May 22, 2007 :: No. 216

Cal State Fullerton President Milton A. Gordon is leading a campus delegation Wednesday to Sacramento for meetings with legislators and their aides to advocate for additional funding for the California State University in the state’s 2007-08 budget.

CSUF graduate Henry Mendoza, chairperson of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce and managing partner of the Irvine office of Mendoza Berger & Co., is a member of  the delegation, along with Curtis Schlaufman, a political science major and director of governmental relations for the Associated Students Inc.; Ephraim Smith, vice president for academic affairs; and Frances Teves, director of state relations and advocacy.

They will be part of a coalition of CSU educators and supporters who will spend the day in and around the capitol for “CSU May Advocacy Day.”

“Our message is one of support for the governor’s budget and his proposal this month to add $3.6 million in funding for nursing programs,” said Gordon. “Our state is in great need of more nurses, and the CSU is prepared to train them, if we’re given the resources to do so.”

In addition, restored funding is being sought for $7 million cut from the governor’s budget for student outreach and academic preparation programs. Without this allocation, Cal State Fullerton is facing a loss of about $450,000 for such programs that help students succeed.

An even greater funding gap of $2.9 million looms at the Fullerton campus for the 2007-08 fiscal year, due to increases in salaries and health benefits awarded to staff and faculty members in recent statewide contract negotiations. Another $11.6 million is sought to eliminate a budget shortfall for the current fiscal year, due to the admission of  2,024 additional students, to help meet growing enrollment demands.

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