Graduate student enrollment at UCs lagging

Monday, February 22, 1999

Graduate student enrollment at UCs lagging

MEETING: Improvements in attendance depend on considerate state
budgets

By Dennis Lim

Daily Bruin Contributor

SAN FRANCISCO — There are too many undergraduates and not
enough graduate students at University of California schools,
according to a report released at the UC Board of Regents meeting
on Feb. 18.

The report, presented by UC Provost Judd King, and UC Assistant
Vice President of Planning and Analysis Sandra Smith, revealed the
number of graduate students at UC schools has stagnated over the
past 30 years.

Compared to other states, California ranks in the lower third of
all states in terms of graduate students per state resident,
according to King and Smith.

Moreover, California is one of only five states to report a
decline in graduate enrollment over the last decade, the report
stated.

These facts have many regents worried.

"This is shocking," said Regent John Davies. "It’s like coming
home and finding your washing machine broken and the roof leaking.
To find graduate enrollment declining and undergraduate enrollment
exploding at the same time is just shocking."

King and Smith blame the enrollment decline on budget
failures.

"Numbers of graduate students are determined each year in budget
negotiations, and for the past three decades, the state has funded
other priorities," the report said.

From 1968 to 1998, UC graduate enrollment held steady at roughly
20,000 students, while undergraduate enrollment jumped from about
60,000 to over 120,000.

To increase graduate enrollment, King and Smith suggest
regularly reviewing graduate programs, increasing graduate
diversity, decreasing the time needed to complete graduate programs
and releasing complete information on employment opportunities for
such students.

State Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa promised to help by
making graduate schools a legislative priority in the coming
year.

"This is an unacceptable situation," Villaraigosa said.
"Graduate enrollment is crucial for a healthy California economy. I
will make it a point to bring this issue up to legislators to make
them understand the need to invest in graduate education."

Attendants of the meeting claimed they did not know a shortage
in graduate students existed until reading the report.

"I had no idea this situation existed, but it is incredibly
important we sunshine this issue as much as possible," said Regent
Delaine Easton, state superintendent of public instruction.

If growth rates continue to follow recent trends, King and Smith
expect graduate enrollment to grow by 7,800 while undergraduate
enrollment would rise by 31,500 between now and 2010.

Despite the decrease in graduate enrollment, graduate programs
at UC schools have experienced success, according to other reports
cited by King and Smith.

A National Research Council study reported eight UC doctoral
programs ranked No. 1 in their respective fields, while more than
one-third of all UC programs evaluated ranked in the top 10.

Easton blamed the decreasing enrollment on the state’s lowered
emphasis on education.

"The budget of California is a statement of values," Easton
said. "When I graduated from high school, we ranked fifth in
per-pupil spending. We’ve dropped as low as 41 since then."

"The legislature used to compose 60 percent of UC’s budget; now,
it’s somewhere around 14 percent," she said. "Just what does this
say about our values?"

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