Science Majors Stymied By Cuts At Sac State
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Undergraduates studying for science degrees at Sacramento State are becoming increasingly frustrated with cuts that make it nearly impossible to graduate on schedule.
Degrees in scientific fields have proven to be among the most valuable during the economic downturn, but Jennifer Lundmark, the department chair of Biological Sciences, says things have "gotten extraordinarily bad here" for students.
Students have to fight for space in a dwindling number of classes that are offered less often, with fewer seats available in each session. The school normally hopes for students to graduate on a five year plan, but now it typically takes six years or longer.
"The faculty are really upset about this," Lundmark said. "They are literally putting every body they possibly can into a room."
In Lundmark's department along, a third of the 1,500 students can't even get into introductory classes, she said.
Undergraduate students studying at a California State University are now paying an annual tuition of $5,472, more than three times what CSU students paid a decade ago. That figure does not include room, board or campus fees.
