CHANNEL ISLANDS CAMPUS DROPPING 4 OF 6 NEW PROGRAMS; COST-CUTTING MEASURE NOT EXPECTED TO AFFECT FALL ENROLLMENT.

Byline: David Greenberg Daily News Staff Writer

A funding shortage has cut four of six new academic programs planned for the new Channel Islands campus this fall, but California State University officials believe student enrollment will not be deflated by the scaled-back offerings.

Students interested in art, computer, biology and Spanish-language programs will have to take them at California State University, Northridge, for at least the next three years as the new Camarillo campus prepares to become a full-fledged university.

``It just means people will have to wait a little longer,'' said Barbara Thorpe, the university's associate academic vice president. ``To expect an instant university the day it opens its doors would be unrealistic.''

The cuts come as trustees this week are to consider pushing forward the opening date of the system's newest campus by two years, to 2002, in part because of the strong economy that could help propel the school's opening.

CSUN's satellite campus has been preparing for the move from Ventura to the former Camarillo State Hospital, with 1,800 to 1,900 full- and part-time students expected to be enrolled this fall.

However, with $5.2 million to operate the campus this fall - including $1.5 million for faculty salaries - four of the six new programs have been postponed.

Officials said the cutbacks came after campus planners looked at the funding allotted from the state, compared it to the programs being proposed and realized there wasn't enough funding to start all the new programs.

Those placed on the back burner were the more extensive programs that require costly laboratories or technicians, leaving only communications and political science as the new offerings among the new school's 22 programs comprising 196 classes this fall.

``We're going to wait until we get settled before looking at academic program expansion,'' said Stephen Lefevre, director of the Ventura campus. ``The funding level and the budgeted number of students that we can enroll doesn't allow for the addition of those programs now.''

The full- and part-time students enrolling for this fall will still see more courses and more programs from which to choose than the 20 programs with 180 classes that had been offered at the Ventura campus.

Thorpe said she does not believe students will be dissuaded from enrolling in the university, simply because they would have to travel to CSUN for the programs that were postponed at Channel Islands.

Officials were also confident future funding for the school, from the state and other sources, would enable it put in place the range of courses and programs it hopes to offer.

The core academic agenda this fall will center around biology, business, education, health and computer sciences, liberal studies and child development - all areas now offered at CSUN's main campus.

Thorpe said that while the Channel Islands campus has been leasing on-site space to biotechnology-technology businesses, students will have to wait until at least fall 2002 before they can begin taking biotechnology-tech classes there.

``That doesn't mean (businesses) are an educational institution,'' Thorpe said. ``We still have to develop the curriculum.''

Future expansion will center on creating programs that allow graduating students to enter the area's business, community development and public service sectors.

``We're going to very carefully and conscientiously build a liberal arts and sciences base,'' said Thorpe. ``From there we will build our degree programs. When you're starting, you don't have everything available for everyone's needs.''