While many state programs received drastic cuts in California’s new budget, the California State University system can breathe a sigh of relief.

The university system was spared from cuts in the record-late budget signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Sept. 23, and will receive the same funding from the state as last year.

The budget provides $2.79 billion for the CSU this fiscal year.

Schwarzenegger initially proposed more than $300 million in cuts to the CSU system in January.

Bob Buckley, computer science lecturer and University Budget Advisory Committee member at Sacramento State, said that while the CSU is receiving the same amount of money as last year, this does not take into account the higher number of students enrolled in the university this year.

The state’s failure to increase funding for the system has resulted in fewer courses and larger class sizes.

“The University Budget Advisory Committee made some assumptions based on the governor’s May budget revision,” Buckley said. “Sac State is in pretty decent shape; we made some decisions and have done some things to close the structural deficit.”

Joseph Sheley, Sac State provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, said Sac State is in better shape than some other schools.

“We do what other universities do for about two-thirds the money,” Sheley said. “We are very lean, therefore we are very vulnerable. We are running right on the margin.”

Kevin Wehr, associate professor of sociology and the vice president of the Sac State chapter of the California Teachers Association, said this has a detrimental effect on students and faculty.

“Faculty working conditions and student learning conditions are two sides of the same coin,” Wehr said. “Larger classes mean more work for faculty and less personal instruction for students.”

Several factors contributed to the reduced impact of the budget at Sac State, including Alliance for the CSU actions and advance planning done by the University Budget Advisory Committee, Sheley said.

“The planning, effort and passion of the alliance was very effective,” Sheley said. “I think it made a difference.”

Buckley also gave credit to Sac State President Alexander Gonzalez for providing all the information needed by the University Budget Advisory Committee to fully understand the situation.

“We made our recommendations based on the May revise and President Gonzalez largely accepted them,” Buckley said. “It is hard to imagine the process being more transparent. It was a positive experience.”

The Alliance for the CSU organized rallies on all 23 CSU campuses and led a march to the Capitol last semester. The alliance is made up of students, faculty, administrators, California businesses and community members.

Buckley said the alliance had a major impact at the Capitol.

“It was the first time the CSU spoke as one voice,” Buckley said. “The California Faculty Association took the lead and the Chancellor’s office worked behind the scenes. The alliance showed we are all in this together.”

Wehr said the work of the alliance was a healing experience, after a vote of no confidence in Gonzalez in 2007 by the faculty at Sac State.

“The alliance was very helpful in restoring good faith,” Wehr said. “The alliance is hopeful of restoring more funding next year.”

The California Faculty Association has begun making classroom presentations urging students to join the Alliance for the CSU.

Robert Oden, associate professor of government at Sac State, said students will make the difference in the success of the alliance.

“In the ’60s, it was students that made the difference,” Oden said. “Now, it is students again that need to make the difference.

The faculty can’t do it, and the community can’t do it, but students can.”

The alliance plans on continuing to pressure the governor and the Legislature to increase funding to the CSU system.

Planning for the 2009-10 budget has already begun. An important aspect is the hope of increasing funding for next year and returning to the levels of funding agreed upon by Schwarzenegger, the CSU and UC systems in 2004. Known as the Compact for Higher Education, this agreement was intended to secure state funding through 2011.

In a news release, CSU Chancellor Charles Reed said the governor and state legislators have not held up the compact since 2005.

Delaying enrollment and faculty hiring, as well as suspending planning due to lack of funding, are some long-term impacts of the budget.

Freshmen enrollment will cut off early again this semester and 1,200 classes have been dropped system-wide, according to the Chancellor’s office. An additional 1,000, fully-qualified, transfer students have been denied entry.

Transfer students will be facing increased scrutiny in the upcoming semester. Admissions offices have been instructed to deny students who are not fully-qualified for transfer.

Sac State has seen funding for the long-awaited Science II project postponed. Last year, Science II had reached 12th place in a list of projects proposed throughout the CSU system. Only the top five were funded this year.

Schools that received funding for similar projects are CSU Channel Islands, Monterey Bay, Maritime Academy, Bakersfield and San Luis Obispo. These projects are all lease-revenue projects, much like the new bookstore and residence halls at Sac State.

The Alliance for the CSU and Sac State will continue to push for money to continue the Science II project.

Derek Fleming can be reached at [email protected]