2008 Woodie Awards
Taskforce's job: make $6.5 million deficit history
Gonzalez-appointed
Bailey Mannisto-Iches
Issue date: 1/30/07 Section: News
Previous disagreements between President Alexander Gonzalez and the Faculty Senate concerning the appointment of members and expectations of the University Budget Task Force seem to be history.
The Task Force's members met last Wednesday for their second meeting to discuss the $6.4 million deficit that Sacramento State currently possesses.
"I had hoped to continue getting information from the Budget office and setup a system for completing the charge of the committee. I think we accomplished those tasks," said
Task Force Chair and Economics Associate Professor Steve Perez, in an e-mail.
The University Budget Task force is primarily a fact-finding group with the charge to examine Sac State's 2006-07 budget, determine the extent of any structural deficit that may exist, and make recommendations to the president regarding current and future spending in regards to the deficit.
The meeting commenced with Associate Vice President for Financial Services Suzanne Green's findings and summary of Sac State's
current budget.
"We've had bigger deficits in the past," Green said. "Having to close a $6.5 million gap out of a $230 million budget doesn't sound overwhelming," she said.
Green said that the deficit has been a consequence of lower enrollment, mandatory costs and the president's allocations.
"We have no control besides turning off the lights and locking the doors. It's not what we're about, and we're trying to grow," she said.
Student Enrollment is an important factor in the budget, and its influence doesn't stop there. It also has a huge role in government funding.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's new budget assumes that the California State University system will increase student fees by 10 percent.
The governor claims that the state general fund is lacking in funds for the CSU system, and the old compact relied on student enrollment.
Sacramento State did not meet the standards.
"Will the Legislature and government put money back into the state fund, to avoid this 10 percent increase? Well, the final decisions haven't been made," Green said.
The CSU system relies heavily on government funding in order to work.
"In order to function, student fees increase, there are more constraints on how to raise the dollars, the UC system for example can make it because they receive funding from research…we focus strictly on students, so we have no opportunity," said task force member and Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science Emir Jose
Macari.
Discussion of the budget will continue Friday when the task force meets for the third time, in five organized sub-committees, a result of Wednesday's meeting.
Bailey Mannisto-Ichés can be
reached at news@statehornet.com
The Task Force's members met last Wednesday for their second meeting to discuss the $6.4 million deficit that Sacramento State currently possesses.
"I had hoped to continue getting information from the Budget office and setup a system for completing the charge of the committee. I think we accomplished those tasks," said
Task Force Chair and Economics Associate Professor Steve Perez, in an e-mail.
The University Budget Task force is primarily a fact-finding group with the charge to examine Sac State's 2006-07 budget, determine the extent of any structural deficit that may exist, and make recommendations to the president regarding current and future spending in regards to the deficit.
The meeting commenced with Associate Vice President for Financial Services Suzanne Green's findings and summary of Sac State's
current budget.
"We've had bigger deficits in the past," Green said. "Having to close a $6.5 million gap out of a $230 million budget doesn't sound overwhelming," she said.
Green said that the deficit has been a consequence of lower enrollment, mandatory costs and the president's allocations.
"We have no control besides turning off the lights and locking the doors. It's not what we're about, and we're trying to grow," she said.
Student Enrollment is an important factor in the budget, and its influence doesn't stop there. It also has a huge role in government funding.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's new budget assumes that the California State University system will increase student fees by 10 percent.
The governor claims that the state general fund is lacking in funds for the CSU system, and the old compact relied on student enrollment.
Sacramento State did not meet the standards.
"Will the Legislature and government put money back into the state fund, to avoid this 10 percent increase? Well, the final decisions haven't been made," Green said.
The CSU system relies heavily on government funding in order to work.
"In order to function, student fees increase, there are more constraints on how to raise the dollars, the UC system for example can make it because they receive funding from research…we focus strictly on students, so we have no opportunity," said task force member and Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science Emir Jose
Macari.
Discussion of the budget will continue Friday when the task force meets for the third time, in five organized sub-committees, a result of Wednesday's meeting.
Bailey Mannisto-Ichés can be
reached at news@statehornet.com
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