California State University to reduce enrollment by 10,000, shrink campus funding by $281 million
Los Angeles Times
March 23, 2011
California State University plans to enroll 10,000 fewer students next year, slash spending in the chancellor's office and reduce faculty and staff to contend with a proposed $500-million cut in state funding, officials said Tuesday.
At a meeting of the Board of Trustees in Long Beach, Cal State administrators outlined a series of actions that will probably mean fewer instructors and classes and more crowded classrooms across the system's 23 campuses.
"We're facing potentially the worst financial situation Cal State has ever faced," trustee William Hauck said, noting that the predicament will get worse if tax extensions proposed by Gov. Jerry Brown are not approved by voters. In that case, Cal State could face a $1-billion state funding reduction.
The system received nearly $2.8 billion in state funding for this fiscal year. The $500-million cut would be a reduction of about 18%.
In November, trustees approved a 10% tuition increase for the 2011-12 school year; about $142 million of that revenue will be used to help close the budget gap, officials said.
There are no plans for additional tuition hikes, but that could change if state support is cut further, Chancellor Charles B. Reed said.
