When administrators outlined steps being taken in the wake of budget cuts at California State University, Stanislaus, employees were advised to keep morale up.

Brian St. Denis' first question: How?

A 27-year-old network security analyst in the Office of Information Technology, St. Denis learned last month that his position will be reduced to half-time. Starting June 30, his pay will fall from $3,100 a month to $1,550.

St. Denis said his budget already is so tight he usually leaves at least one bill unpaid each month.

And at the same time his hours are being cut, his roommate is getting married and moving out of their Modesto apartment, leaving him with a $250 per month rent increase. St. Denis recently found a smaller apartment across the street from the university, though his rent still will rise $230.

He hopes to land two more jobs to cover his jump in rent and to help pay off a $20,000 debt, most of which is student loans, he said. He'll save in gas money since he'll no longer commute.

He said he appreciates the workshops the university has sponsored on job-search techniques and résumé writing, and feels sorry for people with families. He only has himself to worry about.

"I've got a lot of support," he said. "People are looking out for me."

St. Denis is one of a dozen people to receive layoff notices at the university in Turlock.

Nine permanent staff members and three managers got layoff notices, effective June 30. The managers and one staff member face job losses, and the remaining eight staff members will be assigned to other positions, some part-time.

Some lecturers' contracts will not be renewed; how many is uncertain.

The campus plans to cut $6.4 million, or 10 percent, from the 2004-05 operating budget, marking the third year of reductions. Since 2002-03 the CSU system has received about $563 million in net cuts, including the most recent proposal.

Stanislaus' share amounts to a net reduction of $11.8 million, said Mary Stephens, vice president of business and finance. The net reduction takes into account fee increases.

Last year, Stanislaus cut 31 positions by not filling vacancies.

Sylvia Lopez is one of three managers who will lose their jobs this year. She's worked for various state agencies for 27 years, three at Stanislaus State.

"You feel mad. You feel angry. You feel depressed," 50-year-old Lopez said. "You have a lot of different emotions."

She said she's fortunate that she has options. Her experience will be taken into account by some other state agencies, Lopez said. On the other hand, state jobs may not be easy to come by, she said.

As a mediator/investigator in the equal opportunity and internal relations department, Lopez looks into campus discrimination and employment complaints. The salary range for her job is about $58,000 to $67,000.

She moved to Turlock from Sacramento for a promotion. Now, she and her 16-year-old daughter are not sure where they'll be living.

"There's a possibility I may have to move, which would mean taking my daughter out of school," she said, adding, "I'm not the only one who's dealing with these types of things."

Lopez said she could retire, but for now she's networking with friends and past employers and using the Internet to search for vacancies.

"I think having a positive attitude makes a big difference," she said. "I'm thinking of going into real estate. Who knows?"

As for St. Denis, he came to Stanislaus State in 1995 to get a degree. He was working part-time and taking classes when, about five years ago, he landed a full-time job on campus. He's still a year away from his degree.

St. Denis works to make sure the campus has secure computer systems. He fights viruses and does detective work to figure out if a computer has been tampered with.

He said by cutting his job in half, the university places itself at greater risk for lawsuits since the school may not be able to show it has made every effort to guard against things such as copyright infringement.

"I won't have any time to protect anybody," St. Denis said.

Working full-time and volunteering to coach high school basketball in the evenings has left little time for St. Denis to get a degree. Now, it could be even tougher. Once St. Denis' position is reduced, he said, he will no longer qualify for a student fee waiver, and he doesn't want to take on more loans.

St. Denis said he considers himself to be the loyal type of person employers like. He does his job and, because his department already is short-handed, helps with other people's jobs.

"I am expected to take on more responsibility and jobs in half the time," he said. "Where is the loyalty coming back to me?"