[CAUT] bursting at the seams

[Israel Stein]

Fred,

It appears that you are embarking on the path that we here in California 
have been treading for the past 7-8 years, thanks to the Governator's 
continuing cuts to education funding. First we followed the same "do 
more with less" as you are now attempting to do (and that was on a 
system-wide basis, on all 33 Cal State University campuses, of which 
SFSU is one. The breaking point came last year, with the draconian cuts 
following that California budget impasse. So the University did not 
admit a Spring 2010 class, cut admissions, and cut faculty. We lost all 
adjunct faculty - which amounted to the entire winds faculty - and a 
whole lot of graduate assistants. The department was essentially 
decimated. When Federal stimulus funds came in, some of the faculty cuts 
were restored, and the Director figured out a workaround to allow wind 
students to finish their degree by using scholarship money (which the 
School of Music and Dance controls) to pay the dismissed faculty for 
private lessons - and have them fulfill the degree requirements that way.

That was last year. This year we have a reduced enrollment, so the piano 
service workload has not increased - but it has become almost impossible 
to purchase supplies, since the administrative staff has been decimated, 
and all purchases have to be approved by the Dean's Office. It took me 3 
hours of running around on 2 successive days to get a $100 purchase 
approved - not because the Assistant Dean who actually approves 
purchases was uncooperative (I have worked with him on several matters 
and we have a good, trusting relationship) but because of the staff cuts 
nobody knows who is supposed to do what... In the end, the purchase was  
put through by the same woman who I have been dealing with in the Music 
Office for the past 3 years - but who is now working in the Theater 
Office but appears to be the only one who knows how to put through Music 
and Dance purchases... This is going to be a very interesting year. In 
the Chinese  proverb sense... Especially if Meg Whitman (retired E-Bay 
CEO) succeeds in buying the Governorship - so far she spent $108 million 
of personal funds on her campaign, and she is still in a dead heat with 
Jerry Brown who is hardly campaigning... Seeing her announced plans, we 
will be wishing for the "good old days" with Arnold...

Israel Stein 
> Message: 1
> Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:36:21 -0600
> From: Fred Sturm <fssturm at unm.edu>
> To: College & University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>
> Subject: [CAUT] bursting at the seams
> Message-ID: <5CF2D39F-FB2C-48E8-86F2-274CA521891C at unm.edu>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes
>
> 	I am curious whether other institutions are experiencing significant  
> rises in enrollment. We have been heading steadily up over the past  
> decade, with a faster increase the last couple years, and it seems to  
> be accelerating. 160 freshman enrolling in theory this fall, which is  
> double what it was five years ago. Classes are full to bursting, rooms  
> are in short supply.
> 	Meanwhile, we face a 3.2% budget adjustment (cut) this fall semester,  
> and a projected additional 5% in the spring. And are told both cuts  
> are likely to be "permanent." On top of two years of 5-10% cuts each  
> year (this being a cut in the money allocated by the state). Well, I  
> guess that is the same story everywhere, pretty much. We tighten our  
> belts and move on. We are insulated to some extent, because 50% or so  
> of our budget comes from various class fees, and that income is rising  
> with the additional enrollment.
> Regards,
> Fred Sturm
> fssturm at unm.edu
> http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/FredSturm
>