U.C. Likely to Face Budget Cut

Paul Backus | Mar 10, 2008 | Comments 0

Keeping in line with the fad of slimming down after the New Year, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced on Jan. 10 that he plans to trim the budget for all state universities, including the University of California, by 10 percent for the 2008-09 school year. The cut will leave the universities with over $400 million for which to compensate.
The governor’s plan is to increase the base budget for the University of California by four percent, under his 2004 “compact” and then take ten percent out of the new budget. This will leave the University of California with a total of 3.4 percent less than the 2007-08 year.
If 3.4 percent sounds small, maybe the dollar amount, $109 million, sounds bigger. The 10-percent reduction cuts back the actual base budget for next year by $332 million. The University of California’s Board of Regents requested an additional budget increase of $85 million above the base budget.
After calculations, according to Schwarzenegger’s proposal, the University of California will receive $417 million less from the state than the Regents proposed in order to sustain U.C.’s current level of service.
Needless to say, this proposal has been met with some criticism. According to the University of California Newsroom, U.C. President Robert Dynes said, “This budget proposal will have serious impacts on our ability to deliver on our mission for our students and for the people of California.”
Some students have discussed the rumors that there will be fewer instructors on campus next year. Calvin Ninh, a third-year chemical engineering major, said he has heard friends talking about a faculty reduction next year.
“I really think it’s not a rumor

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