January 12, 2010 Budget
TO: SDSU Faculty and Staff
FROM: Stephen L. Weber, President
January 12, 2010
Budget Update #30
Governor Brown’s proposed budget calls for $1.4 billion in cuts to higher education, including a $500-million reduction in state support for the CSU, a $500-million reduction in state funding for the UC system and a $400-million reduction in California Community College funding -- assuming passage of a special ballot initiative in June.
While it is too soon to determine the exact impact on SDSU, it is clear that declining state support has already closed the door on thousands of deserving students. This budget will doubtless continue that disgraceful trend.
California’s colleges and universities should be at the center of our state’s economic recovery; but instead, they are being compromised by reduced funding. This will surely prolong the recession and slow our recovery while accelerating the exodus of high-tech, innovation-based jobs away from California.
This most recent proposed cut is in addition to the reductions we have been forced to implement in the past few years (e.g., we now have approximately 700 fewer employees, enrollments have been curtailed, tuition has increased).
There is still much we do not know: We do not yet know the details of the governor’s budget proposal; we do not know the legislative response to the budget proposal; we do not know if there will be a special election to extend the three taxes on which this budget is predicated; and we do not know if voters will approve the three tax extensions if a special election is held.
What we do know is that SDSU’s conservative budgeting approach has served us well in the past and will continue to do so. We also know we have a broadly representative process that has served us well, and upon which I will continue to rely. As the governor’s budget proposal continues to be refined, the President's Budget Advisory Committee (a group consisting of dedicated faculty, staff and students) will immediately convene to review data and to develop a recommended course of action.
San Diego State (which is to say, its community of faculty and staff) has been prudent in managing our resources. We will continue to carefully manage those resources with our highest priorities being to provide the classes students need for graduation and to protect our talented faculty and staff.
As information becomes available about the impact of these challenges on SDSU, Vice President of Business and Financial Affairs Sally Roush will continue to provide regular budget briefings. All budget updates and links to other information sites are located on the Budget Central Web page at www.sdsu.edu/budgetcentral.
Thank you for your continued careful and responsible work.