Photo illustration by Michael Uribes/The Collegian
As California faces a huge budget deficit and budget cuts all around, so does the California State University system. Fresno State will be faced with the challenge of overcoming a huge budget cutback, and the students are bearing the brunt of the cost.
During a press conference last month, President Welty opened his speech by saying, “I wish I could tell you that the fiscal situation was improving, but it is not; it’s gotten worse.”
Fresno State is facing an 18 percent reduction in the school’s budget from the state, which equates to approximately $28 million that needs to be made up elsewhere.
This is not good news for students. Two questions remain: What happened to the money and what is going to be done about it?
With each passing semester, students are encountering higher tuition fee costs that leaves them wondering where it all goes even as the fees increase.
Sharon Briscoe, the budget and treasury manager at Fresno State, provided a breakdown of where the tuition and fees go and what they fund.
“Student tuition revenue is pooled with state appropriations and allocated to each program area, using the Level A percentages as established by President Welty on 4/18/07,” Briscoe said.
CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed said, “It is not going to be pretty, about 84 percent of our budget is tied up in salaries and benefits.”
He continues on to say that they will have to downsize the CSU to make up for the state’s budget cuts.
A 10 percent fee increase has been implemented for this semester along with fee increases from previous semesters to help close the gap left in Fresno State’s budget. President Welty reported that with this increase in tuition there has been an increase in revenue of $8 million.
That seems to be an effective move, but looking deeper, more money can be found.
The Campaign for Fresno State has also raised $160 million for the university as of Dec. 31, 2010. President Welty also reported that 80 percent of that amount would be used for academic enhancement.
“Dollars received through the Campaign must be used as donors direct,” director of Campaign communications Jill C. Wagner said. “Most contributions are ‘designated,’ meaning they are directed to scholarships or a particular program or fund. Unrestricted gifts are typically less than one percent of total gifts each year,”
“The impact of gifts to Fresno State is felt campus-wide.” Wagner added “Gifts are supporting scholarships, equipment, research programs, building enhancements and experiences for students and faculty that wouldn’t happen without private support.”
Fresno State is also making travel cutbacks, leaving positions unfilled, halting maintenance and major projects. But on top of all that, enrollment will also be looked at, the university will make cuts to how many students can be enrolled and who will be admitted to the school.
Progress is being made at various levels, but the brunt of the cutbacks will be felt by students, staff and faculty.