For the spring 2013 semester, Sacramento State is halting admissions to all applicants. Budget cuts have led the president to issue a campus impaction which means no new freshmen or transfer students will be walking through the halls or quad next semester.

It may seem like a bright spot with fewer people to compete with in getting classes—it’s actually the opposite. This problem not only affects Sac State students but has repercussions hurting institutions outside of Sac State.

There are two kinds of impactions: major impaction and campus impaction. The difference is subtle but important. Major impaction is when a major has more applicants than it has seats to fill. Campus is the same except replace major with the entire campus and “seats to fill” with instructional resources.

For Sac State students, it usually means waiting another semester to get a class because they aren’t graduating seniors. It sucks, but in the grand scheme of things, having to wait another semester isn’t horrible.

However, for transfer students—like ones waiting in community colleges—the impact is heavier.

Thinking of transfer students may seem hard for us here already admitted to study. However, there are plenty of students who are transfers from other schools. Most of the editorial staff on this publication are transfer students. Many students might not have the friends they have because they might not be here if impaction came earlier.

Celia Esposito-Noy, vice president of Student Services and Enrollment Management at Cosumnes River College explains:

“(Sac State) closing admissions has a negative impact on transfer students. They have nowhere to go.”

Students who want to transfer from community college to a university usually take many general education classes to prepare for the move. They usually take a few classes that are equivalents in a major as well to help the transition. This plan becomes problematic when the option to transfer no longer exists.

This creates a new generation of students who are now in limbo, playing the waiting game which is game no one wants to play.

Some students end up having to take classes at both community college and Sac State. This puts extra strain on students already stressed from finding classes and makes it harder to want to succeed.

There are also students that reverse transfer, meaning they leave a university and go back to a community college and Esposito-Noy said this leads to impaction at community colleges.

In fact, at Cosumnes River College, all programs are impacted.

There are possible ways of fixing this problem but they come with a price.

Sac State could raise enrollment caps packing in more students in classrooms. This would make it easier for students to get the classes they need, but it also means more work for faculty and encumbered classrooms.

Another fix is the state can raise taxes meaning more money for state programs. Proposition 30 is on the ballot this November and it would increase the personal income tax of annual earners of $250,000 or more for seven years. It would also increase the sales taxes by one-quarter of a cent for four years. This would help increase revenue and help the CSU system but it all depends on voters come election time.

All students should take the time to educate themselves on Prop 30 because of the importance it has on the CSU system. They should also encourage friends and family to do the same because the more people who understand it could mean the difference between a yes or no outcome in November.

The bottom line is a thing like impaction on Sac State leads to massive problems for the university and community colleges. The worst part is students have to suffer and it puts a strain on the learning process.