Budget
cuts, reductions concern CFA
By Oscar Montealegre
On-line Forty-Niner
 FULLERTON
—Recently many campuses have made announcements
of huge reductions in faculty positions
for this fall. Fewer than 41 percent of
the total California State University system’s
budget is devoted to instruction, which
in effect has caused the California Faculty
Association to be on alert.
The CFA gathered Tuesday at the Board of
Trustees meeting to voice their alternatives
towards cutting funds for faculty.
The motion CFA presented to the board entailed
an adoption of guidelines for the campuses
to use when considering how they will implement
cuts expected in the 2003-2004 fiscal year.
The motion requires the CSU staff to meet
with the CFA immediately to resolve questions
regarding the order of layoffs and other
unanswered questions related to whose position
is eliminated if position cuts are absolutely
necessary.
“The California Faculty Association came
here to protect access to students to quality
education. Because Cal State Universities
are public universities, the state needs
to support it. CSU needs funding,” said
Elizabeth Hoffman, lecturer of the English
department at Cal State Long Beach and CFA
associate vice president.
The CFA intends to demonstrate to the board
that the faculty is concerned about budget
issues, in addition the CFA has encouraged
students to attend the meeting to support
CFA’s efforts to protect classes and jobs.
“We’re worried about if they cut lecturers
there will not be enough faculty to accommodate
our students,” Hoffman said.
According to a California State University
press release, if it does not receive the
governor’s proposed increases in enrollment
funding and student fees, the CSU will be
unable to provide the classes or services
that students need to make steady progress
towards graduation.
With the anticipated 424,000 students who
plan to enroll next fall in the CSU system,
the impact of quality towards the students
will be even more severe if the budget cuts
go deeper, the press release said.
“The CSU needs to use the money to protect
students and their education,” Lillian Tiaz
CFA vice president said.
The board meeting was held at Cal State
Fullerton. Its highlights consisted of the
task force aiming to boost graduation rates,
approval of an enrollment demand, a proposal
of a major student housing project and a
report of the second annual systemwide evaluations
of CSU teacher preparations program.
The CFA does not expect the board to take
immediate action. However the CFA demands
that CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed and
his staff meet with them and resolve the
current problems, such as budget cuts effecting
instruction.
“In our campus our president has been very
supportive, including lecturers. However,
we need to get adequate state funding for
the CSU,” Hoffman said.
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