Chico State preps for cuts

State budget problems continue to hit Chico State University. In a memo sent out to all state university employees last Thursday (Oct. 23), Chancellor Charles Reed warned of further cuts.

Noting that state revenues are way down, he said that the university system had been told it must cut another $31.3 million from its budget. That’s on top of an existing $215 million shortfall.

The good news is that the system will be able to absorb the additional cuts without cutting instruction, student services or public safety, the memo states.

“We understand this to mean there’s not going to be a campus-by-campus reduction,” Chico State spokesman Joe Wills said. “The reductions will be made centrally.”

Reed further warned, though, of more cuts coming out of the special session of the Legislature called by Gov. Schwarzenegger for November.

Locally, Wills said, university President Paul Zingg will be meeting with the University Budget Committee on Friday (Oct. 31) to begin preparing for an additional 5 percent reduction.