Cal State University Online, the state-of-the-art online learning platform currently in development, is being created to provide access to those seeking affordable bachelor and graduate programs. This has caused the California State University system (CSU) to question its current academic system; 17 out of the 23 CSU campuses currently operate under a semester system, six under the quarter system.

Like the majority of CSU campuses, CSU Online is designed to operate under a semester system, and the debate has been turning for some time now over whether the cost of switching to the semester system is worthwhile.

The editors of The Pioneer believe switching to a semester system is not only necessary, but also vital to the future of education in California. CSU Online will play a vital role in ensuring that more students in California attain a higher education. A system-wide change will increase the likelihood that schools like CSUEB will be able to access this platform to expand their education and for teachers to seek further opportunities for employment.

This issue will heavily affect future CSU students, and we must be united in our decision to go forward with a system wide change. Without a conversion, the six schools operating on the quarter system would face the difficulty of trying to work and learn on both formats, or worse of all, not seek the opportunity altogether.

Currently, nascent programs like CSU Online and others, which strive to make higher education accessible, are in dire need of uniformity to ease the multitude of problems that could arise from two vastly different schedules.

Online education has been viewed by the CSU as one of the solutions to a limited access to higher education in California, as the economy continues to worsen and California is failing to produce enough college graduates, according to the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC).

In an article written on March 8 by The Pioneer, “Cal State Online Initiative Should Be Supported,” the “Cal State Online will help ensure a prosperous future for California, and further establish the CSU as a respected and emulated institution of higher education in the world,” but only with a unified front from all CSU campuses.

There are advantages to the semester system for students and teachers.

For students, a semester system allows more time to absorb and understand difficult material, without students having to drop their courses and fall behind.

For teachers, the semester system allows increased time for quality education, meaning teachers would have more time to prepare for new courses as well as review and update their curriculum.

With such a strong potential for student success, the switch to a semester system would only increase university performance. The CSU Online would increase access to not only the CSU system for current and future students, but also give teachers the opportunity to seek job opportunities at other institutions. For professors at CSUEB who wish to teach on the CSU Online, having to work on both a quarter and semester system might impede that opportunity.

The transition, however, would have an associated cost. According to Inside Higher Education, most institutions on average spend between 2 and 4 million dollars on the conversion to the semester system, which translates to roughly $181 per student. While most of the money was used to convert the curriculum, the other was used to advise students and ensure that they weren’t harmed in the transition.

We at The Pioneer believe a switch to a semester system would not only improve students’ academic lives by providing access to another educational platform, but would also improve the uniformity of the university system, regardless of price.