Top Takeaways Cal State trustees agreed to sponsor legislation at a Jan. 27 and 28 board meeting. CSU is also eyeing several bond measures to fund infrastructure and housing. Some trustees pressed for a bolder and broader legislative agenda. California State University leaders have endorsed a suite of legislative proposals aimed at funneling new nurses into high-need areas of the state, reengaging students who started but never completed college and responding to threats of violence targeting CSU campuses. Trustees voted to approve those priorities at a Board of Trustees meeting last week. They also urged support for a statewide bond measure that would raise money for higher education facilities and affordable housing for students and employees. The slate of new priorities in Sacramento comes on the heels of recent legislative wins for Cal State, including a law expanding direct admissions in California. The university system’s leaders also breathed a sigh of relief this fall as Gov. Gavin Newsom again vetoed a bill that would have allowed 10 community college districts to offer bachelor’s degrees in nursing, something CSU has repeatedly opposed because of duplication concerns. Those legislative victories notwithstanding, lawmakers have already rebooted a community college bachelor’s degree proposal and Cal State officials said they anticipate several other measures they’ve previously opposed could return to the legislature this session, including efforts to increase auditing and financial reporting requirements. In addition to those potential challenges, the Jan. 27 presentation also prompted some trustees to call for CSU to back a bolder…
