The following statement can be attributed to California State University Chancellor Joseph I. Castro:
“The Governor's May Revision budget proposal provides significant additional funding to public higher education and the California State University, and contains many visionary strategies that will enable the Golden State's economy to come roaring back. Two such bold proposals are transformational investments in Humboldt State University to expedite a transition that will further meet California's needs and at California State University, Northridge to create a national Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) 'Equity Innovation Hub.'
“We are grateful for the proposed recurring investment in the CSU. Investing in the CSU—the nation's largest and most diverse public university—continues to be one of the wisest and most consequential decisions our state's leaders can make with a sevenfold return on every dollar that California invests in the university.
“Over the coming weeks, the CSU will celebrate commencement and the conferral of more than 130,000 degrees on Californians who will help to propel our state's recovery. The total number of CSU graduates will continue to grow in future years as additional investment in the CSU will directly benefit student achievement through our university-wide Graduation Initiative 2025 efforts and will further strengthen our work to eliminate equity gaps and improve success among students from underserved communities.
“The one-time funding proposed by Governor Newsom is also very much appreciated and is essential to begin addressing the university's long-standing infrastructure needs. We are at a unique moment in time as the state has robust projections of one-time funding available, and the university has decades-old infrastructure needs that can be met with further investment. As the budget process continues, the CSU will continue to advocate for additional funds to improve and modernize our facilities so that our current and future talented and diverse students can benefit from the learning conditions they deserve."
The following statement can be attributed to Zahraa Khuraibet, President, California State Students Association:
“We are happy to see the Governor’s support of the CSU and its students through his proposed investments. CSU students appreciate the administration’s continued prioritization of equity and affordability. This includes the new and historic $4 billion for student housing insecurity, which has been a major barrier for too many students for too long. The California State Student Association looks forward to advocating with our higher education partners to ensure that the CSU is accessible, affordable, and sustainable for all students.”
The following statement can be attributed to Dr. Robert Keith Collins, Chair, Academic Senate California State University:
"On behalf of the 26,934 faculty of the CSU, we are grateful for the increased institutional resources. This increased funding further enables faculty success to continue enabling student success and reducing barriers to access and achievement."
Combining all budget proposals from January through May, Governor Gavin Newsom proposed an increase of $514.9 million in recurring funding that will substantially align with the funding priorities expressed in the CSU Board of Trustees' budget request for 2021-22. Additionally, the Governor's proposals would provide a one-time allocation of $325 million, of which $150 million is federal funds, for critical infrastructure, maintenance, and renovation projects. Also, Governor Newsom proposed additional one-time allocations of $433 million to advance the transition of Humboldt State University into the state's third polytechnic university and $25 million to create a Center for Equity and Innovation in Technology at CSUN that will accelerate Latinx student success. Graduation Initiative 2025 is the CSU's ambitious university-wide initiative to increase graduation rates for all CSU students while eliminating opportunity and achievement gaps facilitating additional success for students from underserved communities and historically underrepresented in higher education.
About the California State University
The California State University is the largest system of four-year higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, 56,000 faculty and staff and 486,000 students. Half of the CSU's students transfer from California community colleges. Created in 1960, the mission of the CSU is to provide high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever-changing needs of California. With its commitment to quality, opportunity and student success, the CSU is renowned for superb teaching, innovative research and for producing job-ready graduates. Each year, the CSU awards nearly 129,000 degrees. One in every 20 Americans holding a college degree is a graduate of the CSU and our alumni are 3.9 million strong. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU NewsCenter.