The CSU system is going to be a $2 billion part of the proposed $97 billion 2013-2014 state budget. Before the passage of Prop 30, the voter-approved tax hike, the university system was looking at a $250 million budget cut for the 2013-2014 academic year. Prop 30 is giving back $125 million to the Cal State schools' budget.
"The expectation is that there will be no tuition increases for the next four years. Also, there's the expectation that we will make more courses available to our students," CSU Chief Financial Officer Benjamin Quillian said at the meeting.
California State University Employees Union representatives and professors went before the trustees and Gov. Jerry Brown, pleading that they be given pay raises with the Prop 30 money.
"Look at me and the thousands of middle class Californians I represent, who are dying and they need your help. Please, I'm begging you, when you do your budget, take us into consideration and throw us a bone," said John Orr with the CSU Employees Union.
According to the union, its members have not received pay increases in more than five years.
"Yes, I'm concerned about the salaries. That's one of the reasons why I don't want the administrators to get raises when the people far below are suffering far more. So look, it's a tight ship we're running here and it's going to get tighter," said Brown.
While both the CSU trustees and the Regents of the University of California want more money, indications from Sacramento are that they won't get any more money than what they're already expected to get.
