beyond.