At its November 20 meeting, the UC Board of Regents approved a 2009-10 budget proposal for the university as well as a resolution stating that UC freshman enrollments next fall will be curtailed if the state does not provide sufficient funding.

Regents said they were reluctant to constrain access to the university but state elected leaders should understand the impact of continuing budget cuts to the university. UC currently enrolls 10,000 more students than it receives state funding for, at a cost to the campuses of $120 million. And the state’s per-student spending for education at UC, adjusted for inflation and enrollment growth, has fallen nearly 40 percent since 1990.

“The situation we face is serious, and some very tough choices are ahead of us,” said UC President Mark G. Yudoff. “We need to preserve access and affordability to the greatest extent possible. And we can’t leave the state with the impression that we can continue doing more and more with fewer and fewer resources.”

The board took no action on student fees at the November meeting, though the budget proposal includes preliminary assumptions of fee revenue. The Regents will be able to set 2009-10 student fee levels only after receiving the governor’s state budget proposal and evaluating the multiple needs and priorities in the university’s budget.

The budget proposal includes funding for enrollment growth, core academic needs, compensation for faculty and staff, and resumed contributions to the UC Retirement Plan.

For more information, go to <www.universityofcalifornia.edu/regents/regmeet/nov08/
f6summary.pdf>.