Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a 2004-05 state budget proposal Jan. 9 with $372 million in cuts for the UC system. The proposed cuts would reduce student enrollments, raise student fees, scale back student financial aid, reduce spending on faculty, eliminate K-12 outreach, and make deeper cuts to research, administration, and other programs.

"Certainly UC must play a role in resolving the state's budget challenges," said John Meyer, vice chancellor for resource management and planning at UC Davis. "However, with reductions in state support over the last several years, it is increasingly difficult to maintain quality. We will be working to assess the proposed budget's effect on the campus and developing a schedule to consult and communicate as a campus budget response is developed."

The governor's proposals are part of a series of statewide cuts intended to help close a $14 billion state budget shortfall. The proposals, for the fiscal year starting July 1, will need the Legislature's approval to take effect. Final decisions will not be made until this summer.

"The governor is making difficult choices, and asking many parts of state government to sacrifice, as the state confronts a massive budget deficit," said UC President Robert Dynes. "That is understandable. But it also should be understood that these cuts, coming on top of deep previous budget cuts, would have a very serious impact on the University of California and its tradition of providing a top-quality, accessible, affordable education for Californians.

"UC is recognized worldwide and in our own communities for the extraordinary opportunities it offers our state's young people and for the profound impact it has on California's economic growth and global competitiveness. It is an institution that helps our people achieve their hopes and dreams. The continuing trend of reduced state funding for UC makes me deeply concerned about our ability to deliver on the promise that the University of California has always represented for the people of California.

"I intend to work with the governor, the Legislature, and the Board of Regents to minimize these cuts and their impact, to seek restoration of funding as the economy improves, and to preserve what the University of California has always meant for California."

As of Dateline's deadline, the budget and UC's response to it were to be discussed in more detail Wednesday and Thursday during a UC regents meeting at UC San Francisco.

UC Davis Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef said he is concerned but hopeful about the proposed cuts. "It's clear that the severity of the state's budget circumstance will require further sacrifice by the university and many others who depend on state resources and services. The governor's proposed budget, in particular, would increase the burden on our students and those aspiring to enroll. Particularly troubling for me is the recommended elimination of funding for our outreach programs -- programs that are proven to work. They strengthen schools and communities throughout the state and reach tens of thousands of students.

"I am hopeful that, as the budget process continues and the governor and the Legislature hear from their constituents, these programs -- which are very much a part of the mission of our land-grant university -- will be better understood and at least some measure of support restored," Vanderhoef said.

The $372 million in program cuts represent the fourth consecutive year of such cuts to the UC system. The proposed budget for UC also includes $145 million in augmentations, largely consisting of restoration of $80.5 million in one-time cuts in the 2003-04 budget, funding for annuitant health benefits, and other items. As a result, UC's net state-funded operating budget in 2004-05 would be $2.67 billion, or 8 percent less than the current $2.9 billion.

Measured another way, the governor's budget, when combined with prior cuts, would leave the university with $530 million less in net state funding than it had in the 2000-01 fiscal year -- a decline in state support of more than 16 percent during a period when enrollments have grown by more than 15 percent.