President Corrigan's budget message to students -- January 29, 2008
Dear Student:
California's budget troubles continue to be major news, but the stories you have read may have left you still wondering what it all means to you as an SF State student.
First, about the current year.
I am sure that you are aware that the Governor has declared a fiscal emergency and the legislature is sitting in special session to decide how to handle this year's projected deficit.
The good news is that as things stand, the California State University and the University of California are exempted from the 10 percent mid-year budget cut the Governor has imposed on other state agencies and the community college system for 2007-08. The legislature could decide to include us, but we are reasonably optimistic that this year's budget will remain intact.
At SF State, we have gone forward with our spring class schedule as planned. We are offering 3670 sections -- 21 more than last spring.
If you are close to graduation, I strongly advise you to take as full a class schedule as you can manage this spring and summer. We know that seats remain available in spring classes, but we cannot predict what next year's budget will be and whether it will force us to cut back on sections. Please remember that for this spring, the regular deadline to add classes is Friday, February 8.
Now about 2008-09:
As you have read, the Governor's proposed budget for fiscal 2008-09 reduces the requested budget submitted last fall by the CSU Board of Trustees by a total of $386 million. Part of that is a $313 million reduction in State General Fund support, but of particular importance to you, the proposed budget also fails to include the $73.2 million that would be needed to maintain the State University Fee at its current level, sparing you a 10% increase.
SF State's share of the $313 million CSU General Fund reduction would be approximately $20 million. To put this in perspective, SF State's General Fund budget for the current year is approximately $172 million. A reduction of this magnitude would make it impossible for us to maintain the quality of the academic program and meet our obligations to faculty, staff, and students, and would radically reshape our university.
I believe you know from recent newspaper accounts that CSU Chancellor Charles Reed told the Board of Trustees last week that he is not proposing a 2008-09 student fee increase. Instead, he asked the Trustees and all of us -- students, faculty, staff, parents -- to urge the legislature and Governor to give the CSU the funds to keep fees stable and avert a student fee increase.
We at SF State are already doing this. I have already written to each of our representatives in the legislature and we are following up with visits to their regional and Sacramento offices. You can also expect to see us go very public with messages to our local community about the devastating impact the Governor's proposed budget would have on our students, their families, and the economic viability of the region we serve.
You are reading this because you are an
enrolled student. However, in case you have friends who are considering SF
State, let me review our enrollment deadlines for the coming year. First-time
freshman enrollment and second baccalaureate applications are already closed.
Upper division transfers will close earlier than usual, on March 3. We do
not admit lower division transfers. Graduate application deadlines are not
affected; refer to the Graduate Studies web site http://www.sfsu.edu/~gradstdy/ for specific program deadlines.
As you see, the budget situation, both for this year and next, is extremely fluid. I have told you what we know as of now and I will continue to keep you informed as we learn more.
Robert A. Corrigan,
President San Francisco State University
