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UPDATE: SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY CHANGE IN ADMISSIONS POLICY

By Assemblymember Marty Block

In late October, I called a special hearing of the Assembly Select Committee on K-16 Articulation, Access and Affordability that I chair to examine changes to San Diego State University’s (SDSU) freshman admissions process. Distraught parents and students, educators from local community colleges and high schools, and faculty from SDSU expressed their concerns about the recent decision by SDSU President Stephen L. Weber to end the long-standing admissions guarantee for local students who meet California State University eligibility requirements. 

Although invited, neither President Weber nor any of SDSU’s Vice Presidents chose to attend the hearing; however two representatives from SDSU defended the new policy. Dr. Sandra Cook, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Aaron Bruce, Director of Diversity, claimed that the decision was made primarily to accommodate recent budget cuts.

A panel of community college and public school trustees, faculty, and administrators countered that students from other parts of the state pay the same fees as local students. They called the policy change essentially “revenue-neutral” and claimed that the budget cuts were being used as a pretext to change SDSU from an institution that has traditionally served the community to one that serves a more elite clientele. In response to my direct question about who was consulted on this significant policy shift, the SDSU representatives could not name a single community or educational group that was consulted about changes to the freshman admission policy prior to its adoption. 

It was important for me to listen to all sides of this issue, but testimony convinced me that there was no public input prior to President Weber’s decision.

This should have been a transparent, shared process. It was not.

I am particularly concerned that changes to the admissions policy were announced only ten days before the beginning of the fall application period. This lack of notification has left countless students in a potential state of limbo as they complete their requirements for guaranteed admission even though that “guarantee” has now been eliminated.

Students who kept their part of the bargain must not be left without an opportunity for a college education.

Current local applicants played by the rules, followed the advice of their counselors, and met SDSU’s published admission requirements. Now SDSU is changing the rules. That is fundamentally unfair.

The representatives from SDSU were gracious as they listened to countless stories of despair and anger from the community. Their promises to bring the concerns of the community back to President Weber give me hope that SDSU will reconsider its decision and include the public as this policy discussion moves forward. 

I am exploring both short-term and long-term solutions to address this fiasco. For students immediately impacted, I urge SDSU to postpone this policy change for one year—providing an opportunity for further study with community input and giving applicants reasonable warning about the possibility of this drastic change.

I am hopeful that a solution can be reached with SDSU and President Weber. If necessary, I will introduce corrective legislation that will mandate that significant policy decisions made by our public universities, such as limiting educational opportunity for local students, be made in the light of day with public input.

San Diego’s state university must not break its promise to San Diego’s students.