The elitist era of higher education in California began in 1960 when Clark Kerr, then president of the University of California, crafted and sold to Californians a master plan for higher education. Over the past three decades, Kerr's plan has worked well in providing California a first-rate public research university and quality professional schools. The master plan has also proved to be badly flawed in terms of organizing undergraduate instruction.

Kerr's plan for undergraduate education specified that only high school seniors who graduate in the upper 12% of their class and complete a specified set of high school courses may attend the University of California. High school seniors who graduate in the upper one-third of their classes may attend a state college, now the California State University system. All others (high school graduates or anyone over the age of 18 "capable of profiting from the instruction") would be allowed to attend the junior colleges, now called community colleges.

What theoretically saved Kerr's elitist plan was the caveat that if a "UC-rejected" student enrolled in a community college and "repaired" any high school deficiencies and then completed 56 units of transferable college work in such required courses as calculus, foreign language, U.S. history, biology and English, with grades of Cs or higher, that student could then transfer to a state university; students who achieved better grades--the stipulated standard was a 2.4 grade-point average--could transfer to UC.

So, how have things evolved? Today, one of the proudest achievements of this state is the research record of the University of California. The state universities and community colleges also have emerged as strong and supportive partners. The problem rests with undergraduate instruction and the University of California.

UC, having accepted only the "brightest and best" high school graduates, organizes them into huge classes (200 to 1,500 students), sends in graduate assistants to teach and then graduates only 54% of these students five years later. Remember, these are California's best high school graduates.

The university meanwhile uses general student funds to underwrite the university's real priority, research. The UC system is well-rewarded for agreeing to instruct the best school achievers. UC schools steadfastly refuse to disclose the cost of educating their students, but state records indicate that they receive more than $11,000 per undergraduate and graduate student. In contrast, the community colleges are allocated $2,800 per student.