Higher Education

Lawsuits and Trump administration policy changes are targeting trans athletes, bans on outing by school staff and health care. Some California policies are in jeopardy.

Faculty representation at Cal State is lagging far behind the growing number of Latino students. That burdens the small circles of Latino faculty who take on more mentorship tasks, many times in non-tenure positions and for lower pay.

In their approach to higher education, Trump and Newsom shared one thing in common this year: reducing funding for colleges and universities. The federal government pulled back research funds while the state, facing a deficit, imposed austerity measures on the UC and Cal State University systems.

California State University last year launched a pilot program to attract more students to the university system and to steer some to campuses that have been struggling with enrollment declines.

Some community college districts in California say enrollment is up by more than 10%, though official numbers have yet to be released. Historically, college enrollment fluctuates depending on the strength of the economy.

The Trump administration is now requiring new H-1B visa applicants to pay $100,000. School districts that depend on hiring foreign workers to fill teacher jobs, especially in special education and bilingual education, say they can’t afford the new fee.

The number of new international students enrolling in college in the U.S. is dropping. Their losses will be felt beyond classrooms, as foreign students in particular drive scientific research and advancement. As the state with the most international students, California will likely feel the biggest impact.

The Trump administration is suing California, asking the state to end its policies allowing students without legal status to access in-state tuition and financial aid. But the administration's legal argument is weak, according to top legal experts.

The model regents approved allows the system to increase undergraduate tuition and systemwide fees by as much as 5% annually, depending on inflation, and locks in that rate for students enrolling that year for up to six years.

The current base pay for Cal State campus presidents ranges from $370,000 to more than $500,000.