I am writing to update you on our budget situation. Yesterday, the Governor
proposed a series of mid-year state budget cuts and revenue enhancements.
The proposed mid-year cut to UC, systemwide, would be $98 million. We do
not know what UC Santa Cruz's share of these proposed cuts would be.
Here is what we do know:
* Prior to any mid-year cuts, state support for UC this year had remained
essentially unchanged from 2007-08. We received no additional funding for
mandated cost increases, making this a de facto budget cut.
* Meanwhile, in a year of unsurpassed demand, UC absorbed all expected
undergraduate enrollment growth without enhanced state funding to support
it. UCSC has funded its own enrollment growth through campus operating
funds and imaginative, diligent efforts by many academic and administrative
staff.
Given these conditions, I advised principal officers to implement a $4.5
million budget reduction for our campus. They developed and implemented
operating plans maintaining our focus on core teaching, research and
service initiatives; minimizing impacts to students wherever possible; and
keeping us on track to implement some critical initiatives, including a
comprehensive campaign. I also provided one-time funds to maintain core
academic support and administrative functions.
We now face mid-year cuts that, once adopted by the Legislature and imposed
by the Governor, will leave us with some very difficult choices. It is
highly likely that we will need to defer some initiatives and reduce our
investment in others. I will be in regular touch with you as details emerge
and our options become clearer. I have already begun a planning process
that has involved the Academic Senate and senior management.
I also know that you want to know how these difficult fiscal circumstances
might personally impact you and your colleagues. Things will become clearer
once we know the extent of cuts to our campus. As new information becomes
available, I will share it with you.
In the meantime, I've directed principal officers to implement all
reasonable cost-saving measures and to engage their staffs in identifying
creative ways to invest limited resources as efficiently as possible. I
invite you to share with them your thoughts and questions, as well as your
own suggestions for belt-tightening. We will thoughtfully consider every
reasonable suggestion.
