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Looming Budget Cuts Threaten Higher Education
Dear [[First Name]]:
All Californians are feeling the pinch of our tough economic times and SDSU is not exempt. As you know, Governor Brown and the legislature have been grappling with an estimated $26 billion budget shortfall to put our state back on track. For the CSU our best case scenario is a cut of almost 18% -- or $500 million in 2011-12. This equals an estimated $30 million from San Diego State. As a supporter of SDSU we want to update you on the situation and let you know how we are ensuring that our budget decisions reflect our commitment to serve students.
Overall, the CSU faces a reduction that puts our state funding support at the level of ten years ago -- but we are serving 70,000 more students. SDSU will shoulder $30 million as our share of that reduction and will continue to serve all of our students with courses so students can complete their degrees and enter the workforce well-prepared for the future.
What's Next - Possible $1 Billion Cut
In addition to the already proposed cuts to SDSU and the CSU system, if the legislature cannot come to a consensus on the budget and the voters don't approve the tax extensions that we hope will be on a June ballot, we could be facing double the amount of cuts. That would mean a $1 billion reduction in funding to the system, upwards of $60 million from SDSU alone. If this happens, even more qualified students will be denied access to the high-quality education at SDSU.
While SDSU will not reduce fall 2011 enrollment numbers compared to last year, should this worst-case scenario happen there are no good plans to deal with a cut of that size. It would severely affect access at SDSU and across the CSU. Under this scenario, SDSU will prioritize providing students with the courses they need to graduate and protecting the jobs of our valued faculty and staff. It may come to pass that the CSU Board of Trustees would be forced to raise tuition even more to meet the shortfall in state support funds.
Join Us in Advocating for Education
Thank you for your hard work as advocates for San Diego State University. As the budget deliberations continue, we need to remain vigilant in keeping funding for SDSU and the CSU on the legislature's radar and a high-priority for elected officials. We will be asking you to contact your local legislators in the next few months to let them know how important funding for SDSU and the CSU is. In the meantime, please pass this information along (http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=jlLQL8MYLoK1LqI&s=[[en_supporter_id]]&m=[[en_MailID2]]) to people you know and check in at Budget Central (http://sdsu.edu/budgetcentral) for the latest information.
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