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PSU bases admission on a combination of gpa and test scores.  If students cannot meet those minimums, it is unlikely they will be successful at first.  The better option may be for them to take community college classes to make up for the gaps and then transfer into a four-year institution.  Our community colleges do a wonderful job of preparing students for four-year degrees.  Transfer student gpa minimums are typically lower.  At PSU, there is even the option of co-admission to PSU and local area community colleges which saves students money and offers them more choices of classes/schedules. I would love to see less of a relationship between the Oregon universities and tighter relationships between four-year institutions and their local community colleges.  Local agreements would really allow us to prioritize the educational needs of our communities.  PSU's motto is "Let Knowledge Serve the City."  We do not have much in common with UO or OSU and should not be managed in the same manner.

posted 2 years, 4 months ago
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They may be able to voice an opinion about tuition rates, but they do not get to decide where the tuition dollars are spent.  The State can and does take tuition dollars to fund areas other than education.

posted 2 years, 4 months ago
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As a PSU employee, I have heard for years now how our school's budget is only funded about 15% by the State.  If State support has consistently been so low for more than a decade, why are we a state univeristy?  Students paying tuition really do need to understand where their tuition dollars end up and students need to VOTE to make their voices heard.

posted 2 years, 4 months ago
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I think students really need to take professors to task on this issue.  When the professor chooses a required book, s/he should be made to consider the cost as a significant factor.  Students can influence their professors' decisions on textbooks by commenting on class evaluations.  PSU is now offering Print on Demand services.  The idea is that professors will be able to print textbooks tailored to their classes at lower costs.

posted 2 years, 4 months ago
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Students need more help navigating the Univeristy System.  If their parents were fortunate enough to graduate from college, they are more likely to be successful in coming up with a reasonable plan to finish college in 4-5 years.  But what if no one in your family has ever attended college and your high school did not do a good job of preparing you?  When budgets are cut, support staff are the first to go in our public universities.  There are not enough advisors to help students understand their options and make sound academic or financial decisions for college.

posted 2 years, 4 months ago
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