SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Steve Fox (D-Palmdale) on Wednesday announced that his Assembly Bill (AB) 736 that may eventually pave the way for a new California State University Campus in the Antelope Valley, was approved by the Assembly Higher Education Committee with a vote of 10-1.
The bill authorizes leaders of the California State University system to study the need for a four-year university in the Antelope Valley.
“Since the year 1990, the population in the Assembly district has increased by 85 percent,” Fox said. “We have more high school graduates than ever, but eight percent fewer college graduates than the rest of the state because students lack access to a university.”
The California State University Antelope Valley bill requires the Chancellor of the CSU system to conduct a feasibility study to determine the necessity for an Antelope Valley campus. The study will include elements such as enrollment projections, regional workforce needs, the potential for job creation in the region, and the effects of a new campus on other local educational institutions.
The study will be funded by nonstate resources.
Although CSU Bakersfield has a campus center in Lancaster co-located at Antelope Valley College, budget cuts have resulted in a reduction in classes and student enrollment.
Meanwhile, the Antelope Valley has a critical shortage of licensed health care workers, engineers, and math and science teachers.
“When students graduate from any university, they generally stay and provide their new skills to that community,” Fox said. “We need this bright new talent. Access to education is our future.”
Assemblymember Steve Fox represents California’s 36th Assembly District, comprised of the communities of Antelope Valley, and includes the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale as well as the Los Angeles County communities of Quartz Hill, Acton, Little Rock, Baker, Lake Los Angeles, and Wrightwood and the Kern County communities of Rosamond, Mojave, Reefer City, North Edwards, Boron, and California City.
For more information on Assembly Bill (AB) 736, visit www.asmdc.org/fox.
(Information via press release from the office of Assemblymember Steve Fox.)
Another QHR says
I like the thought of the cost savings with not having to pay for gas or or room & board for my kids. I hope CSUAV offers all CSU degree plans, even if it requires virtual education. They could locate the new campus in QH, across from the high school-instead of a Wal-Mart.
QHR says
Thumbs up!
NIMBY says
“The study will include elements such as enrollment projections, regional workforce needs, the potential for job creation in the region, and the effects of a new campus on other local educational institutions.”
Unfortunately this will never happen. First “enrollment projections” AVC’s enrollment is declining. Second “regional workforce needs” if we have a shortage of teachers and health care workers why is our unemployment in the double digits? Third “potential for job creation” How we gonna pay for more teachers? Raise more taxes? And Fourth “effects of a new campus…” Don’t we have a lady on our council that already owns a University? Think she and the rest of the “good ole boys” will approve of this? Don’t think so.
elyse says
If Lancaster doesn’t want it, I am sure Palmdale would be more than happy to build it. It could be built in the Barrel Springs area where the AVC campus was supposed to go. Lancaster would be very, very stupid to turn a Cal State school away, but if they do, who cares? It can go to Palmdale!
RV in Lancaster says
I agree here, When George Runner was the Assembly rep for A.V. he stated in the local newspaper that a university was not needed for the A.V. cuz the so called good old boys were already in work getting their buddies school up and running.
I don’t like Fox but i’m sure glad it’s not Smith in office!Fox does not have to answer to anyone…
Gary says
About time.
I guess it took getting new Democratic blood in this seat to propose such ideas which should have happened long ago.
Michael Rives says
We have CSUN and Cal State Bakersfield right next to us. We have AVC with declining enrollment. We have online education favored by the governor and alot of students. Just expand the facilities at AVC for Cal State Bakersfield. Do we need the state to spend hundreds of millions for a new campus? The winners will be the developers and real estate owners.
Jason says
Cal State BAKERSFIELD Cal State NORTHRIDGE. Those universities were built to provide service to those cities. You are also looking at the impact real Unis being to the region . Look at Merced and how the new UC their literally saved it from becoming a ghost town.
Wow says
CSUN and CSUB might be close to us in Lancaster/Palmdale, but consider all those people in communities like Rosamond, Mojave, Boron, N. Edwards, Cal. City, and Neenach; it would be great for those people to have a university within driving distance.
Claire Rosales says
If you want to know why the attendance rate at AVC is dropping, I’ll give you an honest answer:
1.) All of the serious students in the AV are driving down to College of the Canyons, which is much easier to do now that there is a campus in Canyon Country off of Sierra Highway.
2.) The “go-to- junior college-4-cash” welfare program by the state did nothing but attract thugs to the AV College campus. These people have a habit of signing up for classes, clogging the enrollment process and then dropping out a few weeks into the semester. The serious students who need the classes often find themselves crashing courses or on a waiting list or they just give up and go to College of the Canyons to avoid the hassle and thugs.
3.) The privately-owned trade schools have siphoned off many of the would-be students from AV College by promising them quick programs with certificates.
If Steve Fox wants to do something useful for education in the A.V., he should look into ending the “cash-for-junior college” program, which has pretty much ruined the post-high school education experience in the A.V.
NIMBY says
@Claire…you hit the nail on the head! It took two…TWO years to get my son enrolled at AVC! Every class he wanted were full he even went on a waiting list and couldn’t get in. Someone needs to look into this “welfare” for education. A lot of non-thugs students want an education and this “welfare” for education is a joke!
QHR says
CSAV! That should be good for us!
Wow says
CSUAV – It actually sounds pretty cool.
wow says
Great!
Speaks the truth says
He isn’t speaking on anything that hasn’t been done already. We continue to bring non local universities and they eventually leave our community. We need our own local university not an outsider.
OT says
At least we didn’t have to pay him $100,000 like we did for George Runner almost 15yrs ago to bring us a university. Or was that just to tide Georgie over till his next election?
Hey I know, why not take a trade school and put the word “university” in front of it’s name. Oh wait, our council lady already did that!
You go Steve. I truly wish you luck. Can’t do much worse than what the good old boys have done by us!