Although the massive cutbacks in state funding laid out in
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2008-09 budget signify imminent financial burdens
for the UC system, officials announced last week that the university will
continue its plan to offer admission to all applicants who meet eligibility
requirements for Fall Quarter 2008.
The university’s ability to maintain its longstanding
admission practice was called into question earlier this year in the face of
Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget, which allots the 10-campus UC system $417
million less than the amount sought by the UC Board of Regents to adapt to a
growing student population.
Despite financial challenges, however, UC Provost Wyatt R.
Hume said in a statement that the university feels it has a duty to provide
eligible students with a place within the system.
“With the strong increase in undergraduate applications this
year, we feel it is our obligation to
to continue meeting our commitments under the Master Plan for Higher Education
and expand our enrollment capacity as necessary,” Hume said. “Students have
worked hard to become eligible for the university, and we do not want them to
worry at the 11th hour about whether they will have a place at UC.”
Facing a record-size applicant pool, university officials
have stressed caution, saying that the decision to continue the eligibility
practice will challenge the university’s capabilities. Officials have already
announced that the practice will be discontinued for the 2009-10 year unless
necessary funding can be provided by the state at that time.
“Enrolling additional students without additional state
funding is not sustainable,” Hume said. “It clearly will bring additional
pressure on the 2008-09 budget.”
Decisions regarding how the university will cope with these
financial pressures have not been finalized, though officials indicated in the
statement that measures will likely include budget reductions to a number of
areas throughout the system, as well as additional increases in student fees.
While all eligible students will be offered a place at one
of the UC campuses, the high number of applicants may lead to fewer students
being admitted to their first-choice campus.
The impact of Schwarzenegger’s budget are not limited to the
UC system. In order to combat the state’s projected $14.5-billion deficit,
Schwarzenegger proposed 10-percent cuts to nearly all state-funded departments
and programs, including the
and community college systems. Hume said that the three college systems are
united in encouraging state officials to minimize the negative impact on higher
education as a result of
budget crisis.
“We stand with
and the
Colleges
consider the return on investment in higher education as they make budget
decisions this year,” Hume said.
