As a proud alumna of California State University, Fullerton, I’m never at a loss for reasons to boast about my alma mater and the important role it plays in the life of Orange County.
Each time I witness a theatrical performance or see a video produced by one of the dozens of talented animators who owe their training to Cal State Fullerton, it reminds me that the university is a critical supplier of job-ready graduates in film, television, entertainment and tourism. These industries are central to Southern California’s economy.
In this industry sector alone:
• The CSUF art department has teamed with Walt Disney Co. and Warner Bros Entertainment Inc. to offer a highly regarded program in entertainment art/animation.
• Many theater and dance graduates go on to careers in television, film and theater.
• The Mihaylo College of Business and Economics has the only undergraduate program in California that focuses on the business and management side of entertainment and tourism.
With more than 200,000 graduates to CSUF’s credit, the school has earned a reputation for producing fresh, work-ready talent that is a mainstay of Southern California’s skilled workforce.
The same is true in other industries as well.
Last year, the university launched an ambitious program to train stem cell research technicians. The first of its kind in the entire California State system, the program pairs students with internship mentors at University of California, Irvine, University of California, Riverside, University of Southern California and Children’s Hospital of Orange County. It is another example of the university’s continuing leadership in preparing educated workers upon which California’s future depends.
These are just two industries. The fact is that CSUF adds another 8,000 graduates annually to the educated, diverse work force OC requires to thrive.
A study by Virginia’s ICF International Inc. establishes that the economic impact of those numbers is substantial. More than $3 billion of the earnings of CSUF alums are attributable to their degrees, according to the ICF study. This creates an additional $5 billion of industry activity throughout the OC and nearby areas, supporting more than 8,700 jobs and $60 million in local tax revenue.
The single most important element in California’s economic success is the presence of large numbers of educated workers who are capable of fostering the innovation and entrepreneurship of the 21st century.
California’s workers didn’t educate themselves. Fifty years ago, the state made a historic investment in its colleges and universities by adopting California’s Master Plan for Higher Education, a visionary pledge to make a quality college education available and affordable to all who qualified.
In the half-century that has passed since the state’s action, the Cal State system has become the largest provider of graduates, awarding nearly half of all bachelor’s degrees and one-third of all master’s degrees in California, and graduating 92,000 students annually. Along the way, CSUF grew from an initial graduating class of five to this year’s class of 8,000.
Yet, even as we recognize the benefits of CSUF’s substantial economic impact in OC and beyond, everything hangs in the balance.
Already the Sacramento-based Public Policy Institute of California is projecting a state deficit of 1 million fewer college graduates than it needs by 2025—unless enrollment and graduation rates increase significantly.
If we want to continue reaping the dividends of a growing economy and ensure a more prosperous future for our children and grandchildren, then it’s time for Californians to reinvest in public higher education.
To ensure the work force of tomorrow, invest in public higher education today.
Feliciani is president of Orange-based technology consultant AEF Systems Consulting Inc. and chairs CSUF’s Philanthropic Foundation board.
