California State University officials laid out a contingency plan to address a potential “all cuts” budget for 2011-12 at the CSU Board of Trustees meeting May 10. An "all cuts" budget could mean an additional $500 million cut that would reduce the CSU’s state support by over $1 billion, or a 36 percent reduction to the current level of state funding.
“I don’t know a business in this country can take that kind of reduction,” said Chancellor Reed during his address to the finance committee. “But we’re preparing.”
Reed intends to do so in a way that maintains the CSU’s quality, value and access. To prepare for the possibility of a total $1 billion budget reduction, the CSU could implement various strategies including a "wait list" on applications for winter and spring 2012, meaning campuses would accept applications for those terms, but will not make any admissions decisions until a budget is finalized. The CSU would also consider an additional tuition fee increase of up to 32 percent, which would mean an additional $1,556, starting with the winter/spring 2012 term. Under the worst-case scenario, the CSU could turn away 20,000 qualified applicants who would otherwise enroll for the winter/spring 2012 terms.
“There are no good options,” Reed said, “We are faced with extreme choices.” More.
New San Diego State President Named,
Northridge President to Retire
The CSU Board of Trustees has named Elliot Hirshman, provost and senior vice president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, president of San Diego State University.
Hirshman was one of three finalists for the position who spent last week visiting the campus. He will assume the San Diego presidency this summer, and succeeds President Stephen L. Weber who has served as SDSU president since 1996. More.
In related presidential news, Dr. Jolene Koester, president of CSU Northridge, has announced her plans to step down and retire from her position at the end of the year. She became the fourth president of CSUN in 2000.
Trustees Appointed, Reappointed
Steven M. Glazer has been appointed to the CSU Board of Trustees by Governor Brown.
An alumnus of the CSU, Glazer earned a bachelor's degree from San Diego State and currently serves as the Vice Mayor of the City of Orinda.
In addition, Dr. Herbert L. Carter was reappointed to the board for another term. More.
CSU Libraries: Numbers Validate the Need
Out of the one million Californians that visit a library on a typical day, nearly 114,000 visit a CSU library.
That was how many visited the 22 CSU libraries that took part in a statewide event that gathered statistics, comments, pictures, and other data to account for a typical day. The information gathered on Oct. 4, 2010, for the California Library Association’s Snapshot: One Day in the Life of California Libraries will be used to advocate for funding and illustrate the important role libraries play in our communities.
In the CSU system alone, visitors accessed library websites 356,326 times and checked out or renewed 19,288 items. In addition, library staff answered 6,772 reference questions and 27,666 visitors used a library computer. More.
