- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
UC President Mark Yudof discussed the state budget in his overview address to the UC Board of Regents at its January 19 meeting.
"The governor has proposed reducing state support for the University of California by $500 million for fiscal year 2011-12," Yudof said. "If approved, this budget will mean that, for the first time in our long history, tuition paid by University of California students and their families will exceed the state's contribution to the core fund.
"For those who believe what we provide is a public good, not a private one, this is a sad threshold to cross, but in California it's been a long time in coming."
..."In my mind, the governor is dead serious about matching the reach of public service with the willingness of taxpayers to pay for it. It is a noble pursuit, long overdue, but the implications for the university are profound.
I am operating under the belief that the proposed cuts are coming our way, and that we must act swiftly and responsibly to prepare for them — even as we continue to press the case of our critical role in shaping the destiny of this great state."
The full text of Yudof's remarks as prepared for delivery can be read at
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/24833