Enrollment
growth blocked
By
Emmy Gonzalez
On-line Forty-Niner
CSU Budget: The Board of Trustees submitted
a request of an additional $546.6 million
despite the state's economic crisis.
Although the California State University
Board of Trustees approved the 2004-05 budget
request including a $206.5 million increase
of funds for enrollment growth, Chancellor
Charles B. Reed said that all 23 campuses
are assuming a zero student-growth target.
The
board's budget request proposes an increase
of $546.6 million over the current $2.5.
billion General Fund state contribution.
The
trustees unanimously approved the budget
proposal, which includes mandatory CSU costs
in health benefits, new buildings on campuses,
energy cost increases and salary increases
for faculty.
"The
budget is what meets our needs," said
the chairman of the finance committee, Bill
Hauck.
Hauck
said the additional $546.6 million is needed
to keep the CSU system running for the next
fiscal year and help enrollment growth.
The
budget asks for $206.5 million, which will
help fund the 3 percent enrollment growth,
allowing about 10,000 full-time equivalent
students into the CSU system. Also the $206.6
million will help compensate for the increase
of staff and faculty The other $234.6 that
make up the $546.6 million increase will
help with the backfill of the current-year
budget crisis.
Chancellor
Reed's statement concerning the zero student-growth
target came following a legislative mandate
of the 2003-04 state budget. This mandate
could result in denied admissions to approximately
15,000 new students.
For
the current fiscal year Cal State Long Beach
President Robert C. Maxson and chancellor
Reed planned ahead for this years' budget
cuts and built up a reserve. They cut department
budgets that helped fund the current year's
enrollment growth.
"We
are serving 13,000 students the state is
not paying for," said Hauck.
Hauck
said the approval of the proposed budget
by the state legislatures is crucial for
next year's enrollment growth. The CSU has
spent the money in reserves to allow 13,000
students for this year, but for the following
year there is no extra money to alliviate
any budget cuts.
If
we can get the budget we approved, we wont
have to lay any one off or deny any students,"
said Hauck.
Executive
assistant to Maxson, Armando Contreras,
said it would be difficult for the proposed
budget to be approved with the current state's
budget crisis.
"It's
a bit contradictory to ask for and increase
of $546 million, with the state current
budget crisis," said Contreras.
Contreras
said students are the most impacted by budget
cuts. If the CSU's do not get the funding
needed, instructors and classes may be cut.
Additionally, the CSU will have to limit
their enrollment growth and many students
who qualify to attend a Cal State university
will not be admitted.
"Without
additional funding, we will have to restrict
the number of students we do admit,"
Contreras said.
In
a prepared statement, the chancellor said
that enrollment is the strongest driver
of the CSU budget. In the past six years
the CSU had a student growth of 4 percent
to 7 percent.
"Recognizing
this growth, the budget proposes $69.5 million
to fund a 3 percent student increase, which
would finance the education of additional
10,047 full-time-equivalent students. Each
1 percent increase in the number of students
requires additional $23 million in funding,"
he said.
The
approved budget will be presented to the
state department of finance, where it will
be discussed during November and December,
in preparation for the governor's state
budget proposal presented to the legislature
in January.
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