California schools ask for more funding while Master Plan for Higher Education sees 50th anniversary
By Marcus Torrey
Jan. 4, 2010 9:44 p.m.
The new decade marks the 50th anniversary of the state’s Master Plan for Higher Education.
Created in 1960, the Master Plan laid out a strategy in which high-quality education would be widely accessible to the students of California.
While the full Master Plan was never fully made into law, the proposed plan was agreed upon by the state and its public higher education institutions.
An important aspect of the Master Plan was to provide accessible, high-quality education to the students of California, with funding coming from the state.
However, public higher education institutions in California have recently suffered huge losses in state funding.
Testifying on Dec. 7 before a committee that will be reviewing the Master Plan, University of California President Mark Yudof, California State University Chancellor Charles Reed and California Community College Chancellor Jack Scott appealed for more funding.
“Testimony and advocacy helps inform the legislative committee, but any changes to the master plan would come about through legislation,” said Leslie Sepuka, a spokeswoman at the UC Office of the President.
In his testimony, Yudof said more state funding is necessary to maintain public higher education, which is beneficial to all Californians.
“Funding higher education helps maintain excellence, but the university also provides a tremendous service to the state,” Sepuka said.
The UC Commission on the Future is set to provide recommendations to the committee in the spring, Sepuka said.
