One of the most serious budget crises in the history of the
University of California will be discussed this Wednesday and
Thursday as the UC Board of Regents will hold its bimonthly meeting
at UCLA.
Due to a number of issues including concerns over the war in
Iraq and potential student protests, the UC regents have not held a
meeting at UCLA since May 2002. Protests are expected for this
meeting, but the university police will not make any unusual
accommodations for the protesters, said Nancy Greenstein, director
of police community services for UCPD.
The tough budget situation for the UC has been compounded by the
fact that enrollment in the UC system continues to rise along with
operating costs for the university.
The regents will continue discussions about the options
available to counter the current budget crisis, but no action will
be taken until the next meeting, said Trey Davis, spokesman for the
UC Office of the President.
Matthew Kaczmarek, chairman of the University of California
Students Association, said the regents will discuss the budget but
they will wait for the governor to release his budget proposal
before decisions are made.
“The meeting will focus on how to prioritize
funding,” Kaczmarek said. “And they will give the
budget priorities to the governor.”
Governor Schwarzenegger will release a preliminary budget in
early January.
According to the UC Office of Strategic Communications, the UC
is expected to receive $4 billion dollars in state funds this
school year, but it has only received $3 billion. Over the past
three years, the UC system has sustained budget cuts of 14
percent.
The UC has already incurred budget cuts of $424 million, but
despite this the regents aim to maintain affordability for
students, according to a statement from UCOP.
The regents will consider three possible options to be
implemented next school year to accommodate the budget cuts:
additional increases in student fees, restrictions on enrollment
growth and cuts in programs.
Last July the regents voted to raise student fees by 25 percent.
Shortly thereafter, then-UC President Richard Atkinson raised fees
an additional five percent.
After the fee increases, the average cost of in-state
undergraduate fees at the UC grew to more than $4,000.
The regents will decide if they will increase student fees again
or if they can find another solution to save money for the
cash-strapped UC.
The regents may determine they will need to reduce the number of
incoming freshmen that the university will accept. The UC has never
had to curb enrollment growth.
The decision on whether to curtail enrollment growth comes at an
inopportune time for the UC, as the university system is expected
to grow by 60,000 students between 1999 and 2010.
Curbing enrollment growth would deny admission to eligible
applicants, forcing them into the California State University
system and community colleges. These systems are already
overburdened and underfunded and may have to curb enrollment growth
themselves.
The regents will also deliberate the possibility of implementing
cuts to UC programs. These could also come in the form of
reductions in employee salaries or laying off employees.