Higher Education in California: Yesterday and Today

Higher Education in California:

Yesterday and Today

Universidade de São PauloMarch 22, 2013

John Aubrey DouglassSenior Research Fellow

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - BERKELEY

The TourThe Tour

1. California’s Public HE System Today

2. In the Beginning - The California Idea

3. California’s 1960 Master Plan - What it Did

4. Trouble in Paradise - Contemporary Challenges

5. California as a Global Model?

John Aubrey DouglassCenter for Studies in Higher Education - UC Berkeley

California’s Pioneering HE System TodayThe primacy of the public sector

1

California’s Higher Education SystemCalifornia’s Higher Education System

• Tripartite Public System

• University of California

• California State University (CSU)

• California Community Colleges

• Private Independent

• For-Profit Sector


Total HE Enrollment in California =2.8 Million

Total Public HE = 2.4 million (86%)

California’s Higher Education SystemCalifornia’s Higher Education System



California Community Colleges

• Governance: Board of Governors (16 members appointed by Governor)

• 72 local Community College District boards• Open Door: provides access to “all who can benefit

from higher education”• Two-year liberal arts degree (AA)• Primary role in vocational and adult education• 110 campuses• 1.7 million students (72% of Tripartite System total)• Annual total budget: $7.3 billion

- $6.7 billion from state and local government- $.3 billion from Tuition and Fees

California State University

• Governance: Board of Trustees (24 members appointed by Governor)

• Admits from the top 33.3% of high school graduates• Bachelor’s, Master’s, some professional degrees• Primary role in teacher training• Secondary role in research and public service• 23 campuses• 44,000 Faculty and Staff• 433,000 students (19% of Tripartite System total)• Annual total budget: $7.3 billion

- $3.3 billion from state government- $1.5 billion from Tuition and Fees


University of California

Governance: Board of Regents (26 members, 18 app. by Governor)

Admits from the top 12.5% of high school graduates Bachelor’s, Master’s, professional degrees and Ph.D. Primary research and public service role Secondary role in teacher training 10 campuses 226,000 Students (9% of Tripartite System total) Annual total budget: $19.1 billion*

- $2.1 billion from state government- $2.57 billion from Tuition and Fees

* Not including Department of Energy National Laboratories



California Tripartite HE System - 2010

The University of California – Funding Sources and Expenditures


Funding SourcesFunding SourcesExpendituresExpenditures

The University of California


The state now contributes 51% less for student education than it did 20 years ago.


In the Beginning -In the Beginning -The California IdeaThe California Idea

2

The California IdeaThe California Idea

First state to develop a coordinated and coherent approach to comprehensive mass higher education

First state to establish the public junior college and to pioneer the AA degree - 1907

First state to establish formal matriculation agreements between public HE institutions - 1910

University of California is the nation’s first multi-campus system with inclusion of UCLA - 1919

Emergence of tripartite structure - 1920 (not 1960!)



Source: J.A. Douglass, The California Idea and American Higher Education, 2000.

Success of the Transfer FunctionSuccess of the Transfer FunctionBerkeley and UCLA Enrollment: 1930-1960Berkeley and UCLA Enrollment: 1930-1960


Source: J.A. Douglass, The Conditions for Admissions: Access, Equity and the Social Contract of Public Universities, 2007.


California’s 1960 Master PlanCalifornia’s 1960 Master Plan

3

The Heart of the 1960 Master PlanThe Heart of the 1960 Master Plan

1. More important for what it preserved and prevented (a superboard) then what it invented

2. Mission and governance of existing Tripartite System put into one statute

3. Ended often bitter turf fight over the dissertation and research function of CSU - created a treaty

4. Modified admissions and access paths to reduce future costs for the State of California - reducing access to UC and CSU

5. Outlined a plan to complete new campus development

6. Plan a product largely of the HE community, with pressure from lawmakers.


California HE MatriculationCalifornia HE Matriculation



Source: J.A. Douglass, The California Idea and American Higher Education, 2000.


Trouble in Paradise - Trouble in Paradise - Contemporary and Future ChallengesContemporary and Future Challenges

5

Evaluating HE System Success:Conclusions for California

Mixed results with serious decline in the last three decades.

Moderate Access Rates Low Degree Production - Among Bottom Ten States Decline in Transfer Function - when compared to pre-1960 decades Severely Underfinanced Community College system UC good quality in teaching and research – although now under threat

Peak in System might have been 1970 or so in Access and Degree Production (maybe earlier)

California once number one in most categories (e.g., graduation rates) now ranked in bottom ten states.


Rapid decline in the State’s commitment to subsidize public HE in California

In turn, commitment to low fee/tuition system evaporating – learning how to move to a “Progressive Tuition Model.”

Serious challenge to enrollment balance and commitment by HE Segments to admit and serve historical pool – UC, CSU and by default CCC.

Inability to grow the enrollment capacity of public HE in the near and long term – California population continues to grow.

Question: is California existing HE system “Fit for Purpose”?


California HE Today:What Parts of the Master Plan are Dead or Nearly So?

Its About the Money - but not only? Also structure of HE system

K-12 Pipeline: Peak and Valley high school graduation rates

Too Many Part-Time students

Too Many Students in 2-year CCC

= High HE Attrition Rates and Low Degree Production

Population Growth

The Brazilian Effect – For-Profits


Macro Problems


California Tripartite HE System - 2010

Reimagining – 2025?Reimagining – 2025?



California as a Global Model?California as a Global Model?

6

California as an Example

Highly DIFFERENTIATED but also SYMBIOTIC system – historically – with big benefits – historically.

Transfer function helps justify highly selective UC system

But built ORGANICALLY – beginning in the Progressive Era and essentially adding important components (institutions and relationships) over time.

Not an example of reorganization of existing institutions!

Not much innovation going on anymore.


The New Global Models?

National Governments are striving for greater differentiation

But are doing so via often discreet methods e.g., revised funding models and/or building new institutions – FATEC’s in Brazil

Movement to Pan-Regional Relationships and best practices.

Europe as the new Model?

Lack of Higher Education Leadership


Higher Education in California: Yesterday and Today

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