Dr. Richard R. Rush, president of CSU Channel Islands, during the opening of the Student Union in 2010.
CSU Channel Islands will be eliminating positions, reducing staff appointments and trimming its operating budget due to $3.8 million in budget cuts for the institution during the 2011-12 academic year, the university reported Monday.
The cuts are part of the $500 million reduction in state support to the California State University system, an 18 percent decrease.
“All decisions to reduce the budget are made to minimize the impact to students and instructional programs at CI,” CSU Channel Islands President Richard R. Rush stated in a media release. “Covering our campus’ $3.8 million cut is not viable without substantial structural changes in the way we operate. It is heartbreaking to lose people we respect that are part of the CI family.”
Eliminated positions included the vice president for advancement, responsible for oversight of donor, alumni, and community relations, as well as communication and marketing; the athletics director charged with the development of intercollegiate athletics; and the faculty development director responsible for faculty training and support for academic programs, the university reported.
State limits on expected enrollment growth reduced the athletic and recreation fees students paid toward the development of intercollegiate athletics. University officials said the campus will continue to build recreation and club sports to transition into an intercollegiate athletics program at some point in the future.
The cuts include the elimination of 12-month laboratory technician positions, with the the positions expected to be available as 11-month positions, the university reported. However, the university’s current hiring freeze will remain in place for other vacant positions.
Rush said the university does not expect to make further reductions at this time. However, the university does not rule out additional cuts in the future. Gov. Jerry Brown has reported that if the sales, vehicle and income taxes are not extended it is likely the university system can expect an additional $500 million reduction to its budget.
“The people of Ventura County, who fought to build this four-year, public university, know that higher education is the economic engine of the region,” Rush said. “We should not be gutting public higher education; we should be growing it.”
Click here for the entire media release.