While UC President Robert C. Dynes praised Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2007-08 budget, especially the state’s continued support of several base funds, he said he had qualms about the governor’s fiscal stance on student fees and retirement aid.
Released yesterday, the budget accommodated growth in student enrollment for an increase of 5,000 students, or 2.4 percent. Schwarzenegger also proposed funding for increases in UC employee pay, which now takes 5 percent of the proposed state budget for the university system.
“”This increase is intended to begin closing the market pay gap affecting many UC faculty and staff,”” UC Office of the President spokesman Brad Hayward stated in a press release.
Dynes also commended an initiative Schwarzenegger unveiled last month, a $95-million plan that develops university-based “”green”” technology research. Part of the proposal will fund a petascale computer, a $200-million university project which will build the most powerful computer in the world.
“”[The computer] will provide an enormous competitive advantage to California businesses and universities, helping to attract the best students and faculty from around the world,”” the governor’s office stated in a press release.
This year’s budget allots the initial $5 million funding to state matching monies. UCSD will be competing for the computer with the university’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Schwarzenegger’s budget provided no aid for relieving student fee levels that have ballooned over the past decade. Under the governor’s budget, undergraduates will face systemwide fee increases of about 7 percent, with hikes of up to 10 percent at some professional schools. The fee levels will not be set until the UC Board of Regents votes on the issue in March.
The governor’s decision to boost student fees this year is a notable change from his decision last winter to use $75 million in state reserves, enjoying a surplus at the time, to “”buy out”” the year’s fee hike. While the move earned praise from Democrats and college lobbyists, the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office warned against the proposal’s longtime mercurial effect.
“”Many people believe that the fee increases are made worse because of the need to ‘make up’ for the lost revenue from those times fees were decreased,”” LAO Higher Education Director Steve Boilard stated in an e-mail at the time. “”Our office feels that student fees should not be yo-yoing in this way.””
The governor’s budget recognizes “”the state’s fiscal situation,”” Hayward stated.
Schwarzenegger also removed $19.3 million in state aid from the university’s academic preparation programs, downsizing the outreach program’s budget to $12 million. The program targets disadvantaged high school students.
“”These programs are critical to providing the pathways to college that a state like California depends upon for its economic and social vitality, and we will aggressively seek continuation of state funding for them,”” Dynes said.
