POMONA - Students, faculty and staff rallied at Cal Poly Pomona on Thursday against the governor's proposed $311 million in cuts to the California State University system's budget next year.

The proposed cuts would translate to higher student fees, faculty layoffs, reductions in financial aid and the end of support programs for the economically disadvantaged, the budget's opponents say.

"This budget is going to do permanent, lasting damage to our ability to serve students the way they need to be served, helping them make progress to their degrees," said Gary Fredericksen, Cal Poly Pomona's interim vice president for student affairs. "The services provided won't be as good, there will be programs they won't be able to do, hours that (programs) won't be open."

At Cal Poly, undergraduate fees could increase from $833 per quarter to $902, a 58 percent increase in the last two years. Graduate fees there could rise from $903 to $1,204 per quarter, a 110 percent increase within two years, according to the Coalition to Save California State University.

The proposed cuts would also translate to 20,000 fewer students next year at CSU campuses statewide, a number slightly higher than the current enrollment at Cal Poly Pomona.

Staff members and students are also concerned about the proposed elimination of a support program for low-income students at CSU campuses.

The Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) at Cal Poly Pomona serves more than 1,500 low-income students a quarter, helping admit those who may not meet the academic qualifications but have the motivation and potential to succeed. The program also provides them with counseling and support services.

Current and former students testified to the program's success Thursday at the rally that attracted at least a couple hundred participants and spectators.

"EOP changed my life," said Leticia Guzman Scott, a former EOP student, who is now the interim executive director for Educational Equity Services, which oversees EOP. "The program helped me reach my dream of becoming a successful, educated contributing member to this society."

The EOP program at Cal Poly had a budget this year of about $1.1 million, said Koji Uesugi, acting association director for Education Equity Services.

The university would also lose about $80,000 in EOP grants, or supplemental money for financial aid.

"Without EOP, a large percentage of students who had a dream to go to college may not see that dream occur," said Lea Manske, a program coordinator.

University faculty say they are also concerned about layoffs caused by the budget cuts.

At least 25 temporary faculty members who had contracts to teach during the spring quarter are not teaching because of cutbacks, said Harriet Lord, a professor of mathematics and president of Cal Poly's chapter of the California Faculty Association.

Many of them are experienced faculty members who have spent years working at the university, she said. The proposed budget cuts are expected to make the situation much worse.

For every faculty member that is laid off, two or three more classes will not be taught, resulting in larger classes, said John Lloyd, a lecturer of history and a California Faculty Association member.

Larger class size means less individual attention, which could harm those most in need, he said.

"CSU is the backbone for working class and middle class students to get a quality, higher education," Lloyd said. "If they don't have that access, what does that mean to our long-term economic health to the state of California?"