Fresno State campus hit with more cutbacks

Dr. Welty used words like painful, and disappointing to describe upcoming budget cuts. This comes after Monday's announcement by Governor Jerry Brown to cut $1.4 billion from higher education.

Identical twins Jill and Molly Delperdang will soon be separated for the first time. They are enrolling in different schools because they can't afford to stay at Fresno State.

Molly Delperdang said, "We've never been apart my parents have to pay more and more money. I'm working three jobs to help out with budget cuts."

"I wish I could report that the fiscal situation was improving," said Dr. Welty. "It is not. In fact, it has gotten worse."

Under new state budget proposals Fresno State President Dr John Welty expects to cut $20 million from the campus budget. "This reduction on top of what we have already experienced is devastating."

Effective immediately Welty says he will freeze all position vacancies and searches. Travel will be restricted, major purchases limited or postponed and summer school goes from a state funded program to self funded. Next year students will be impacted.

On Wednesday more than 12 thousand new students and 300 new classes will be added to campus thanks to growth enrollment money coming from the chancellor's office.

However once the 2011-2012 budget is in place and that money goes away so will positions and classes.

Michael Caldwell said, "One of the first steps you have to take in these situations is reducing enrollment which reduces access."

Tanya Crabb said, "It's so disappointing, disheartening to hear because so many need an education you know you need to go higher than high school."

Crabb with University Outreach says high school students should still prepare for college, as well as the realities of possibly not getting in or staying longer.

"I thought it was going to be a 4-year college thing, but it's going to be so much longer because of budget cuts," said Jill Delperdang.

Welty says if tax extensions proposed by Governor Brown are not allowed by voters -- he expects they will have to cut further.

The Board of CSU presidents will meet January 25th and 26th to come up with a plan.