By Kim Oberhamer
Staff Writer
California State University Channel Islands opened Aug. 26 as Ventura County’s first public four-year university, beginning what some see as a blessing and others as competition.
CSUCI is a miracle for those who have hoped for a four-year university in Ventura County for more than 30 years. For nearby schools, such as University of California Santa Barbara and possibly even Pepperdine, CSUCI may be a threat to meeting new student admission’s goals.
“Our enrollment continues to be very strong in Seaver,” said Dr. Norman Fischer, Pepperdine’s associate vice president of Planning and Assessment. “This fall Channel Islands has not impacted us at all.”
CSUCI has the potential to affect Pepperdine’s future enrollment, though. They have several advantages that are appealing for many students. For the 2002-2003 academic year, tuition for full-time students at CSUCI is $1,428 compared to Pepperdine’s $26,280. When adding in the price of books, meals, transportation and on-campus housing, CSUCI is still less than half of what Pepperdine charges for only classes. CSUCI charges $9,844, a significant difference from Pepperdine’s $35,810.
Pepperdine’s high tuition costs force many students to take out loans. According to U.S. News & World Report’s 2003 edition of America’s best colleges, Pepperdine University was ranked the no.1 doctoral school out of 249 for graduates who carried the heaviest debt in 2001.
Cost can be a major factor for students deciding which school to go to, but for others it is not an issue at all. “If you can afford to go to Pepperdine,” CSUCI student Adam Hoganson said, “why would you go here?”
There are several reasons, besides cost, that students may want to attend CSUCI. It has approximately 1, 320 full-time transfer students right now, but is accepting a new freshman class in the fall of 2003. When the first four-year class graduates, total enrollment is projected to be more than 4,000. At its full capacity, targeted for 2025, CSUCI will serve more than 15,000 full-time equivalent students, many of who will be the first in their families to attend a university.
SCUSCI will start athletics based on what students want and what the school is capable of. They hope that athletics will help increase housing, which is due to open in 2004. CSUCI Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Gregory Sawyer predicts that they will be division two in athletics.
CSUCI’s largest majors are liberal arts and business, but the most popular right now is the graphic arts program. With the $20,000 California boating grant CSUCI received, they plan on partnering with Ventura County for an aquatic center at Channel Islands Harbor. The aquatic programs are estimated to launch in 2004 and will include sailing, kayaking and rowing in addition to campus athletics and recreation programs. The Channel Islands Harbor Boating and Instruction Safety Center will include fully equipped classrooms for off-site community and professional education classes.
Location is another major plus. CSUCI is located in the hills of Camarillo, midway between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, only minutes from miles of beautiful natural coastline.
“It’s the only four-year university in my area code,” Hoganson said. “It’s more convenient than having to drive to Northridge.”
Until this year, Northridge and UC Santa Barbara were the nearest state-supported four-year universities to Ventura County.
CSUCI is a California State University, a distinct advantage compared to the nearby University of California schools. CSU schools give more access and opportunity for higher education, whereas UC school admissions academic standards are higher.
“In five years this place will be absolutely amazing,” Sawyer said. “This campus has so much potential.”
Cal State Channel Islands’ opportunity as a brand new institution of higher learning is alluring to many. Students and faculty will have the opportunity to establish university traditions that will become part of their legacy. They will also play a major role in shaping the character and identity of the university.
The actual grounds of the campus have potential, too, with almost 700 acres of land. The site is the home of the former Camarillo State Hospital. While the insides of the buildings are being remodeled for students and faculty, the 1930s Spanish-style architecture remains as a historic site.
With bars still covering some of the windows in unused buildings, one might wonder about the school.
“It was weird at first (to think CSUCI used to be a mental hospital),” Hogan said, “but it’s kind of cool actually having that kind of history here.”
Randel Bunuelos, now the assistant director of Facilities at CSUCI, used to work at Camarillo State Hospital.
“It was a place of education back then,” he said, “it is just at a higher level now.”
Bunuelos also pointed out that they would not be able to afford the school if they were building from scratch. Unlike Pepperdine, which receives grants and contributions from donors, Cal State Channel Islands’ main contribution comes from the state. They collected $29 million this year and will continue to get funds from the state if they meet the quota of students that the state demands.
November 07, 2002