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Money Matters

A Look At This Year's Budget

Looking to the 2006-07 budget, there are some exciting changes, according to President Milton A. Gordon.

"These changes are quite dramatic and historic," Gordon said. "Over the past 20 years that I have served in the California State University system, I have seen years where the economy was thriving and years when funding was tight. But this year, there are three critical areas that will have a significant and meaningful impact on our budget … and, thus, on our faculty, staff and students."

The first of the critical areas is the marginal cost funding calculations that will increase per-student funding. If this funding had been reduced, the campus stood to lose about $1.5 million in funding. Senator Dick Ackerman (R-Tustin) and Assemblywoman Lynn Daucher (R-Brea) were strong supporters of increasing the marginal cost funding.

Another significant factor for the new budget is the funding of CSU graduate programs at 12 units per full-time student rather than 15 units per student. This will allow CSUF’s graduate programs to be funded at the same support levels that are found in the UC system.

"This is a great time for our faculty to be developing new graduate and doctoral programs, such as our new master in social work and our Ed.D program," Gordon said. "I know a number of our faculty members have expressed an interest in developing graduate programs and now we have additional resources to enable them to do so."

The third new development allows Cal State Fullerton (as well as the other CSU campuses) to place student fee revenue in a local trust fund where it can earn increased interest that will directly benefit the campus.

"This development will shift the way we do business," Gordon said. "In a sense, the State is giving each campus more autonomy and responsibility to be good stewards of these funds.

"Overall, these new developments represent a new era in budgeting," he said. "An era that will allow us to provide more educational opportunities and enhance our university."

 

 

 

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