Students, faculty and administrators encouraged by the prospect of extra funding for the Cal State University system are thankful, but underwhelmed by the realization that Cal Poly will receive only $2.5 million for the fall quarter.
Last month, CSU Chancellor Charles Reed announced that $50.9 million in federal funds would be allocated to the CSU campuses to provide additional courses and classes.
System-wide, CSU campuses will add up to approximately 8,100 course sections and retain additional lecturers.
However, the state funds will only slow the problem rather than repair it, said Erik Fallis, media relations specialist for the CSU system.
“While the additional funding is certainly welcome and will help students, it cannot replace state funding support and a meaningful reinvestment in public higher education by California,” said Fallis.
Provost Marten denBoer was not optimistic that the extra funding will be much help to students next year.
“Overall the budget is still bad, which means it will still be hard for students to enroll in classes,” said denBoer.
The $2.5 million will be distributed throughout each department for the 2010-11 academic year. Each department will be asked to identify certain courses needed in order to make progress in the fall.
“It shouldn’t go to increase the number of classes, but to fund strategic classes for people to graduate,” said Mark Lopez, director of Budget Services for Cal Poly.
Most students seemed to agree with Lopez’s statement.
“I think it should probably go for upper division classes,” said Kelsey Johnsen, first-year history student. “I know a lot of upper division classmen who can’t graduate because they can’t get their classes.”
Johnsen said she was glad to hear the school would be getting more money, but was unsure how helpful it would be in the long run.
“I don’t see it as being promising,” she said. “It seems like a one time thing.”
Like Johnsen, Jimmy Ly, president of the Cal Poly chapter of the American Planning Student Association, is thankful for the extra money but said Cal Poly needs more.
“Honestly, the amount we’re getting isn’t enough,” said Jimmy Ly. “I’m glad legislators finally realized they cannot cut our education, but we definitely need more funding.”
Students such as Michelle Wong, a fourth-year liberal studies student, will graduate this year but said the extra funding will help many of her friends.
Wong said getting classes can be really frustrating sometimes and that it distracts from the educational experience.
“[The money] should go for upper division classes,” said Wong. “I know people that have been here for five or six years and they’re kind of getting sick of it.”
Luis Vasquez, a second-year civil engineering student, also said he hopes the money will be used for upper division classes because he said they tend to fill up with students.
“Let’s get people out of here as soon as possible,” Vasquez said.
Reach the authors at: news@thepolypost.com
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