Annual Budget for Academic Year 2011-2012

In the unveiling of his proposed budget, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. noted that: “We begin 2011, after the longest budget stalemate in the history of California, with a budget gap of more than $25 billion.  Short-term measures and gimmicks adopted in recent years did not solve our problem and in fact made it worse.” The Governor’s January budget attempts to close California’s short-term budget gap and eliminate projected future deficits.

The Governor’s budget for the California State University (CSU) reflects a reduction of $500 million in 2011-12 to help resolve the California budget deficit.  The governor notes that “these reductions are intended to minimize fee and enrollment impacts on students by targeting actions that lower costs of instruction and administration."  He pledges that his Administration will work with the Office of the Chancellor and the Trustees as well as stakeholders to determine the specific mix of measures that can best accomplish these objectives.

The proposed reduction for the CSU represents an 18 percent reduction in state support and will bring CSU state support back to 1999-2000 levels even though the university system currently serves nearly 70,000 more students.  CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed stated that “The magnitude of the budget reduction in one year will have serious impacts on the state’s economy, limit access for students seeking entrance to our universities, and restrict classes and services for our current students.”

Academic Affairs

CSU, Chico

California State University

State of California

News Media Reports and Other Analyses