By The Runner Staff

For many students, faculty and staff, the beginning of Spring quarter signals the final 10-week stretch of classes separating them from summer vacation and, in the case of some students, graduation. Spring is also a pivotal period for administrators and members of student government. This season is both a time for said parties to accomplish any remaining institutional, academic and social goals and an opportunity to look ahead and prepare for future challenges. In similar fashion, we too are looking ahead to the next series of questions CSU Bakersfield must answer.

Here are the Runner staff’s five issues to watch for this quarter.

1: Responses to California’s worsening drought

After having experienced the driest winter on record – a period of time that exceeds over 120 years – Governor Jerry Brown, CSU Chancellor Timothy White, state officials and major media outlets are urging Californians to preserve as much water as possible. To assist in water preservation efforts, CSUB and the CSU system are attempting to reduce campus water consumption by 20 percent by 2020.

However, given the worsening water crisis, we must ask: Is a 20 percent reduction for a deadline five years away enough? What additional measures are CSUB taking or investigating to further reduce campus water usage now? Does the university have plans to slash consumption beyond the mandated 20 percent limit? Are any resources being dedicated to removing water-inefficient vegetation in favor of arid landscaping?

2: The quarter-to-semester transition

While news regarding CSUB’s transition to a semester system in Fall 2016 has been reported, there are still a number of key questions that are as of now unanswered. What will happen to students caught in the institutional shift? Will students still receive credit for classes completed prior to the shift, or will students be forced to retake classes? How will the shift affect the availability of courses? Will the transition have a positive or negative effect on graduation rates?

3: Graduation

Last year, CSUB implemented electronic ticketing and featured two more name speakers for the commencement ceremony. While the length of the ceremonies decreased in response to the latter change, many students still complained about sitting in the heat of the Amphitheatre. This leads to the following questions: What further changes are being considered for the graduation ceremonies? Has the university investigated dividing larger graduation ceremonies into smaller events to allow for use of the Icardo Center?

4: ASI Elections

As the terms of the current student-officials draw to a close and elections for next year’s office draw nearer, we must ask: Who are the individuals interested in student government? What are their qualifications? What are their goals for the university, and how will they improve the experience of students on campus?

5: Student and classroom capacity

Each year, CSUB breaks a new school record regarding freshman attending the university, and, as a result, boasts a record number of students attending class on campus. While a growing student body can result in greater participation and creation of clubs on campus, and thus, a more vibrant student experience, more students on campus means greater competition for class sections and parking spaces on campus. As the student body continues to grow in the short- and long-term, will CSUB’s facilities be able to maintain pace with its growth in students? Will more class sections be offered for students who are unable to enroll in already existing classes, or will more students be forced to wait-list classes? The Runner editorial board consists of Josh Bennett, Robin Gracia, Steven Barker, Michael Wafford, Heather Hoelscher, Esteban Ramirez and Richard Garibay.