April 6, 2004
Contact: Robert C. Detweiler
(805) 756-2186
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cal Poly Announces Job Cuts Due to State Budget Impacts
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Cal
Poly Vice President for Administration and Finance Larry Kelley and Interim
Provost Robert Detweiler today announced the staffing impact of the latest
proposed state budget cuts.
California legislators and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger are still working
out the details of the 2004-2005 state budget. However, under the current
budget proposal now under consideration in Sacramento, Cal Poly’s
budget shortfall for the next fiscal year is $9.3 million – or about
6.3 percent. This latest cut is in addition to the 9 percent, $15 million
budget cut in 2003-04.
To deal with the anticipated $9.3 million state budget cut, Cal Poly plans
to cut roughly 6 percent in the university’s instructional and fundraising
units, and at least 7 percent in the university’s operating divisions,
Kelley explained.
Staffing cuts were inevitable in the face of continuing state budget cuts,
Kelley said, because approximately 80 percent of the university’s
annual operating budget is for faculty and staff salaries and benefits.
The staff cuts will be made through a combination of layoffs and position
eliminations as well as non-renewal of contracts for temporary and part-time
faculty, Kelley said.
In terms of numbers, “Although there are no reductions planned for
tenured or tenure-track faculty, we anticipate that a number of non-tenure
track faculty will not be reappointed. In total, there will be about 109
fewer faculty and staff on campus next year due to the state budget cuts,”
Kelley said.
Some 14 custodial employees were reassigned to other vacant, non-state
funded positions on campus last week, Kelley said. Three managers were
given notice this week that their positions would be eliminated due to
budget cuts, as were another five staff members. Funding for 40 staff
positions currently being held vacant also has been eliminated. The equivalent
of roughly 47 full-time faculty positions – filled by about 140
part-time, temporary contract instructors, some of whom taught only one
class – also will be cut.
In all, the university is eliminating the equivalent of 62 full-time staffing
positions and the equivalent of 47 full-time faculty positions, as well
as the equivalent of 850 full-time students this fall due to state budget
impacts. The staffing reduction includes positions left vacant during
the past year in anticipation of state budget impacts.
In accordance with its union agreements, Cal Poly is now able to ask staff
for voluntary worktime reductions or retirement. “During the next
90 days we will be working with staff as they consider opportunities to
participate in voluntary worktime reduction programs, subject to the provisions
of our collective bargaining agreements,” Kelley said.
The vice president said the university will continue to closely monitor
the state budget situation in Sacramento and preserve as many instructional
and service jobs as possible. “President Baker has asked that budget
plans focus on quality academic programs and services on campus, preserving
full-time, continuing positions to the extent possible,” Kelley
said.
Cal Poly’s job losses are part of a $239.6 million cut in state
funding to the California State University System included in the governor’s
proposed 2004-05 state budget. Also in the governor’s budget are
CSU fee increases for undergraduate, graduate, and out-of-state students
which are currently under consideration.
“We are concerned about each person affected by the cuts,”
Kelley said, “but we recognize that the number of job losses could
have been greater had voters not approved Proposition 57 in March.”
The University has had a hiring freeze in effect for non-critical positions
since California’s economy began to affect the state budget in December
2001. That hiring freeze remains in effect.
For continuing news about the state budget and its impact on Cal Poly,
visit the Cal Poly News Web site's Budget
Update page at http://www.calpolynews.calpoly.edu/budgetcenter.html.
Click Here
to view the Powerpoint
presentation on the state budget
Click Here to view
the Factsheet on
the state budget impacts on Cal Poly
Click Here to read the e-memo
to Cal Poly employees
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