CSU Trustees to Review 2004-05 Proposed Budget at Oct. 31 Meeting

Contact: Clara Potes-Fellow, (562) 951-4806, cpotes-fellow@calstate.edu

(Oct. 23, 2003) --The California State University Board of Trustees will review a recommended 2004-05 state support budget for the CSU that proposes an increase of $546.6 million over the current year’s budget appropriation.

Trustees are expected to approve budget options that recognize mandatory costs for the CSU for $57.4 million, a partnership funding request for $206.5 million that includes a 3 percent enrollment growth equivalent to 10,047 full time equivalent students, and a request to backfill current-year budget cuts of $234.6 million.

“While we recognize the state’s current budgetary challenges, we believe that we need to request a budget that fully reflects the university’s needs for the coming year,” said CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed. “The work that the CSU does is vital to California’s economic prosperity, and the only way the CSU can stay on track is if it receives the funding it needs to support its current and future students.”

Once adopted by the Trustees, the budget will represent CSU’s strategic approach for discussions with the state Department of Finance.

In fiscal year 2003-04 the CSU budget reduction resulted in a net fiscal impact of $304 million resulting in a total General Fund allocation of $2.49 billion.

The budget development process includes the following schedule:

• November/December — Meet with Governor’s office and Department of Finance staff
  
• January — Governor required to submit balanced budget to legislature
  
• February — Budget review by Legislative Analyst Office
  
• March/April — Budget subcommittee meetings
  
• May — May revise to January budget projections
  
• June — Two-House Conference Committee. Official deadline for budget adoption.

The CSU Board of Trustees will meet Friday, October 31, 2003, at 8:30 a.m. at the Office of the Chancellor—Dumke Auditorium, 401 Golden Shore, Long Beach, CA 90802. The agenda is online at http://www.calstate.edu/BOT/agendas/

The California State University is the largest system of senior higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, approximately 414,000 students and 46,000 faculty and staff. Since the system was created in 1961, it has awarded about 2 million degrees. The CSU is renowned for the quality of its teaching and for the job-ready graduates it produces. Its mission is to provide high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever-changing needs of the people of California. With its commitment to excellence, diversity and innovation, the CSU is the university system that is working for California. See www.calstate.edu.