By Higher education, increased enrollment and faculty housing were topics of discussion Thursday as Cal State Long Beach President F. King Alexander was a guest on the talk show “Straight Talk with Art Levine.”
Alexander stressed the importance of education, saying, “Knowledge creates societal wealth.” Alexander, who obtained a Ph.D. in higher education and has spent 10 years teaching higher education policy and issues, said natural resources are located in the minds of children and students.
Alexander discussed the popularity of the CSULB campus and its enrollment issues, as there were 61,000 applicants with 7,500 students admitted this past year.
“The number of applicants is indicative of the attraction of the campus,” Alexander said.
Alexander also said he does not want CSULB to be a commuter campus.
“We are working to decommuterize the campus,” Alexander said. “We want to come to live and grow together.” He said the university is working to make the campus more appealing and wants students to enjoy coming to school and become involved in campus life.
“This is a big city, but a small town,” Alexander said. He said he wants students to be proud of the campus, and that he is actively making improvements to enhance students’ college experience.
Additionally, Alexander discussed the importance of the faculty, even while California campuses continue to have problems attracting faculty because of the high price of living.
“We want to explore opportunities to where our faculty lives,” Alexander said.
“Straight Talk with Art Levine” is a weekly half-hour talk show that airs in Long Beach and 34 surrounding cities. Levine is a professor of ethics and legal studies at CSULB and, according to the show’s Web site, StraightTalkTV.com, the show is in its 12th year of production.
Vic Cegles, director of athletics, and Dan Monson, head coach for men’s basketball, will be appearing during the weeks of May 14 and 21. For more information, visit to StraightTalkTV.com.
Krystle Ralston contributed to this report.
