CAL STATE CHANNEL ISLANDS RAISING FUNDS FOR RENOVATIONS.

Byline: David Greenberg Daily News Staff Writer

In the age of declining state revenues for education, California State University, Channel Islands, is working on a public-private partnership to generate roughly $130 million to renovate 1.2 million square feet of building space over seven years.

While the state has allotted $11.3 million to renovate the first 100,000 square feet for 2,000 students who arrive in late August, officials are not banking on public coffers to fund any more construction over the seven-year build-out plan.

``It's a sign of the times,'' said Handel Evans, university president. ``Higher education is state-assisted rather than state-supported. There's been an erosion of public financial support for higher education over the last 10 years. (Fund-raising) is an incredible challenge. But I wish we didn't have to do it.''

Putting current budget woes into perspective, Evans said the state funded 95 percent of the spending plan at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, when he began teaching architecture there in 1967.

Today, the state funds less than 70 percent of its budget, he said.

The task of operating the nonacademic side of Ventura County's first four-year public university is even more daunting because it has yet to build a Rolodex of corporate and private donors to fund capital projects.

``We're new here,'' said Elizabeth Stacey, the campus' director of development and staff assistant to the CSUCI Foundation. ``It takes a long time to build relationships. People need to see the university and what we're doing here to feel involved and connected.''

A major portion of the funding will come from leasing land for $150 million in planned new development over eight years, all of which is separate from the planned renovations.

A 300,000-square-foot research and development center will house satellite offices for biotechnology, software design and environmental science companies, allowing students in those fields to gain real work experience amid their studies.

``Research and development must be tied to the curriculum,'' Evans said.

Campus officials also plan to construct 900 housing units to lease to faculty, staff and married students who otherwise could not afford to live in the Camarillo area.

A small amount of space has also been set aside for retail outlets that will serve the students.

Evans said the projects exemplify the new and innovative ways of raising capital that were of far less concern when he was president of San Jose State University from 1990-95.

``You are held together by tradition and a way of doing things that doesn't give you a lot of opportunity to break out of the mold,'' he said of his old job. ``Universities by their definition are incredibly traditional institutions. Here, we can push the envelope. We can redesign things. My boundaries are much wider.''

Evans said the research center and housing will begin generating revenues within three years, ultimately bringing in millions of dollars a year once fully occupied.

``The important thing is that it will be market-driven,'' he said. ``New construction will begin when we feel we have a critical mass of R & D that we feel should no longer be housed in our existing structures.''

Tenants in existing buildings generate less than $100,000 a year, Evans said.

The university, now an extension of California State University, Northridge, plans to become its own entity in four or five years, when enrollment reaches 3,250 full-time equivalent students, or about 5,000 students overall.

By 2002, the campus will have created 1,000 dormitory rooms from existing space on the 165-acre tract formerly occupied by Camarillo State Hospital.

The Foundation raised $60,000 last fiscal year for necessities such as scholarships, building renovations, landscaping, faculty awards and books.

Within five years, Stacey said she hopes it will generate $2 million to $3 million in annual support, not including special one-time gifts.

The Ventura County Transportation Commission recently appropriated nearly $13 million of its $33 million in local, state and federal funds to be used for highway money to help create a clean-air campus.

The funds will be earmarked for four natural gas buses to transport students onto the campus, at least 20 electric bicycles for transportation around campus, 25 on-site recharging stations, construction of bike lanes on area roads and the widening of Lewis Road.

``That is a very, very positive statement that we want to do whatever is necessary to get students (to school) from anywhere in the county,'' said Supervisor Frank Schillo, also a VCTC member. ``If the county is not supporting the university, they are not going to be able to fulfill their mission.''