CURRENT AND RECENT PROJECTS

State Policy

Higher Education Policy

With funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, we are attempting to improve student outcomes in the state by improving state policy. In this project, we are focusing on one specific aspect of state policy: community college finance policy, defined broadly to include policies affecting state appropriations, the distribution of those funds across and within campuses, student fees, and financial aid.

We are participating, along with legislative staff and the Campaign for College Opportunity, in the Changing Direction project sponsored by the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education (WICHE), which is aimed at helping states develop better higher education finance policies.  The project works through state teams, and we serve on the California team.

In a project funded by the Campaign for College Opportunity, we (1) documented how California is “measuring up” compared to a group of seven major states in key areas that signal its level of commitment and success in educating Californians, and (2) provided examples of what these other states are doing to address the educational needs of their states.

Also funded by the Campaign, we propose a framework for understanding the various dimensions of the challenge California is facing to finance its higher education system, and how a combination of state appropriations, student fee revenues and increased efficiencies might offer a solution.

California Master Plan and Governance Issues

With the Center for California Studies at California State University, Sacramento, we sponsored the 14th Annual "Envisioning California" conference entitled: "Envisioning a State of Learning: Moving California's Master Plan for Higher Education into the 21st Century" in September, 2002.  A summary of the conference panels was published as a basis to promote continued discussions of key higher education policy issues.

We have written an article analyzing the durability of the California Master Plan in the face of repeated reexamination and criticism.

Adult Education

We completed a statistical study that compared the funding of adult education in California with several other states.  The study found that the allocation of adult education funding in California is not well correlated with the needs for adult education services across California's counties.  We offer conclusions about both the equity of funding and the scope of adult education services.

Student Financial Aid

We completed a report on issues of expanding access to the Cal Grant entitlement program.

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