Message from the President

This was sent to the campus community yesterday:

Welcome back, everyone. As we begin the spring semester, I am writing to give you an update on several important issues.

First, the budget picture: The Governor announced his proposed 08-09 budget on January 10. Due to the state’s fiscal environment, with California facing a projected $14 billion shortfall, the Governor’s budget cannot fund the plan approved by the CSU Board of Trustees last November. In fact, the proposal includes a reduction of $312.9 million or 10 percent in state general fund support for the CSU.

In addition, the Governor’s budget does not include $73.2 million that is needed to avoid an increase in undergraduate and graduate student fees for 2008-09.

As we deal with the uncertainties of this budget, San José State will continue to be guided by our strategic plan and Vision 2010, and as in the past, will draw on the best thinking of the campus community to minimize the impact of any cuts. We will give close attention to the Legislative Analyst’s Office review of the Governor’s proposal in February and the legislative hearings on the CSU budget in the first week of March.

We have joined with many CSU campuses in moving up our application deadlines, given the limits on campus capacity that the proposed budget cuts would impose. The application deadline for fall 2008 first-time freshmen has been moved to Friday, February 1, and the deadline for transfer students is Tuesday, April 1.

This university has weathered many budget crises and, working together, we will come through this one. Our overarching goals will be to provide quality education for our students and to create and maintain the environment ideal for delivering that education.

We are coming off of a wonderfully successful year, with a multi-faceted 150th celebration, record-breaking enrollments and fundraising, high praise from our academic accrediting agency, and athletics on a new level of financial stability, which spells good things for the support of all our sports. Men’s basketball is providing excitement this month—the team already has more wins than the total of any other season since 01-02!

Our students continue to make us proud. For example, 30 students from our Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism Management will serve as a special event management team for the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-am in early February. This is the third year our students have partnered with Pebble Beach Resorts to host this world-class event, and some graduates of the program now work in Pebble Beach.

With the great momentum generated by all of last year’s successes and our ongoing commitment to Vision 2010 goals, San José State University is well positioned to welcome a new president later this year. Meanwhile, we have a full agenda for spring semester – and we’re moving full steam ahead on achieving our strategic goals. This is our time—I ask you to join with me in making this another outstanding semester at San José State.

Sincerely,
Don W. Kassing
President