SSU's glum budget report

<p>About 150 faculty and staff at Sonoma State University received grim news Thursday.</p><p>Many sat with dour faces as they learned the details of how the university will overcome a cut in its budget of $15.8 million — a reduction of about 17 percent.</p><p>“It’s an extraordinary number,” said Larry Furukawa-Schlereth, the university’s chief financial officer. “It will have serious implications on every aspect of campus.”</p><p>Everyone who spoke at the meeting seemed to conclude the same thing: The education of students will suffer.</p><p>“This is the worst I’ve ever seen it,” said Eduardo Ochoa, vice president of academic affairs.</p><p>Classes will be cut, salaries will be reduced, some people might get laid off, and students will be paying 20 percent more for a trimmed down education that will include fewer classes, larger classroom sizes, and a likely cutback in campus activities.</p><p>The town hall meeting contained almost none of the often contentious relationship between university faculty and its executives managers. Instead, the mood in Person Theatre was gloomy as people reconciled with a financially starved future that will lower the quality of education.</p><p>The increase in student tuition will generate $5.1 million in additional revenue for the university, covering about 30 percent of the funding shortfall.</p><p>Furloughs will reduce university costs by $6.3 million, representing the largest cutback on campus.</p><p>A decrease in student enrollment will save the university another $4.4 million.</p><p>Nick Curry, a student representative at the meeting, predicted his classmates would voice opposition to the tuition hikes when they returned for the fall semester.</p><p>“We will be paying more, but getting less,” he said.</p><p>Faculty members agreed that the quality of education will suffer. For instance, students might be prohibited from pursuing double majors, and required to graduate after earning 120 credits.</p><p>Some faculty also predicted that the worst might not be over.</p><p>The state budget was largely smoke and mirrors, said Andy Merrifield, a professor of political science and California Faculty Association representative.</p><p>The federal stimulus money used to cover nearly half of the budget shortfall for the California State University system is not expected to be available next year, he said.</p><p>The state will have to find an additional $400 million of funding for the university system or the campus will face additional cutbacks.</p><p>“The situation in Sacramento doesn’t look promising,” he concluded.</p>