Budget proposal by Gov. Davis reduces state support for UCs

Tuesday, January 19, 1999

Budget proposal by Gov. Davis reduces state support for UCs

REGENTS: Plan addresses scholarships, student fees, future
enrollment growth

By Kathryn Combs

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

At the UC Board of Regents meeting last Thursday, Gov. Gray
Davis’s budget proposal for 1999-2000 was unveiled – not only
sending mixed messages, but receiving mixed reactions as well.

While the proposed budget takes into account projected
enrollment growth of 3 percent and does not allow for an increase
in resident student fees, it also reduces the UC’s request for
permanent state General Fund support by approximately $50 million
and discontinues one-time funding for core UC needs such as
instructional technology and and deferred maintenance.

UC President Richard Atkinson said the budget reflected slower
economic growth in California and projections of a $1 billion state
budget deficit under current policies.

Though the budget does not expressly provide for resident fee
increases, student regent Max Espinoza said a lack of funding for
other UC needs may create the need for fee increases down the
road.

"The governor’s budget does not propose a raise in mandatory
systemwide fees, (but) the lack of funding for such things as staff
salaries and merit increases as well as core needs raises the
prospect that fees could be raised," he said.

Regent William Bagley noted this decrease in state funding is
typical of the last three to four decades.

"The most significant fact is back 30 to 40 years ago, we the
state provided 60 percent of the university’s operating budget.
Today it’s only 25 percent," Bagley said. "That’s a crying shame,
and that is what has happened to higher education in
California."

The proposed budget, however, increases the UC’s total state
General Fund budget for 1999-2000 by 1.8 percent, or $46 million,
but funding reductions could still harm the UC.

"The $50 million reduction from the regents’ workload budget and
the loss of one-time funding for core needs would hurt the
university a great deal," said Larry Hershman, UC vice president
for budget.

Elena Stern, spokesperson for Antonio Villaraigosa, speaker of
the California State Assembly, said Villaraigosa is so far pleased
with the governor’s budget because "it accounts for enrollment
growth, it does not include a fee increase (and) it does cover
substance abuse research and of course looks at the leadership
academic and teaching scholarships."

The proposal also included two initiatives for professional
development. One is a $13 million initiative designed to improve
public school performance, including the teacher scholars program,
a 15-month program to help prospective teachers gain their
credential and master’s degree from the UC.

The budget is however a "work-in-progress" and nothing is yet
set in stone. Espinoza said the proposal definitely caught his
attention and that he intends on lobbying the legislature and the
governor to make sure the UC’s needs are fulfilled.

"I’m hopeful that as the state’s financial picture becomes more
clear this coming May that the governor will be able to provide the
university with the money that we need," he said.

"Other regents and I will work very hard with the president’s
office to lobby the legislature and the governor to provide the
university with the moneys to maintain the quality of our
institution."

Regardless of the mixed reaction received by the governor’s
budget proposal, Bagley, who has worked with Davis since the 1970s,
expects Davis’ knowledge and experience to work to the benefit of
the UC.

"I hope Governor Davis will help to get us back into the higher
thirties rather than the low twenties as a percentage of our
operating budget," Bagley said, explaining that the state currently
provides for only 25 to 30 percent of the UC’s operating
budget.

"That’s going to be my mission in the next couple of years,"
Bagley said.

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