CSU Board approves budget

By Phil Witte
Daily Forty-Niner

The California State University system Board of Trustees approved the state appropriation increase for the 2001-2002 school year, which, at $380.9 million, represents an 11.7 percent increase over the current year.

The figure, approved Oct. 1, includes $354.4 million from the General Fund and $26.5 million in State Fee Revenue increases from new and year round operation growth.

"The CSU budget request focuses on four key areas ­ ensuring student access at a time of rapidly increasing enrollment; maintaining a high-quality education in part through recruiting and retaining the best quality and staff; improving student academic preparation through K-12 collaborations; and contributing to California's economy by investing in key academic programs," said CSU Chancellor Charles Reed in a statement.

"This budget approval has no immediate impact on Cal State Long Beach, but we are concerned with overall enrollment funding and continued support of technology programs, which can be expensive and are not permanently funded in the budget," said Armando Contreras, executive assistant to CSULB President Robert Maxson.

Contreras emphasized that enrollment funding is one of the main budget issues affecting CSULB.

"Each school has a target enrollment figure they are budgeted for," Contreras said. "If a school's enrollment exceeds the budgeted figure, only partial funding is available for the extra students."

Enrollment targets for each school are set by the Chancellor's office. CSULB is adjusting to the annual shortfall by expanding schedules and increase CSULB's enrollment target increased, Contreras said.

This year's enrollment budget targeted 3.5 percent, or 10,220 full-time equivalencies, defined as full-time students taking 15 units or multiple students whose unit loads total 15. Tentative enrollment figures obtained from CSU Executive Vice chancellor Richard West from campus presidents put the increase closer to three percent. According to figures in the support budget, the actual enrollment has exceeded the funded enrollment in seven of the last ten school years.

"Enrollment is at its highest level ever," said Ken Swisher, spokesman for the Chancellor's office. "We are expecting growth of about 13,000 students a year for the next ten years."
West also outlined the breakdown of the $380.9 million in this year's budget. The ongoing partnership between Gov. Gray Davis and the CSU system generates $241.8 million. The other $139.1 million is a one-time request based on the strong California economy, West said.

Revenue provided from the California State Lottery is estimated at $42.7 million. After subtracting $5 million for a system-wide reserve, $37.7 million will be available for allocation. The total represents a $1 million increase over last year, according to the CSU budget.

Long-term plans for the CSU system include a switch to year-round schooling, according to West. Currently, only five of the 23 Cal State campuses employ a year-round schedule. An overall switch is still in the planning stage.

"There hasn't been any discussion on campus yet, and it would probably start in the Academic Senate," said Contreras.

The support budget now goes to Gov. Davis and the state legislature for review before final approval.