College Beat

Tomás Morales wears academic regalia and stands on stage with his hands clasped, with a California State University, San Bernardino seal displayed in the background.

Cal State gives $340K job to ex-president who stepped down after discrimination lawsuit

The Cal State chancellor has announced a new consultant role for the outgoing president of Cal State San Bernardino, Tomás Morales, who stepped down after he was sued for discrimination and harassment. Cal State settled his case as part of a $12 million settlement. For the next year, he will consult on international education programs, earning $343,920.

By Phoebe Huss

A portrait of Tomás Morales wearing a dark suit, striped tie and lapel pin is displayed on a light textured background with graphic accents.

Cal State president at center of $12M discrimination suit is up for transition job

The California State University system agreed to pay $12 million settling a lawsuit in which two female employees at Cal State San Bernardino said they were harassed and discriminated against based on their gender by the university president and a former dean. The Cal State Board of Trustees will discuss the outgoing president’s transition plan at its meeting Wednesday.

By Phoebe Huss

A University of California campus police officer pushes a pro-Palestinian protester away from a moving San Diego Sheriff's bus with arrested protesters onboard at UC San Diego in San Diego on May 6, 2024. Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters

California colleges reveal their military weapons stockpile after CalMatters investigation

According to state law, campus police can own military weapons to uphold safety as long as they report it to the public. However, not every college follows every part of the law, according to an investigation by CalMatters into all 148 public colleges and universities in California.

By Phoebe Huss

A line of police officers wearing helmets and face shields stands together on a street, with one officer giving directions to the group.

How student journalists can report on the military weapons on your campus

The College Journalism Network at CalMatters investigated how public campuses throughout California were complying with a state law that requires transparency about military equipment. This guide is for student journalists to investigate their own campuses.

By Phoebe Huss

The UCLA campus in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2022. Photo by Raquel Natalicchio for CalMatters

College Beat

Abortion pills will soon be available on California campuses

University of California and Cal State campuses will all start providing medication abortion beginning Jan. 1 under a new state law. In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade, opening up abortion appointments on university campuses could ease pressure on local clinics, which will likely see an influx of out-of-state patients.

By Mallika Seshadri • July 13, 2022

Yessenia Cervantes, 34, holds her youngest daughter, Issabella Cervantes, at California Citrus State Historic Park in Riverside on June 17, 2022. “I can’t forget that I’m a mom before anything else,” Cervantes, who recently graduated with an associate’s degree from Riverside City College, said. “I know that I’m working towards something bigger—for my children’s future.” Photo by Pablo Unzueta for CalMatters

College Beat

For student parents, graduating in the midst of a pandemic means beating the odds

More than half of parenting college students drop out before attaining a degree. For these families, graduating during a pandemic was a special victory. Their experiences shed light on how California could better support the growing ranks of student parents.

By Emily Margaretten, Matthew Reagan and Oden Taylor • June 22, 2022

Yvonne Vigil-Calderon, a student at Touro University California in Vallejo, has dealt with burnout throughout the pandemic. She is photographed on campus on May 25, 2022.

College Beat

California’s health care workers are burning out. These universities want to help.

Samuel Merritt University and Touro University California's new anti-burnout programs are part of a federally funded effort to improve retention in a health care industry rocked by the pandemic.

By JoliAmour DuBose-Morris and Colleen Murphy • June 10, 2022

Round Valley Indian Tribal Council President James Russ (center) participates in a UC Hastings Board of Directors meeting about changing the name of the college on Friday, June 3, 2022, in San Francisco. Photo by Samantha Laurey for CalMatters

Higher Education

UC Hastings law school, tribal leaders discuss reparations

Debate continued last week over a new name for UC Hastings law school after revelations that its founder participated in massacres of Native Americans. Tribal leaders say legislation requiring that the school make reparations for the atrocities offers an opportunity for their history to be recognized.

By Sindhu Ananthavel • June 8, 2022

Members of law enforcement close the entrance of Palo Alto High School after it went into lockdown due to a phone threat in 2017. LiPo Ching/Bay Area News Group

College Beat

Private colleges want more power to police trespassers. Here’s what you need to know.

Private colleges want to change rules for how police respond to trespassing on campus. Students worry the proposal could lead to racial profiling.

By Elina Lingappa • May 31, 2022

The pandemic taught Omar Zintan Mwinila-Yuori, a senior at Pomona College in Claremont, the value of friendships.

College Beat

California’s new grads share lessons learned from college in a pandemic

Eight months into my first year at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, in May 2021, I visited the university campus for the first time. Because of the pandemic, I was taking class virtually from 200 miles away, and repeated COVID-19 spikes pushed a campus visit down on my list of priorities. Seeing San Luis Obispo […]

By Carolyn Kuimelis, Elina Lingappa, Itzel Luna, Emily Margaretten and Omar Rashad • May 19, 2022

Nursing student Esther Ugwuezumba poses on El Camino City College campus in Torrance on May 15, 2022. Ugwuezumba's application for AB 540 was denied and is now required to pay out-of-state tuition costs. Photo by Benjamin Hanson for CalMatters

College Beat

In California for years, but still can’t qualify for in-state tuition

California exempts many undocumented students from paying non-resident tuition at the state’s public colleges and universities. But gaps in the law mean that some undocumented students and visa holders still don’t get exemptions — even if they’ve lived in the state for more than a decade. Two bills pending in the state Legislature would make it easier to qualify.

By Zaeem Shaikh • May 18, 2022

The location of a proposed UC Santa Cruz student housing project. Photo by Ryan Loyola for CalMatters

College Beat

Students lobby for bill to ease university housing crunch — but would it work?

Student activists say SB 886 would fast-track campus housing projects, which can get tangled in lawsuits. But critics say the bill doesn't solve the core problem: a lack of funding for affordable student housing.

By Ryan Loyola • May 13, 2022

MW Kaplan on campus at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo on April 25, 2022. Photo by Shae Ashamalla for CalMatters

College Beat

‘If I get something from you I could die’: Some immunocompromised Cal State students worry as COVID safeguards loosen

They can’t afford to take off their masks: Immunocompromised students and campus staff are highly susceptible to COVID-19, and with mask mandates dropping, some believe their schools don’t value their safety.

By Julian Mendoza • May 6, 2022

Jesse Driskill is photographed outside his home in San Francisco on Apr. 7, 2022. Driskill left City College of San Francisco and is now attending a for-profit coding academy. Photo by Martin do Nascimento, CalMatters

College Beat

Who’s missing from California’s community colleges?

California’s community college enrollment plummeted during the pandemic. Here are the stories of some of the students who left.

By Emily Forschen, Emily Margaretten, Oden Taylor and Emma Hall • April 29, 2022

College Beat

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