News

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Other measures include AB1345 by Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento, which would ban colleges from setting recruiting quotas or bonuses for their employees; AB1344 by Assemblywoman Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, D-Orinda, which would require out-of-state schools to meet state consumer protections to enroll California students in online programs; and AB1346 by Assemblyman Jose Medina, D-Riverside, which would let students whose private colleges close seek reimbursements for housing, transportation and child care costs from a state fund.

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Wednesday, February 27, 2019

The rise of housing costs for students of CSUSB is one of the factors leading to this high rate of homelessness for students here, commented Madeline Zhuo, an employee at a food pantry, in response to the topics raised by the rally in Sacramento.

On Feb. 20 student leaders, college executives, and legislators rallied at the state capital for financial aid reform to combat food insecurity, lack of shelter, and wellbeing issues that plague California college students.

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Friday, February 8, 2019

An Inland assemblyman wants to revive a bill that would require California high schoolers to take an ethnic studies class in order to graduate.

Former high school teacher Assemblyman Jose Medina, D-Riverside, backed a similar bill last year that ultimately was vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown. With Gov. Gavin Newsom in office, Medina is optimistic the idea will be accepted.

“Knowledge of our history plays a critical role in shaping who we become,” Medina, a Latino, said in a news release. “When I was growing up, the history of those who look like me was not represented in the classroom.

“As a former Ethnic Studies teacher, I saw firsthand how much more engaged my students were when they saw themselves reflected in the coursework.”

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Friday, February 1, 2019

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – California high school students may need to start taking a one semester class in ethnic studies in order to graduate.

Assembly Bill 331, introduced Thursday, would require the students in grades 9-12 to take an ethnic studies course in either social studies or English starting in the 2023-24 school year. The Instructional Quality Commission would develop the course curriculum with input from ethnic studies professors at universities and colleges, along with representatives from local education agencies and teachers with experience or educational backgrounds in studying and teaching ethnic studies. The class could run either one semester or a full school year, depending on what the individual school district decides.

High school students are already required to complete the following in order to get a diploma:

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Thursday, January 10, 2019

Hoping to stave off “a public health crisis” from afflicting the Inland Empire, Riverside’s delegation to Sacramento wants tens of millions of dollars in state funding so UC Riverside’s medical school can double its enrollment.

State Sen. Richard Roth, D-Riverside, announced Wednesday, Jan. 9 his sponsorship of a bill, SB 56, to spend $80 million on “a dedicated facility” for the UCR School of Medicine that would take its enrollment from 250 to 500 students. The bill also seeks $25 million in ongoing state support for an expanded school, an increase from the $15 million it gets now.

A bigger school would bring more doctors to a region with one of the nation’s most severe shortages of primary care physicians, Roth said in a news release.

“Inland Southern California is experiencing a surge in its economy and population as the region veers into a public health crisis,” he said. “If we don’t act now to alleviate this dire need, we will regret it.”

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Thursday, January 3, 2019
As California’s new governor, Gavin Newsom will face a rare and well-timed opportunity to put his mark on the world’s largest higher education system.

Newsom, who is to be inaugurated Jan. 7, starts off with an estimated $14.8 billion state budget surplus and, as a result, high expectations among higher education leaders and experts that he will keep many of his campaign promises. Among those pledges: more money to the state’s university systems to avoid tuition hikes, two years of free community college, financial aid reform and better coordination throughout higher education.

The impact of Newsom’s governorship on higher education could be significant, touching the lives of the 2.5 million students in total enrolled across the 115 community colleges, 23 California State University campuses and the 10 University of California campuses.

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Wednesday, October 17, 2018

State Assemblyman Jose Medina, D-Riverside, who chairs the Assembly’s Committee on Higher Education, said Wednesday in an interview that he is “happy to see the growth and it’s certainly something that Governor Brown and the Legislature have paid much attention to.” And even if the increases are not huge, “at least it’s in the right direction.” Medina noted that graduation rates vary widely among Cal State campuses and that he wants to examine campus numbers when those are released.

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