In anticipation of the new CBF Fee proposal, the college Dean and Associate dean held meetings with student CBF committees, to solicit student leadership advice and counsel on the kinds of concerns and questions might anticipate from our students as we presented the new CBF proposal. At the suggestions of our students, the following Question and Answer section is provided. During the 30 day Consultation period, additional questions may surface that merit being added with an appropriate answer. As new questions are added, they will be identified by the date they were posted.

Initial Questions & Answers Posted: February 9, 2007

1. Why is California reducing funding to Cal Poly?

California’s current multi-year budget crisis has resulted in significant reductions to the state funding available for higher education. All UC and CSU schools have received several budget cuts over the last 12 months, and the state's economic situation continues to deteriorate. Cal Poly used past savings to help cushion itself from some of the cuts, while other UC and CSU schools had to reduce class offerings and take other measures to save funds. However, a cumulative $8.1 million has been cut from the Cal Poly budget in 2008-09 already, and we have exhausted most of our non-state savings and other resources to take those cuts after absorbing $17 million in cuts over the prior 5 years. The forecasts for the nation and for California indicate the recession will be prolonged, with the majority of the states in the US are facing growing deficits, and cutting funding for higher education to help address the problem.

2. Why is Cal Poly so greatly affected by the cuts?

Our University is especially affected by State budget cuts, as several have come after students have already been admitted. Cal Poly has the highest percentage of majors in high cost professional programs of the 23 CSU campuses, due to our lab based instruction with low student/teacher ratios, and high technological support. Cal Poly has the highest percentage of students who graduate in the CSU system, a point of pride but also a contributor to our educational costs per student, as in general upper division labs, seminars, and special courses are more costly than lower division large lectures. However, since the early 1990’s, Cal Poly has only received the same amount of money for every new student that all other CSU campuses have received.

3. How have cuts affected the CAED?

The current cuts to our CAED budget come on top of six straight years of actual budget cuts per student starting in the recession of 2003-05, and aggravated by mandated new enrollment growth that was not matched with sufficient funding.

The CAED is even more vulnerable to funding shortfalls from the State than some of the other colleges at Cal Poly. The CAED has the highest concentration of high cost programs of all the colleges at Cal Poly, with many of the lab courses and class sizes needing to conform to the professional accreditation standards of their respective disciplines, and by the generally accepted student/teacher ratios found at other high quality, nationally ranked programs. Our colleagues in the College of Engineering and the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences face similar challenges, and together our three colleges have close to 60% of the majors at Cal Poly and generate over 30% of all student credit units taught.

When the CSU administers funding cuts, they take away a percentage of prior funding. That means that higher cost programs actually give back more money per student than lower cost ones, making the amount of money needed to make up the difference greater per student.

4. Why doesn’t the CSU either get more money from the state, give more money to Cal Poly, or reduce the number of students it takes in.

The entire 23 campus CSU system depends one multiyear agreement with the Governor and Legislature of California that links the provision of new money, to an agreement to take more students than in prior years. The CSU treats all of its campuses identically, setting mandatory enrollment targets, then providing funds along a uniform formula. Increasing funding to Cal Poly would require reducing funding at the other 22 campuses. Failing to meet targets results in penalties of funds being cut. The entire system was set up during time of relative prosperity, and envisioned giving more funds per student each year. Instead, the formula and legislative changes have kept the enrollment requirements largely in place, but provided less money per new student. It will take a new Higher Education compact by the Governor and Legislature to change this system, and students and their parents are encouraged to become familiar with the system

5. How will current and future funding cuts affect the CAED if the new Fee proposal does not pass?

Without alternative funding intervention, the quality and access to the education offered at Cal Poly and the CAED will be negatively impacted. Approximately 85% of the budgets of the Colleges at Cal poly are for faculty and staff salaries, and large scale budget cuts can require a reduction in personnel as happened during a similar period in the early 1990’s.

6. What other ways besides raise student fees can the University and the College undertake to address the state funding shortfall?

The university is currently taking multiple steps to maintain the high quality of its programs and keep its promise to its students, including the development of a Strategic Plan that features a greater focus on developing sustainable non-state funding sources. Despite budget cuts in the years 2002-03-04, and the failure of the state to fully restore those cuts in the succeeding years, the CAED had increased its efficiency in terms of the funds per student used to cover education. Private giving and grant supported research have also increased over the last several years. The college and its departments have raised over $1.5 million each year for program support, furnishings, equipment, and student scholarships. The college will continue these efforts to be sure we are providing the highest quality educational program in the most cost effective way, and that private funds that support our innovative education continue to rise.

7. Are all the colleges in the same situation?

All colleges at Cal Poly have experienced a steady decline in state funding over the last twenty years, and since 2003 have needed to increasingly tap savings from past years and expand private fundraising to make up the difference. The depth and predicted length of the current State budget cuts has hit with much greater force than the 2003-2005 period, and after all colleges had already tapped the majority of their CBF funds to support faculty positions.

8. What are the special challenges for the CAED due to unanticipated current cutbacks?

The CAED entered the period of the current state crisis already short of funds as it kept its promise to mount all the necessary classes for its majors, regardless of whether adequate funding was available. The CAED had absorbed a greater increase in students over the last 6 years than any other college while also seeing improvements in the percentage of entering students who completed their degrees. For both reasons, the college exceeded its assigned instructional goals but under the CSU formula no additional funds were given to cover the costs of the extra students

These factors led to an operating deficit for the CAED earlier and larger than any of the other colleges. This was allowed by the University as some other areas had operating surpluses, and the Compact for Higher Education adopted by the Governor and Legislature in 2005 indicated future funds would be available to reduce deficits and grow operating budgets back to the healthier levels of the late 1990’s. However, with the dramatic change in the states situation, the University is no longer in the position to allow the continued deficits in the CAED, as three of the seven colleges are projected to be running significant deficits by the end of this year. Current CBF fees would not alone be able to help cover the growing deficits, even 100% of CBF fees were used to support faculty and staff.

9. Couldn't we just put more students in each class and cutback new students to save money?

Increases in class sizes beyond the acceptable limits dictated by accreditation in most of our majors would jeopardize the standing of our programs, and we would avoid such action. We are substantially reducing admissions in fall 2009, but costs savings due to this action do not offset the high costs of educating continuing students. Even if we took no new students, the costs of education those already in the college without jeopardizing our accreditation necessitates other actions.

10. What will be the immediate impact on the CAED if the fees are approved?

The proposed new College Based Fee will help the CAED return to financial health and accommodate its current students to graduation. Importantly, the University and the College are simultaneously undertaking other measures to increase the efficiency of our current operations, reduce new admissions, target resources to meet our guarantees to existing enrolled students, and collaborate with the University and other colleges in broadening private financial support and fee generating projects and research. In partnership with the faculty and students in each department, the College will be identifying those priority courses or sections of CAED or general education classes that need to be protected or added to support timely progress to degree by current students beginning immediately after the President approves the proposed fee.

11. What role will the proposed new registration systems play in helping students who are already hers?

A block registration system for entering freshman will help match new student course demand with the most efficient hiring and scheduling. The proposed May registration for fall quarter will help predict class demand for continuing students and funding for the faculty required to meet fall quarter 2009 course demand will be guaranteed. Doing  both will save money, and also better match actual student course needs. Some of the added sections will be in General Education to remove bottlenecks for CAED majors there, and other offerings during 2009-2010 will be made by the CAED departments to accommodate majors who might otherwise be delayed in graduation.

12. What could happen if the proposed new Fees are not enacted?

Cal Poly would need to have all colleges adopt substantial budget cutting measures, and every department would receive fewer funds next year than in the past two years. The CAED and other colleges that already have operating deficits could be asked to also pay a part of these deficits back, making the cuts potentially greater for CAED programs. All departments have been asked to prepare for this scenario. As more than 90% of departmental budgets is used for faculty and staff salaries, cuts would require a reduction in personnel. This would result in a combination of larger class sizes, reduced class offerings, reduced electives and minors, and reduced field trips and study abroad. Shared facilities and support programs at both the College and University level would also be curtailed or eliminated. The net affect for students would be having less direct contact with faculty and needing to take one or more quarters extra to graduate due to insufficient course offerings in both GE and the majors.

13. Couldn't we just put more students in each class and cutback new students to save money?

Increases in class sizes beyond the acceptable limits dictated by accreditation in most of our majors would jeopardize the standing of our programs, and we would avoid such action. We are substantially reducing admissions in fall 2009, but costs savings due to this action do not offset the high costs of supporting the costs of educating continuing students. Even if we took no new students, the costs of education those already in the college without jeopardizing our accreditation necessitates other actions.