Gov. Jerry Brown's proposed budget for the California State University system is the lowest in 15 years, university officials said Thursday.
The budget "reflects the continuation of a $750 million or 27-percent reduction in funding made in 2011-2012," university officials said in a news release.
If voters fail to approve a tax-increase measure this November, a fall-back mechanism to balance the budget will cut another $200 million from the budget, they said.
"Our campuses have done everything they can just to get through this fiscal year with a $750 million budget cut," said CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed. "We have only survived by implementing numerous cost-cutting measures, being extremely prudent with resources, and spending down one-time reserves. However, we are just about out of options, and if the state does not begin to reinvest in the CSU, we will need to take more drastic measures including cutting enrollment and programs, raising tuition and reducing personnel."
Tuition increases have resulted in widespread student protests on student campuses, and more cuts could lead to eliminating as many as 27,000 students from the system.
"Fresno State has been working diligently for several years to make sustainable changes - cutting personnel, trimming expenses, postponing badly-needed maintenance and streamlining programs - to best serve our students in the long term," said President John D. Welty of Fresno State. "We pledge to continue doing that and also to continue seeking greater private support for Fresno State. However, today's announcement merely continues the longstanding climate of economic uncertainty for our campus, but especially for our students, and that is disappointing."
"We cannot continue down this budget path and expect that we can offer the same number of courses to the same number of students and maintain quality," added Reed. "California needs to make public universities a priority again. It is unrealistic to think the state will be able to grow its economy without an educated workforce."
Voters will say "yes" or "no" to Brown's plan to increase both sales and income taxes.
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