Hit With More Budget Cuts, Sonoma State Students Fret Longer Graduation Times

Sonoma State University's current budget will be cut an additional $2.3 million as part of state budget "trigger cuts" announced Dec. 13 by Governor Jerry Brown, university officials said.          

Sonoma State, however, will be able to cope with the $2.3 million reduction by using one-time funds that had already been set aside to deal with the anticipated trigger cuts.

Brown announced mid-fiscal year cuts totaling $1 billion to social service agencies, public schools, state colleges and universities and other areas because of lower than anticipated revenue of $1.8 billion instead of $4 billion that was assumed last summer.

Systemwide, the budgets of the California State University system and University of California were each cut an additional $100 million Tuesday. Money for public schools was cut $79.6 million and community college funding was reduced $72 million.

"Sonoma State University's budget will now suffer cuts totaling more than $11.5 million this year alone," said Sonoma State President Ruben Arminana.

He called today's $100 million cut to the CSU system budget another major
hardship for colleges students.

CSU's $2 billion budget represents a 27 percent year-to-year reduction in state support, Sonoma State officials said. A $650 million reduction in the CSU budget was already in place before today's $100 million cut, they added.

"It is disheartening to say the least when your budget is cut by an initial $650 million, but to face an additional $100 million reduction mid-year makes things extremely challenging," said CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed in a statement. "We were aware that this was a possibility, and our campuses have been planning accordingly. However ... the CSU has run out of good options."

Sonoma State underwent .

Andy Merrifield, with the California State Faculty Association, — increasing class sizes, reducing the number of classes offered, lengthening graduation times and decreasing quality and access education.

"So, the impact on the students in horrendous," Merrifield said this summer.

"This is devastating for the campus," said university spokeswoman Susan Kashack after a previous round of budget cuts. "It means fewer, larger classes and possibly looking at not enrolling students in the coming semesters."

Teachers and students in November gathered to protest steady cuts that have hit the school over the past year — , and Nov. 9 teachers .

Tuition has skyrocketed to nearly $3,500 per semester for full-time students, up from about $1,800 per semester in 2000, according to the California Postsecondary Education Commission.

This story is by Angela Hart and Bay City News. Copyright © 2011 by Bay City News, Inc. -- Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.