Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger met with higher education leaders in the University of California, California State University, and Community College systems on April 26 to discuss the future of the education system.
Schwarzenegger said during the press conference that, “investing in higher education is the best investment that California could ever make.” He made that clear when he would not sign another budget for California unless his proposed $2 billion funding increase to higher education was included.
This January’s proposed state spending plan would return more than $848 million to the three public higher education systems, according to the 2009-10 Cal State University budget update.
The April 26 press conference coincided with the anniversary of California’s Master Plan of Higher Education, which promised 50 years ago to provide quality and affordable college education for every Californian.
During the State of the State address, Gov. Schwarzenegger proposed a constitutional amendment to spend more money on higher education than on prisons.
He stated that the budget needs to be reformed and include a rainy day fund of $10-$12 billion for educational use during an economic decline.
The Public Policy Institute of California presented findings at the meeting showing that in 2025, 40 percent of jobs would require college degrees — a need Californians currently are not able to meet.
Schwarzenegger promised that the California higher education system would have a louder voice from now on. He also said that the education system would be re-designed to protect every child instead of every adult.
Schwarzenegger closed the conference by stating that this is a team effort and that he believes the higher education system can get through the current economic downturn.
On April 30, Cal State Long Beach President F. King Alexander sent out an e-mail to students announcing that although he does not have more definitive news at the time regarding CSULB, the university did receive one-time funds of $3.7 million through the state to help meet the demand of courses needed for students this fall.
“I realize that the issue of layoffs remains on everyone’s mind. Great stress has been caused by the financial limbo in which we have had to live and operate for the past year,” Alexander said in the e-mail. “While it is still our intent to avoid the layoff of permanent employees if at all possible, that decision cannot be made until after the governor’s May Revised Budget is released.”
According to Alexander’s e-mail, the governor’s May Revised Budget should be released no later than May 14.
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