News & Commentary

California Universities Require Nearly $50B in Construction in Next 5 Years – Nonprofit Quarterly

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By Steve Dubb

California universities face potential “construction and renovation expenses approaching $50 billion over the next five years,” reports Mikhail Zinshteyn in EdSource. Zinshteyn notes that this was the conclusion reached by the College Futures Foundation, a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization that promotes greater access to higher education. The foundation released its report, authored by Patrick J. Lenz. From 2008 to 2014, Lenz had served as Vice President of Budget and Capital Resources for the University of California. Previously, Lenz had played similar roles for the state’s community colleges and the California State University system.

The report says that California faces an urgent need to maintain and expand its college campuses to make room for more students and upgrade aging buildings. “We’ve got to find a new way to address the growing student population in higher education in California,” says Lenz.

Read the full story at Nonprofit Quarterly.