The Lumberjack

Issue date: 3/12/08 Section: Campus

Media Credit: Roger Tuan Bob Snyder, vice president of Academic Affairs, discusses the 7.37 million budget deficit at the University Budget Committee meeting on March 7.

Humboldt State University is facing a time of uncertainty in regards to the funding for the 2008/2009 academic year.

Humboldt State was notified last week that it stands to lose $7,371,100 from its general operational budget for the 2008/2009 fiscal year.

This is the result of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's recent proposal of the new statewide budget for 2008. Acknowledging the $16 billion budget deficit currently facing California, the proposal includes a significant cut in the funding for the entire California State University system.

Paul Browning, a California State University spokesperson, said the proposal was for a cut of $386.1 million from the funding for all 23 campuses in the CSU system.

This funding reduction comes after the CSU budget has been reduced by over $500 million in the last eight years.

Humboldt State was expecting to receive an funding increase of $4,748,000 for the upcoming academic year, giving Humboldt State a general operational budget of $80,814,527.

From this anticipated total of over $80.8 million is from where the more than $7.3 million reduction comes. Humboldt State's new general fund allocation from the state is $73.4 million for the 2008/2009 academic year.

"We were expecting an increase [in the budget] for next year," University Budget Director Carol Terry said,at the University Budget Committe meeting on March 7. "We were making plans based on this figure."

The general operation fund does not include the funding that the university receives from student tuition and other fee revenue.

The governor's proposed budget is not going to fund the normal annual increases that universities face, such as increased costs in utilities and energy, salary increases and compensation.

Associated Students President Terra Rentz said the student government is concerned. "If departments lose money, they will be looking for new sources of funding and we fear that they might come to us," she said.

The Associated Students allocate student fee dollars to 23 student-run programs on campus, such as the YES [Youth Educational Services] House and the Learning Center.

Continued...

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