Contact: Leah Kolt
(805) 756-1600
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Governor’s Budget Impacts Cal Poly
SAN LUIS OBISPO -- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget
cuts would mean an
additional reduction in state funding and enrollment for Cal Poly,
although specific numbers are not available yet, according to Vice
President for Administration and Finance Larry Kelley.
The University has already sustained enrollment target reductions of
about three percent and funding cuts of over $16 million – 10.6%
of the
operating budget – since July 2003.
While the Governor’s proposal contains cuts in both specific programs
in
addition to a general reduction in funding, the CSU has requested more
flexibility in determining where to make the cuts. “The campuses
would
like to have the discretion to determine where to make our reductions,
so we can direct the cuts where they will have the least impact on the
quality of academic and support programs for students,” Kelley
explained.
The cuts could mean another eight percent cut in state funding, as well
as a further decrease in the enrollment target for coming years, he
estimates, possibly as high as five percent.
“This continues a declining trend in enrollment that will be reversed
only when additional funding becomes available. Any planned enrollment
growth would be deferred to the future,” he said.
Fewer students and reduced funding for the next few years impacts the
campus in other ways, too, such as the timing of the several campus
projects, he pointed out.
For example, the campus has been planning for expansion of the
Recreation Center and the University Union facilities. Additionally,
food service was scheduled to be expanded in the northwest portion of
campus. The timeline for these projects will now be reexamined, he
said.
Another project that is being impacted is a student housing development
on the north side of campus. “This housing project will take a different
course but it is alive and well,” he said.
“We had anticipated adding 2,700 new beds by fall 2006. However,
the
Chancellor’s Office has advised Cal Poly to delay delivery of the
housing, phasing it in over a longer period of time to reduce the
financial risk to the systemwide student housing program,” he explained.
Cal Poly now plans to build the new student housing over a three-year
period, with a phased delivery. “We will continue, building on the
work
that has been approved by the CSU Trustees to date – including
the EIR
and schematic designs. Although this schedule is still subject to
change, we currently anticipate that the first phase will be available
for occupancy in 2007, at the earliest, with the subsequent two phases
opening in the following two years,” he said.
The Governor's budget has been introduced in the Legislature, where it
will be considered throughout the coming months, with the intent of
having a new annual budget in place by July 1, 2004, when the new fiscal
year begins.
Work on Student Housing North will continue throughout that period, he
added, with final Board approval of the revised schedule requested in
September.
-30-