Governor’s 2017-2018 Budget Proposal

Governor Jerry Brown presented his proposed 2017-18 State Budget this week. While some areas in Governor Jerry Brown's proposed 2017-18 budget could suffer cutbacks, the proposal includes a modest increase of $161.2 million for the California State University (CSU). Of this amount, $157.2 million would be allocated for operational expenses and $5 million for debt service obligations.

In September 2016 the CSU Board of Trustees considered a preliminary support budget that identified major priority areas for the system for 2017-18, including funding for a “Graduation Initiative 2025.” The Board of Trustees estimated the state would need to invest roughly $343.7 million in the CSU to fully fund system priorities. The governor’s proposed budget leaves a funding gap of roughly $167.7 million for the system. The Board of Trustees is expected to explore other sources of revenue to close this gap, including tuition/fee increases, later this month.

President Conoley has issued a statement thanking the governor for his support of the CSU. She also called on members of the Legislature to consider augmenting his proposed budget to fully fund the Board of Trustee’s budget request, allowing our campus to offer more courses, hire more faculty and invest more in services that help students succeed and graduate in a timely manner.

The governor’s January budget proposal marks only the beginning of a 5-month negotiation process. The Legislature has until June 15, 2017 to send the governor a final 2017-18 State Budget Act for his signature by July 1. In addition, state revenue projections will be adjusted in May 2017, and a May Revised Budget proposal will be released.

For additional information, please access Chancellor White's statement and a copy of the governor’s budget proposal.

Purchasing 101 Workshop Offered Wednesday, January 25, 2017

If you are a staff member responsible for ordering office supplies and services, the Purchasing 101 Workshop will provide an overview of CSULB Purchasing guidelines and various purchasing options such as submitting requisitions and purchase orders online, procurement card use, Staples Advantage office supply orders and direct expense forms.

The workshop will be on Wednesday, January 25 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the Barrett Athletic Administration Center (BAAC) Room 222. If you plan to attend, register soon (seating is limited) on the Financial Management Training web page. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Angela Reid at ext. 5-5492 or Cathy Bishop at ext. 5-5796.

Click. Learn. Grow. January Skillsoft Spotlight: A New Year’s Resolution Should Be About What You Gain, Not What you Lose – Gain Knowledge with Skillsoft

Every year, we resolve to get rid of stuff, like that last ten pounds. Instead, why not gain something, like a little knowledge?  With e-Learning, you can take advantage of resources to gain more organizational skills, right from your own desktop.  New habits and new skills – the perfect way to start 2017. 

If you juggle multiple tasks, deal with an influx of paperwork and requests each day, and have a disorganized workspace, Personal Productivity Improvement:  Managing Your Workspace is for you.  This one-hour course addresses the overwhelming nature of tackling a space that's piled-high with paper, has a disorganized physical or digital filing system, or is overrun with e-mails.

Avoid Procrastination by Getting Organized Instead is a 21-minute course where you’ll discover some tips to become more organized.  You'll learn about the causes of procrastination, the ways to develop your self-discipline, and how to set your priorities.

Teaching you principles of personal organization that allow you to accomplish more in less time, the book 30 Tips to Become More Organized and More Accomplished shows you how to arrange workspace and working materials in the most efficient way, and how to streamline your meetings at work. 

A professional development plan can be created in conjunction with your ASM and appropriate administrator, which can be completed electronically through this program. Appropriate administrator approval must be obtained in advance to complete coursework during work hours.                         
Note:  Access to these training resources is available on the Staff HR Skillsoft training spotlight webpage.  Questions?  Contact SHR-Training@csulb.edu, ext. 5-1052.

Accessibility 101 Classroom Training

New to accessibility or need a refresher? Learn what accessibility is and how to create accessible documents in Word, PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat Pro. Sign up for Accessibility Training. Seating is limited. Sessions available in January, February and March 2017. Email kerri.sorenson@csulb.edu for more information.

2017 Tax-Deferred Retirement Plan Information

The Internal Revenue Service recently announced that the annual contribution limits for 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) plans will remain unchanged.  Therefore, in 2017, the maximum annual contribution limits on these voluntary tax-deferred retirement plans will continue to be $18,000.  For those who are age 50 or older by the end of the calendar year, there is an additional $6,000 age-base catch up contribution available. For more information regarding the CSU TSA 403(b) plan, please visit Fidelity’s website. Representatives from Fidelity will visit the campus for one-on-one meetings throughout 2017 to meet with participants regarding their 403(b) plans.  We will provide a schedule of these meetings in mid-January.  If you would like additional information regarding the Deferred Compensation 457(b) or 401(k) Thrift Plans, please visit the Savings Plus website.

CSU Sustainability Newsletter

Interested in staying in the loop about CSULB’s campus sustainability activities and accomplishments? Sign up for the CSULB Sustainability newsletter, brought to you by the Office of Planning and Sustainability in Physical Planning and Facilities Management. This email newsletter, published once per month, highlights our community's sustainability accomplishments both on and off campus and keeps you up to date on the latest sustainability-related news and events. Recent newsletter features include President Conoley’s Climate Leadership efforts, updates on the new campus Zero Waste Initiative, information about pending City of Long Beach environmental legislation, reminders about upcoming events such as Earth Week and the Green Generation Mixer, and tips on how to be a sustainability steward in your own life. You can read our January newsletter and sign up to join our monthly distribution list. Please contact us at Sustainability@csulb.edu if you are interested in having a feature in an upcoming newsletter.