Year-round for College of Education

By the year 2005, over 250,000 new teachers will be needed in California. In order to meet the requirements of the 21st century, the College of Education is the first school on campus to begin a year-round curriculum.

It's a practice that many administrators feel will catch on and might soon become a way of life for CSUS.

The first year of the pilot program was completed recently, and President Donald Gerth made it retroactive to include the last academic year and summer session. CSU Chancellor Charles Reed contacted Gerth and told him he had 48 hours to get the year-round program together for CSUS. Gerth and the College of Education put together a proposal for year-round education, and Reed approved it.

"We started instantly, almost overnight," said Diane Cordero de Noriega, Dean of the College of Education.

The first programs to use the new format are special education, teacher boot camps, and liberal studies summer classes.

CSUS received over $900,000 in year-round education money and is one of three CSU campuses to receive funding to begin the year-round program.

"I would like to see the whole college of education go year-round," said Cordero de Noriega, who would also like to see more reasonable tuition implemented along with the new schedule.

"I think it would be financially-beneficial for the working student," said Sara Demmel, a junior majoring in liberal studies.

The cost difference from now on will be quite substantial. In previous years, students wanting to take classes during the summer had to enroll through the Regional and Continuing education programs, a choice which often times cost them well over $150 a unit.

In the new system, students will pay fees similar to those of the fall and spring semester and will have a much larger selection of classes to choose from. Those students who attended summer session in 1998 through the College of Education will soon receive refunds on the excess tuition they paid for their summer credential classes.

Many students in other departments are quickly learning the advantages to what the College of Education is doing.

"I think this is a great idea for impacted majors. Now students can actually graduate in four years," said Jason Bryant, a junior in the government department.

CSUS, CSU, Bakersfield and CSU, Monterey Bay are the only schools in California that have been given permission to begin year-round teacher education, a decision that may soon lead to other schools and departments operating on a year-round schedule.

The CSU system asked for $5 million to fund year-round education schooling at the three CSU campuses. The money will go towards campus services not normally provided during the summer, including the library, admissions, and records.