…These are the state’s neediest students who rely on these funds to buy books and bus passes and make other critical beginning-of-the-semester purchases, it’s a certainty that the lack of a Cal Grant payment acted as a barrier to some students coming back to school," he said. Compounding the problem, the community colleges have not received about $660 million in operating funds the state owes them for the period between July and the end of August. The amount will increase to more than $1.1 billion if a state budget is not passed by late September…

Read full article [here].
by Tanya Schevitz, Carrie Sturrock, and Charles Burress, The San Francisco Chronicle.

Posted: September 4th, 2008, by: admin. Categories: . Awaiting Comments.

As business leaders, we understand that investing in higher education is just as vital as investing in the latest equipment and technology. Our public colleges and universities are the foundation of California’s business model, its blueprint for economic growth, its strategic plan for global market share… That’s why we’re urging the governor and our state legislators to continue fueling California’s economic engine by making strong, sustained investments in higher education in this year’s budget. These choices will make all the difference for California’s future.

Read full article [here].
by Kim Polese and Jerry Fiddler, The San Francisco Chronicle.

Posted: August 18th, 2008, by: admin. Categories: . Awaiting Comments.

The Governor has again showed that he is out of touch with real Californians. Balancing the budget on the backs of hard-working public servants is irresponsible and the Executive Order S-09-08 is plain and simply atrocious. After being told that California’s higher education system would not be affected, California College Democrats have found out that Executive Order S-09-08 could indeed apply here.

Read full article [here].
by Stephanie Chan, The California Progress Report.

Posted: August 8th, 2008, by: admin. Categories: . Awaiting Comments.

Long Beach businessman Randal Hernandez has become the fourth member of the state community colleges board to step down in the year since the panel angered Republican lawmakers by endorsing legislation giving illegal immigrants access to student financial aid… Sen. Jim Battin (R-La Quinta), vice chairman of the committee, confirmed Wednesday that he had told Hernandez that he and other Republican lawmakers had concerns about the college board’s unanimous vote in 2007 to endorse provisions of the proposed state "Dream Act."

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by Patrick McGreevy, The Los Angeles Times.

Posted: August 7th, 2008, by: admin. Categories: . Awaiting Comments.

UC Riverside officials said the university will borrow about $15 million to keep its proposed medical school on track given the state’s huge budget shortfall… State officials praised UCR’s proposal and acknowledged the Inland region’s need for a medical school, but they said the funding is needed because the state is facing a $15.2 billion budget shortfall… The UC Academic Council also had concerns about funding. In a letter to the UC provost, the council recommended approval for a UCR medical school only if new funding is found to cover $100 million in start-up and operating costs. The $100 million would cover costs over 12 years, Grey said, adding that UCR needs the $15 million to keep things on schedule for the next year.

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by Elaine Regus, The Press-Enterprise.

Posted: July 9th, 2008, by: admin. Categories: . Awaiting Comments.

The surge is taxing community colleges, which are dealing with cutbacks because of the state’s budget crisis… "This is a state that does not invest," said Constance Carroll, chancellor of the San Diego Community College District. "It keeps itself in turmoil. This is a time of great enrollment growth. Our frustration is we’re continuing to cut classes rather than expand."

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by Tanya Sierra, The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Posted: June 24th, 2008, by: admin. Categories: . Awaiting Comments.

I know from experience that during tough budget times, the pressure is on state leaders to cut funding for higher education, and to raise student fees. As a state legislator, speaker of the California Assembly, and trustee of both the California State University and the University of California systems, I faced several budget crises… Back when I started at what is now San Francisco State University, California’s higher educational systems were the envy of the nation. They were a large part of what made this state great; the door that was opened for me was the same critical passage to success for countless others, and together we built California into a powerhouse that led the nation throughout the second half of the last century. Now we’re facing another economic crisis, and we will need the innovators, thinkers, entrepreneurs and well-trained workers that our CSU and UC systems have long produced to help see us out of it. And yet, it is at this same moment that we are considering closing the door to higher education for thousands of Californians. I’m here to tell you that is simply shortsighted. In our haste to seize on solutions to the budget crisis, we could jeopardize our long-term economic future.

Read full article [here].
by Willie L. Brown Jr., The San Francisco Chronicle.

Posted: June 23rd, 2008, by: admin. Categories: . Awaiting Comments.

Colleagues and members of the program gathered in Davis for a farewell coffee on Wednesday, where the mood reflected the resignation of those used to the perpetual shortages and thin budgets. Outside, a warm breeze swept over quiet golden and green fields of genetic diversity, west of the UC Davis campus. Inside, hot coffee, pastries, and farewell messages were laid out as nearly two-dozen saddened friends said goodbye. "We’ve been starved out of existence," Qualset said.

Read full article [here].
by Maddalena Jackson, The Sacramento Bee.

Posted: June 23rd, 2008, by: admin. Categories: . Awaiting Comments.

Reduced spending on agricultural research is likely one reason the rate of growth in the productivity of California’s farms has dropped since 1990, according to a new study led by an economist at the University of California, Davis… In California, overall agricultural productivity (how much an average farm can produce with a given amount of land, labor, fertilizer, fuel and so on) grew by an average of 1.82 percent per year from 1949 to 2002, according to the study. From 1990 to 2002, though, productivity grew at an average annual rate of 1.08 percent.

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by Jim Downing, The Sacramento Bee.

Posted: June 19th, 2008, by: admin. Categories: . Awaiting Comments.

"We’re at our cap," said spokeswoman Pat Lopes Harris. "We can’t take any more." Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed cutting almost $313 million from the California State University system budget. During times of abundant funding, the campus tries to find ways to accommodate last-minute students, Lopes Harris said. But this year, there’s no surplus – and no flexibility.

Read full article [here].
by Lisa M. Krieger, The San Jose Mercury News.

Posted: June 4th, 2008, by: admin. Categories: . Awaiting Comments.