Two hundred classes to be cut under budget proposal

College of Arts and Humanities hit hardest, with a $1 million deduction from its budget

By Martha Martinez

About 200 fewer classes will be offered in the coming school year because of proposed cuts for 2004-05, University President John Welty said in a budget summit meeting yesterday.

Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget will result in an $11 million reduction for Fresno State and an enrollment reduction by at least 900 full-time students.

Academic Affairs will face a reduction of $5.6 million. Each division, school and college was asked to reduce its budget.

The College of Arts and Humanities will cut $1 million from its budget, the largest amount of money from any college. Other cuts to colleges include:

• $800,000 from the College of Science and Mathematics

• $700,000 from the College of Health and Human Services

• $700,000 from the College of Social Sciences

• $675,000 from the Craig School of Business

• $500,000 from the Kremen School of Education and Human Development

• $450,000 from the College of Agriculture and Technological Sciences

• $320,000 from the College of Engineering and Computer Science

Consolidation and suspension of programs has been suggested. The Craig School of Business and the College of Engineering will face consolidation under the proposal for budget actions. The College of Health and Human Services will suspend two undergraduate and two graduate programs.

Welty proposed various actions for the school to consider in order to operate within the proposed budget.

Fewer colleges is one option the school will approach, Welty said. Reducing the number of departments on campus will also be considered.

A two-to-three year plan is needed to reduce remediation in the freshman class, Welty said. The goal is to focus on college-ready students.

Administrative services, which includes financial and facilities management, public safety, campus information systems, information technology services and human resources will face a reduction of $1.6 million.

Seven management and 35 staff positions that are currently vacant will be eliminated. An additional four management and 15 staff positions will be held open and will not be filled.

Ten management positions were eliminated last July in anticipation of the pending cuts.

Attempts to minimize the need for lay-offs were made by re-assigning various administrative positions, Welty said.

Despite the efforts, four people will be laid off, which include three staff and one management position.

“ I believe we must act now to assure that there is adequate time to implement these changes and to give careful consideration to other possible changes,” Welty said.

Procedure changes are being considered to increase effectiveness in graduate programs, academic personnel services, human resources, payroll and benefits.

Student affairs will face a reduction of $709,000.

Athletics, which receives less than 14 percent of its budget from the university, will face a reduction of $140,000.

Some projects that had been planned for Fresno State prior to the budget crisis will continue.

Fresno State will continue to take steps to achieve the goals outlined in the Plan for Excellence II: 2001-2006.

Construction for the Science II Project will continue. Plans for the new library will also continue, as well as plans to create more Smart Classrooms.

“ We will also continue our efforts to improve students success,” Welty said. “Our retention efforts as recommended in the Task Force on Student Success will continue to be implemented.”