Californians can earn college degrees or certificates or get job-related training at a variety of institutions both public and private, throughout the state. The variety of institutions, programs, degrees and other educational choices is wide. This Guide will help individuals identify options that suit their needs. This guide is divided into three…

The public higher education systems have received significant budget cuts in the 2009-10 fiscal year, with the University of California (UC) receiving $813 million less than in 2007-08, California State University (CSU) receiving $625 million less, and the community college system receiving $812 million less. It is important to understand the…

Part of any effort made by the California Postsecondary Education Commission to better understand the nexus between postsecondary education and the workforce is learning more about emerging economic and workforce trends. The emergence of the "green economy"-- economic activity based on environmentally-friendly, sustainable principles and…

The invention of Hispanic-serving Institutions (HSIs) in the 1980s was grounded in the theory that institutions enrolling a large concentration of Latino students would adapt their institutional practices to serve these students better. Specifically, critical mass theory suggests once a definable group reaches a certain size within an…

This paper looks at the 1992-3 compensation controversy at the University of California in light of the factors that shaped the board's policy response to the controversy, the Principles for Review of Executive Compensation. It discusses the events of 1992-3 in the context of the public and political debate over the appropriate model for executive…

The Commission has expressed concerns about the preparation of University of California and California State University executive compensation and faculty salary studies. In response to the Commission's direction, a Compensation Study Advisory Committee was convened to explore the utility of salary and compensation studies and suggest…

This survey was conducted with funding from The James Irvine Foundation. Its goal is to inform state policymakers, encourage discussion, and raise public awareness about Californians' opinions on issues affecting the state's public colleges and universities. It is the fifth annual PPIC (Public Policy Institute of California) Statewide Survey on…

In this fifth brief in "Excelencia" in Education's series on Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) the focus is on the methods and strategies that are producing successful results in a growing sector of colleges and universities we call, "Emerging" Hispanic-Serving Institutions. These Emerging HSIs are institutions that…

Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) in April 2009. Using a comprehensive longitudinal data set as an example, poses questions and raises issues around defining a high school curriculum that is related to indicators of college success.

This annual report provides a summary of program planning and review activities conducted by the Commission during the 2006-2007 academic year. During this reporting period, Commission staff: (1) Conducted an extensive review of a University of California (UC) law school proposal; (2) Reviewed seven California State University (CSU) proposals for…

This is the first in a series of MPR Research Briefs published on the outcomes and experiences of California community college students. California Community Colleges (CCC) enroll roughly two-thirds of all California college students and nearly one-fourth of all community college students in the nation. Their low fees and open-admission policies…

In March 2008, the California Postsecondary Education Commission raised the concern that the needs of students with disabilities, and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) students have not been sufficiently addressed. While facing different issues, these groups constitute sizable proportions of the general population and of postsecondary…

This edition of the PPIC (Public Policy Institute of California) Statewide Survey is the fourth in a series of surveys funded by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation focusing on higher education. This survey seeks to inform state policymakers, encourage discussion, and raise public awareness about the state's public higher education…

The California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC) is pleased to present "Ready or Not, Here They Come: The Complete Series of Undergraduate Enrollment Demand and Capacity Projections. 2009-2019." This series updates their statewide enrollment demand and institutional capacity reports published in 1995, 2000, and 2004. The findings…

This chapter chronicles the emergence of a research university, beginning when the university was just a twinkle in some eyes and noting the obstacles that had to be surmounted to arrive at opening day. After outlining the complexities that faced administrators in building a new research university, the author focuses on the political and…