By definition, a university is an institution of higher learning.
Cal State Long Beach might be considered an institution of higher building.
Why not change the name to Cal State Monopoly?
The goal of the game no longer seems to be to improve academic facilities and staffing that students use and need in the here and now. Instead, the object appears to be to collect as many squares as possible and build something on them.
Preferably something big that will never be finished.
The Pyramid rose from the loamy soil a few years back. It is already home to a professional team. It still needs a little work.
The University Student Union $17-million renovation project is being phased in, but as the contractor pulls out, one wonders what little details will remain for another day. The areas that are open are a little rough around the edges.
The university gleefully accepted the old navy housing property last year as the Long Beach Naval Shipyard shut down and moved out. Valued at just over $8-million, the campus now boasts a nice square of property way over on the west side of town. Not across campus. Across town.
Who will pay for maintenance? Remediation? Why does the university need it? Or is the property just a new, fun project for someone? Operations and financial managers will be needed to do whatever it is someone decides to do with the acquisition.
The whole project will look great on someone's resume, but you can bet whoever is hired will not spend one hour in any classroom.
Our campus has enough sprawling, tall pointy edifices. Maybe it's time to rethink where the money is really needed and how to get more educational bang for the buck.
In recent years, revenue from private fund-raisers has been used to pay for additional instructional time at local public schools.
Who says all that discretionary funding floating around the campus' non-profit organizations can't be funneled immediately and directly into university classrooms and instructional activities?
Just imagine how many good professors $17-million could buy.