By David Bradfield & Kevin Wehr
Recently, the State Legislature passed, and the Governor signed, a budget that recognizes the need for a public university system that is an accessible, affordable avenue for millions of Californians seeking the path to prosperity and a better life. This budget stops the cycle of decreased funding for public higher education and freezes what has become an annual rite of tuition increases.
However, there is a gaping loophole to the tuition freeze within the California State University (CSU) system, which operates on minimal oversight and accountability.
Within this “People’s University” lies a separate and unequal educational model called “Extended Education.” Originally developed as a “self-support” extension of the public university designed to offer non-traditional adult students the chance to take college courses, Extended Education has grown and morphed into an enormous program that offers almost 150 degrees to over 250,000 students.