The number of full-time equivalent students (FTES) in CSUN’s College of Education has fallen short of the annual projections for the 2007-08 academic year, the preliminary draft released by Academic Affairs indicates.

The targeted number of FTES in the Michael D. Eisner College of Education was 2,513, however, the actual number of students enrolled were 2,425.

The FTES numbers fell short in both the previous summer and fall semesters, and barely reached their target this spring semester. The 2007 summer semester’s targeted FTES was set at 590, but the actual number only reached 510.

The 2007 fall semester’s targeted FTES was higher at 2,175 to compensate for a much busier semester, but the actual FTES was only 2,078.

Spring 2008 is the only semester during the academic year to reach the targeted FTES of 2,262.

“Targeted numbers are not always necessarily forecasting what they think will happen. They’re forecasting what they think should happen,” said CSUN English professor Jackie Stallcup, who also admitted that a low FTES count is a concern for any major.

The reason for the College of Education’s low FTES number is likely due to LAUSD’s internship programs where aspiring teachers, educators and child development hopefuls can earn their credentials while accumulating real-life work experience.

Even some students currently enrolled at CSUN consider taking advantage of LAUSD’s intern programs in order to pursue a career in teaching.

“There is a program (at CSUN) where you can work on your undergrad and teaching credentials at the same time in the Liberal Studies department,” said Michael Mendoza, a liberal studies major. “But I know people who dropped out due to the huge workload.”

“The LAUSD program, though, pays for student loans, and you can get your credentials while you intern,” Mendoza said. “Why not take that option?”

Emmanuel Flores and Leslie Suzawa are also students working on their teaching credentials at CSUN. While they weren’t aware of the possibility of earning their credentials through LAUSD, upon hearing about it, both became interested in the concept.

“I didn’t know much about it before, but now I want to find out about it, consider getting into it,” said Flores. “Getting your credentials through LAUSD sounds good.”

Suzawa said she plans to finish up at CSUN, though she did express some regrets.

“I’m almost done. I may as well finish,” Suzawa said. “If I had known earlier (about LAUSD’s programs), things might have been different.”

It isn’t fair to depict the College of Education as a waste of time or money, said Stallcup.

“The benefit here is that you’ve got this very structured environment with professors who have been doing what they are doing for years,” she said when asked why students might choose to pursue their credentials through CSUN rather than through the LAUSD.

“The professors know what they’re doing. They know their stuff in depth,” Stallcup said. “It’s not a matter of you paying for it, and you wasting your money. You are definitely getting your money’s worth.”

With the actual FTES the way it is now, the preliminary draft indicates, the College of Education stands to have the lowest funding ratio of all the departments at CSUN.