Spring Enrollment Reflects Dwindling State Revenues

Enrollment for the spring semester at Cal State Fullerton is 30,848 – a reduction from the record high of 32,592 reached in the fall.

The new tally reflects the California State University system’s effort to curtail enrollment, due to dwindling state revenues.

“This was not something that we were looking forward to but it was a necessity, in order to preserve the quality of the education we provide while dealing with multiple cuts to our budget, including one as recently as January,” said Ephraim P. Smith, vice president for academic affairs.

“Providing access to a quality education at Cal State Fullerton is always our goal, and the demand to attend Fullerton remains very high. Yet, we are limited because of the current budget situation.”

Despite the overall drop in enrollment, the number of students attending the university’s El Toro Campus rose – to 3,506 this spring, up from 2,940 in fall 2003. Among them are 1,185 students attending courses solely at the shuttered Marine base.

Census figures also indicate that 61 percent of students are enrolled for at least 12 units of course work.“This is a clear indication that a majority of students are making steady progress in their degree programs,” said Smith. “As our current students complete their studies and graduate, we will be able to accept new students.”

The spring full-time-equivalent student (FTES) count is 22,478. One FTE equals 15 units of student course work and is the basis for allocating state funding to the campus.

The enrollment tally was recorded after four weeks of classes – the official census point – by Admissions and Records and the Office of Institutional Research and Analytical Studies.