Year-round school is beneficial

Your November 22 editorial page was both pleasing and disappointing. Thank you for running Cal State University Chancellor Charles B. Reed's op-ed on celebrating the holidays responsibly. Alcohol abuse is an issue he takes very seriously.

However, your editorial on the CSU's move to year-round operations was disappointing. People are often wary of change, so it is not surprising that there are some who are skeptical of year-round operations.

However, the state has been quite supportive. The CSU received $2.2 million last year to study implementing year-round operations.

This year, the CSU received nearly $20 million to reduce summer fees to summer and spring levels. Next year summer funding will become part of the CSU's regular enrollment funding request, which includes the cost of instruction.

Further, no faculty will be forced to teach in the summer, though some may prefer to teach in the summer and take time off in the fall or spring.

Finally, a recent survey showed that more than half of CSU students (54 percent) would enroll in summer courses.

For a long time, the CSU has known about Tidal Wave II, which refers to the system-wide addition of 130,000 students over the next ten years. Now it is here.

The CSU has planned appropriately and to accommodate all qualified students we must begin implementing those strategies.

– Ken Swisher
Media Relations Manager
California State University