Remarks by John Vasconcellos

Kick-off hearing of the Joint Legislative Committee to Update the Master Plan - December 7, 2009

Members of the committee, this is my first time on this side of the table and my first time in a Committee Room since I retired from the Legislature nearly 5 years ago. I come before you to testify because the issue is so crucial to my native state that I have served for so long-30 years in the Assembly, 8 years in the Senate and since then several years in the non-profit world;

I have several brief points on this issue:

First, I subscribe to most of what Chuck Young has shared. Also, the Master Plan includes all three segments, but also the AICCU (Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities), which is a big part of this puzzle and needs to be on your agenda for later today.

The Master Plan was adopted in 1960, I didn't come to the legislature until 1967, so I'm not the father of this effort. But I have been called "the Godfather" or "the Grandfather" of it because I chaired the first two Joint Committee Reviews. The first one I presided over took place in the early 70s, with Pat Callan as my consultant. Pat is now the leader of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. All of that effort that was adopted on a bi-partisan vote into law. Everything we recommended was adopted.

In the late 80s, with Brian Murphy as my consultant, we did a great update on the community college system. We created a report called "California Faces, California's Future" with four faces on the cover: two women, two men; one Asian American, one African American, one Latino, and one Anglo, to the show the future of who was coming. Unfortunately, I was required to give up the report before the recommendations were enacted. That report is still on the shelf, but it is worth your time to look at. Its values are timeless and exquisite. Its writing is elegant, thanks to President Murphy, and yet its recommendations are largely still unattended to.

Senator Dede Alpert chaired the third Master Plan review, from 1999 to 2003. She did a huge effort, including K-12 education and higher education combined. She held hearings, created task forces, created a huge report with policy recommendations, filed it and she was sent home with term limits before being able to act upon them. The way things work in this building is that if the person who developed the work product and has the passion is gone, it sits on a shelf. That report is still on the shelf and also would also be well worth your time to review, as you embark on this process.

In effect, except for the community colleges piece, there has been no update of the Master Plan since 1975. 34 years ago, and the world has changed in every way imaginable in the last 34 years. It is time for this Committee to review it and update it. I agree with many in this room that you don't need to throw it out, but rather update it. I'm not sure if it's a perfect system, but it's a good system, and it has served the State of California very well since its inception.

My third point is that the future of the state of California and its people is dependent upon its education systems. The students who are coming before you today are our future. They are our old age security, they are our kids and grandkids, and they need to be brought into this effort and heard. I hope the members of this committee recognize that this is our best focused opportunity and chance for assuring that California's future is powered by those who are sufficiently and constructively prepared to live and work in the 21st century. Assemblyman Perez had superb language: "The point of education is to liberate the entire human potential of our population so that they can become empowered and self-determining." Please keep that in mind as you proceed through this agenda.

The best summation I have ever heard about California's future challenge is this: "to realize a multi-cultural democracy, with gender equity, in a global economy, in the age of technology." The author of that quotation is President Murphy. If you keep that big picture in mind, then it will help keep us on target.

The next piece of advice that I would give you is to be smart, strategic and focused. The challenge is so huge, and the issues are so big that you can't afford to be as broad as in previous reviews. The Chair has suggested 4 issues, listed on your agenda for today. If this committee can, in its limited time, reach all its potential, we might have to put smaller issues aside to get all segments of California Higher Education on the same side of the table, and to get all of us on the same side of the table.

Overall, make this review and update needs-based. Ask yourselves, "What do we need, in the way of graduates, to realize the state's potential and to remain competitive in the world?" Don't ignore the aspirations of education, but first ground this review in our needs, then help the state renew its promise to everyone. It was honored until this year's budget calamity when 300,000 willing students were turned away from our institutions of higher education. If this trend continues, this is the beginning of the end of our future.

There was a time when we dealt with education where the number of students would drive the dollars, not the dollars driving the students. We always found enough money to ensure universal access. Right now, that's not operational, but keep it in mind that every Californian who wants to be educated should have a place to go that suits his or her capacity, preparedness and talents. Financial aid is a part of that, and last year, Cal Grants were on the table for removal. It's a program that I created, so I have a strong sense of ownership of it. That said, it is a program that millions of Californians have used to go onto college, and even now, a quarter of all students at private institutions use. If that program goes, the state's future is truly in jeopardy.

The distinction of the Master Plan is that California saw the huge numbers of students coming. We were the first entity to offer universal access. We have distinguished ourselves through this universal access and have had the most distinctive economy ever since. We have had the highest levels of college-going rates. But now with China and India graduating three times as many science PhDs as the entire US, we must look again at our access. We must also look at the other dimensions of what a college education has to offer. What is the quality of the educational experience? What do students learn about their potential, about self esteem, about diversity, technology, spirituality, emotional intelligence? There is a lot of human and personal development that occurs with higher education. That too ought to be looked at in some point during these hearings.

The most curious incident that I have heard of recently is that the Texas legislature or system of higher education, has found enough money to employ a team to come recruit our professors at UC. If they can fund raiding our professors, shouldn't we try to fund keeping our professors by paying an adequate competitive salary?

The rest has been covered or will be covered today. I would like to end on a personal note. I have a dear friend, former staffer 35 years ago. He is a retired navy commander. His wife is from Hong Kong. They have two children: Jackie, who's 22, and graduated from UC Santa Cruz, a year and a half ago, can't find a job, and is giving serious consideration to leaving the state. Stephen is a sophomore at Chico State, a leader in his residence hall, and looking to run for student body president. He just took part in a statewide entrepreneurship competition and ended up in the final 8. He is already looking to leave the state because he sees no future here. Those are kids who I love dearly. Yet, I could not say in good conscience, "Stay here."

Your opportunity and your responsibility is to help California own the realities of today and prepare for the hopes and needs of the tomorrow. And you can count on me to help you with whatever you need.

For extended remarks by Senator Vasconcellos on the state of California Higher Education, please visit: http://politicsoftrust.net/founders_view.php