CSU, News

Governor Brown approves $364 million for CSUs

After months of lobbying from students, faculty and legislators, California Governor Jerry Brown approved more funding for the California State University system June 12.

State lawmakers approved the budget June 14, and Brown will have until the end of the month to sign it in.

In January, Brown proposed a $92.1 million state allocation, an amount the Cal State Board of Trustees found unsustainable.

The state allocation to the CSU General Fund agreed upon by Brown, Senate President pro tempore Toni Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon totals $364 million.

“I am grateful that the governor and the state’s legislative leaders have found common ground and plan to invest in the California State University’s 23 campuses,” President Jane Close Conoley said in a press release. “In doing so, they are investing in our state’s most valuable resource: its people.”

About $105 million will be distributed as ongoing funding, with $75 million going toward the Graduation Initiative 2025 and $30 million toward general university needs; the rest will be categorized as one-time funding.

Funding for the initiative, which focuses on increasing the number of timely graduations, will be used for hiring more tenure-track faculty, conducting research to increase availability of courses and bringing back student services that were previously cut.

According to Elizabeth Chapin, manager of public affairs at the CSU, there are three particular areas for one-time allocations across the university system.

These areas include $120 million to support enrollment growth over the next four years, $35 million for deferred maintenance and $1.5 million for student hunger and basic needs services. Also, $7 million of one-time funding will be administered by the Department of Social Services to provide legal services for undocumented and immigrant campus members.

Administrators at Cal State Long Beach look to repair aging infrastructure over the summer with the allotment of funds toward maintenance. According to Conoley, such projects include fixing underground water pipes, renovating old buildings and repairing the windows by the psychology building.

“The resulting budget prevents student tuition hikes this year, opens the doors to almost 4,000 more students and helps to restore past cuts to faculty in the classrooms as well as to repair decaying buildings,” said California Faculty Association president Jennifer Eagan in an online statement.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.

Daily 49er newsletter

Instagram