Book Description

The 2008-09 budget proposed by the Governor reduces funding for higher education by $1.1 billion, from a figure based on planned enrollment growth and other workload and eligibility factors. The California Postsecondary Education Commission is concerned that funding reductions could result in long-term damage to California's postsecondary education enterprise, which is a significant avenue for the state's future economic growth and sustainability. Commission staff recommends that policymakers maintain the following priorities in determining levels of support but only to the extent that fiscal resources demand prioritization: (1) Priority should be given to maintaining funding for programs and services most critical to facilitating student access and success; (2) Campuses should first look to improve productivity and performance, giving priority for funding to programs and activities that have been evaluated and proven to be most effective; (3) Increases in fees should occur only as a last resort; (4) Changes to educational operations should be undertaken with as little disruption as possible; and (5) To the extent possible, campuses should put together options and strategies that allow for adjustments so they will not have to start from scratch in adapting their plans to unanticipated changes. The Commission will advocate for these priorities on specific budget items including enrollment growth, student fee increases, unallocated funding reductions, financial aid, and student support services.