Csu

Regarding "Middle Class Feels Strain of Rising Costs of College" (Aug. 11), The Times education writer either chose to ignore or is ignorant of the existence and role of the largest university system in the United States, the California State University. A student from a family that does not qualify for enough financial aid to attend USC or Loyola Marymount (the examples given) is not restricted to a UC or community college, the fall-back positions cited in the story. Within the major circulation area of your newspaper, there are seven CSU campuses offering high-quality undergraduate education at very low cost--less than $1,200 per year in tuition and fees--and within manageable commuting distances for most students who must live at home.

A recent issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education (Oct. 27) included a state-by-state tabulation of the percentage change in higher education funding during the last two years. Thirty six of the 50 states increased funding, and only 13 experienced decreases. Of these 13, most were quite small and only one state had a decrease exceeding 10%. You guessed it--California weighed in with a 25% decrease! It may be difficult to quantify the benefits of a strong system of higher education, but there is little doubt that excellence at our UC, CSU and junior college campuses contributed substantially to California's economic success over the last three decades.

You were right to point out that San Diego State University President Tom Day contradicted himself by postponing the layoffs of full-time faculty members at SDSU (Aug. 13). You were right to question why laying off tenured professors with decades of service to one of CSU's finest was his first rather than last option. You were right to wonder why other CSU campuses laid off none or few when faced with the same budget reductions. You were wrong, however, to argue that, "Despite the pain the campus has been through, there is no evidence his removal is necessary."

Here, at a glance, are highlights of the 1987-88 state budget signed Tuesday by Gov. George Deukmejian: Size--Includes $40.5 billion in state funds. Federal funds bring the total to $55.9 billion. Taxes--Balanced without new taxes. Vetoes--Deukmejian vetoed $662.6 million in state funds and $110.9 million in federal money. Spending limit and rebate--State revenues in 1986-87 were $1.1 billion beyond the spending limit approved by voters in 1979.

In your editorial you suggest that one way to alleviate enrollment pressure on UC is to make "some existing but less-than-spectacular Cal State campuses" more attractive to prospective students. "What," you ask, "could be done to put . . . Humboldt State on the map?" "High quality programs," you say, "could attract some of the bright students now drawn more often to the UC system." Tsk, tsk, tsk! Did you know that freshmen entering Humboldt State have brought with them some of the highest average SAT scores in the 19-campus CSU system?

California State University officials on Friday named the five finalists in the running to become the founding president of their new university in San Marcos. The list included a psychologist, a physicist and a pianist who resigned as the chancellor of a small arts school, effective next month, under pressure from students, faculty and fellow administrators. She is Jane Milley, 48, who had served as an arts adviser to CSU Chancellor W. Ann Reynolds in 1983-84 and since 1984 has been chancellor of the 750-student North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem.