San Jose State University is once again shrinking the size of its freshman class — accepting all qualified students from Santa Clara County but limiting entry by nonresidents, and toughening standards for the most popular majors, such as engineering, business and nursing.
With less state money to support teaching, 2,500 fewer student slots will be available at SJSU next fall; last year, the school cut 3,000 slots. No transfers were allowed to arrive this spring.
"We're downsizing," said SJSU President Jon Whitmore, "so if there is a smaller group of students and a smaller group of employees, we are still providing a quality education."
The SJSU cutbacks are part of a significant reduction within the entire California State University system. At a Tuesday news conference, CSU Chancellor Charles Reed said the system will offer 40,000 fewer seats for the 2010-11 academic year, a 7 percent cut.
Meanwhile, applications have surged. The number of applicants to SJSU is 48 percent higher than this time last year. CSU officials report a similar trend. Admissions officers aren't sure whether this reflects increased demand; perhaps more students are applying early because they know they'll be shut out if they miss the once-flexible Nov. 30 deadline.
