Voters this March may have the final say on the economic future of the California State University system, including Chico State University.

Chico State faculty leaders were told Tuesday the March vote on Proposition 57, the $15 billion bond aimed at bailing out the California budget, could make the difference between a squeak-by budget for the campus and a "scorched earth policy" for the State University system.

Speaking to the campus Academic Senate, Scott McNall, provost and vice president for academic affairs, said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget proposal, which for Chico State would mean another 5 percent cut in enrollment and a $7.2 million funding cut for the campus, is probably this year's best-case scenario.

"This is as good as it gets. Our goal is to hang on to the budget we have," said the provost.

Even with the enrollment and funding cuts, McNall called the governor's Jan. 7 budget plan "very optimistic."

What makes the plan optimistic, according to McNall, is that the governor's proposal all hinges on the passage of Proposition 57, and passage is by no means a slam-dunk.

Kathy Kaiser, a professor at Chico State and the faculty representative to the CSU board of trustees, said that panel voted to endorse Proposition 57 because without the bonds, the enormous additional budget cuts that would have to follow would result in a "scorched earth policy" as far as the university system is concerned.

McNall told the members of the senate that such cuts would result in a "powerful blow" to all academic programs and to the ability of students just to get admitted.

Kaiser also observed there is no evidence of a "ground swell of support" among the voters for Proposition 57.

Even if the proposition passes, the 2004-05 academic budget at Chico State will be difficult.

Under the plan, the university will have to turn away the equivalent of about 750 full-time students from the Chico State enrollment.

Kaiser said while the plan does call for such a cut, that doesn't mean it can actually be done. Once students have been notified that they have been accepted, there is no way to turn them away, according to Kaiser.

"You accept a student; you have a contract with that student. You can't deny them admittance," said Kaiser.

The governor's budget also calls for an increase in the ratio of students to faculty. The plan asks for the ratio to go up from about 19 students per faculty member to about 20. However, that change actually requires a substantial change in numbers because of the various figures that are used to establish both full-time students and full-time faculty.

On top of that, there must be classroom space to hold the students, and that is not always available.

Rob Cherney, a history professor at San Francisco State University and chair of the CSU systemwide Academic Senate who was visiting Chico Tuesday, said this year more than ever the system must present a unified front to the public and the Legislature.

Chico State's new president, Paul Zingg, attending his first senate meeting after taking office Monday, said everything about the coming year will require adjustments and flexibility.

"This is going to take both older and younger dogs to figure out, and it is going to take more than a few tricks," said Zingg.

He said all of those in the CSU "can't lose a single day" in trying to persuade the people and the Legislature about the vital role of higher education in shaping the future of California.

"It will be interesting to see what our Legislature does," said McNall. "We will try to convince them to do the right thing.