Editorial: A county campus in need of students
Another high school graduation season is upon us, and in Ventura County this year it might be understandable if among the beaming parents, grandparents and siblings attending the ceremonies there would also be a recruiter from CSU Channel Islands.
Ventura County’s only four-year public university is experiencing a serious challenge with enrollment. It is part of a nationwide trend on college campuses, and one that broadly affects the California State University system. But the situation at CSUCI is more severe than at many other campuses. In fact, on a percentage basis, its enrollment decline since the fall of 2019 is more pronounced than that of any other CSU campus, down by 20.4%. Systemwide, enrollment has fallen by only about 6%.
The consequences are potentially significant. CSU trustees have put on notice the seven campuses that are 10% or more below their enrollment targets. They will lose millions in enrollment-based funding unless they find a way to attract more students. Those cuts could begin as early as the 2024 academic year. If that plan were in effect today, those seven campuses would lose a combined $38 million in the first year of the plan, and the money would be redistributed to campuses with growing enrollment.
More: Student enrollment at CSU Channel Islands isn't rebounding. Millions of dollars are at stake
Several factors appear to be at play. Public school enrollment in Ventura County has dropped precipitously, reducing the pool of potential just-out-of-high-school freshman. Statewide, the drop in community college enrollment has been even more dramatic — an 18% decline since 2019, to its lowest level in 30 years. Thus, the pipeline for potential community college transfer students has diminished.
Other factors are unique to CSU Channel Islands. As the youngest and smallest (except for the specialized Maritime Academy) of the 23 campuses, it does not have a large network of alumni to help promote it. It does not have the sort of institutional recognition that might come from, say, a successful athletic program.
Additionally, unlike San Jose, San Diego, Long Beach or Sacramento, it is not situated in the middle of a large metropolitan area within easy access of hundreds of thousands of potential commuter students. Indeed, the CSUCI campus is somewhat remote; a student who lives in Oxnard and holds down a part-time job there would be challenged to put together a manageable class schedule.
CSUCI administrators must find ways to creatively address the challenge.
One large pool of potential students is made up of working adults who began but never completed college. More class offerings at nights and on weekends would improve the university’s ability to serve that group.
Young adults who became accustomed to the convenience of online learning are not eager to let go of that convenience, so more online offerings — or at least courses with significant online components — would broaden the university’s appeal.
Over the long term, development of additional on-campus housing would make CSUCI a more attractive option for students seeking the full, communal collegiate experience. Perhaps there are possibilities for public-private partnerships to finance such housing.
The sobering thing about the decline in enrollment — at CSCUI, at CSU generally, and especially at the community colleges — is that educational attainment remains a key determinant of economic stability. The Public Policy Institute of California notes that in this state families that include college degree-holders have on average double the incomes of families with no college graduates.
The enrollment decline at CSU Channel Islands ought to set off an alarm across the county. Businesses, the educational community, government entities at every level should consider what they can do to help the campus prosper. The presence of a robust four-year university is essential to the continued economic and cultural development of Ventura County.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Editorial: A county campus in need of students
