Budget news and what it means to you
Note: the following e-mail was sent on 1/22/10 to all students.
Dear Student:
Welcome back to campus and to the opening of the spring semester. For students, faculty and staff, this academic year has been the most challenging one in our history and I know how difficult it was for many of you to find all of the courses you needed in the fall. I hope you have found a small measure of relief with the larger spring course schedule, made possible by a special one-time allocation of federal stimulus dollars that has allowed us to offer the same number of sections as we did in the fall, but with 2,000 fewer students competing for classes because of a CSU freeze on new spring admissions.
Notwithstanding this significant improvement, I recognize there are quite likely to be students who have been unable to get into a course required for graduation or enroll in a minimum of 12 units. If this is your situation, I urge you to e-mail me at president@sfsu.edu with the details and I will have someone look into it immediately.
In January, we begin to turn our sights toward next year's budget. Early this month we heard promising news from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who made a commitment in his State of the State address to realign California's priorities and protect higher education.
The governor's proposed 2010-2011 budget restores $305 million to the CSU and provides an additional $60.6 million for enrollment growth. This is the first hopeful news the public higher education community has heard in years, and while it will not close the CSU's $625 million budget gap, it could help to restore some much-needed classes and services, reversing the staggering decline that has threatened your ability to get the high-quality education that is your right -- and our obligation.
It is now up to your elected officials in the legislature to pass a budget that supports the governor's commitment. I urge you to exercise your political power and contact your elected officials to let them know how important higher education is to you and to the future of California. Think about it -- what if every one of the 27,000 students on this campus were to call, write or e-mail his or her state senator or assemblymember! Information on how to contact elected officials can be found at the Budget Central Web site, http://www.sfsu.edu/~news/budgetcentral/students.html
In the fight to restore support for higher education in California nothing is more powerful than direct contact with the elected officials who make budget decisions. The administration, faculty, staff and labor unions continue to meet with these officials and advocate for restored funding. It is important that you advocate for your concerns as well.
I will continue to keep you informed this spring regarding our progress, and I urge you to join with me in the fight to ensure that each and every one of you gets the education you deserve. Please take action today to ensure that the legislature recognizes that higher education -- your education -- is a priority for California.
Robert A. Corrigan, president
