California’s deteriorating economy and budget crisis continues to affect Cal Poly faculty and students as administrators wait to receive the Chancellor’s Office evaluation of the 2009-10 operating budget.
Next year, Cal Poly expects a budget cut of at least $500,000 if Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budget proposal is approved by the legislature.
“We’re still waiting for action from Sacramento,” said Cal Poly Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Robert Koob. “Some actions have been taken to preserve money.”
Each academic college had a 2.5 percent budget reduction last year, which led to fewer teaching positions and course sections. In an attempt to save money, the administration is limiting travel, equipment and supply purchases as well as the hiring of some teaching positions.
Cal Poly has endured two budget cuts since the operating budget loss of $3 million at the start of this year. The first and one-time cut of the 2008-09 fiscal year was $1.6 million and the second was $3.5 million, a reduction to the base budget, which is a portion of the budget needed to keep the university prepared each year.
“We started the year with a shortfall and the budget has been cut twice since then, so we are really in a very difficult situation,” said Dave Christy, dean of the Orfaela College of Business.
During times of budget cuts, lecturers are the first to go, which affects the number of students colleges are able to teach, Christy said.
Cal Poly is already planning to prepare for additional spring budget cuts.
“There are so many variables that are outside of our control, but we’ve had to face these kinds of things before and we’re doing the best we can,” he said.
“It’s not like we haven’t thought about these problems. It’s just that there are no great solutions that guarantee minimum disruption.”
Cal Poly state-funded projects such as the new Mott Gym swimming pool, the electrical sub-station upgrade and planning for the Center for Science have already been impacted. Construction and planning is stopped for now, which costs the university since they will have to renew the projects.
The administration is working to make sure classes are available so students can progress towards graduation. To do so, the university is raising college-based fees.
“The university should not be an obstacle for their graduation, so we’re going to make every effort to make certain that students can get out of here on time,” Koob said.
No budget resolution could lead to fewer college graduates. Cal Poly would be able to serve more students if enrolled students graduated in four years.
“I think that the students we admit to Cal Poly are able to graduate in four years, as far as academic capability and we should urge them to do so and create incentives that promote that goal,” Christy said.