By Robert Salonga
Daily Bruin Staff
Increased funding for student-initiated outreach programs
throughout the University of California, as outlined in the 2001-02
state budget, could be jeopardized by cuts made to the overall
outreach budget.
Gov. Gray Davis signed the budget on July 26, providing up to $1
million for UC-sponsored student-initiated outreach programs that
prepare high school students for the university.
At $44,753,000, the total outreach budget is $2 million less
than what the university requested. Davis left it up to the UC to
decide where the $2 million in cuts will be made, which could
affect the proposed increase to student-initiated outreach. Current
student-initiated outreach is funded at about $80,000
systemwide.
Assembly Budget Committee Chairman Tony Cardenas, D-Sylmar, led
the effort to increase student-initiated outreach to $1 million.
Max Espinosa, assistant to Cardenas, said the assemblyman’s
office is hopeful that the UC will work with them to determine
where the cuts will come.
“Outreach programs are critical at a time when the
university’s minority enrollment is dwindling,”
Espinosa said.
Cardenas expressed disappointment in what he said was an illegal
veto by Davis when cutting the outreach budget. By using the term
“up to” before each subsection of the budget documents,
Davis left discretion of the cuts up to the university.
For example, the section detailing outreach provides “up
to $1 million for student-initiated outreach activities focused on
recruitment and mentorships aimed at high school juniors and
seniors.”
Because of the phrase “up to,” Espinosa said the
governor gave the university a blank check to fund all the various
outreach programs from zero to their specified maximum amounts.
“It completely changes the intent of the legislation in
funding outreach and holding the university accountable in how
they’re spending their money,” Espinosa said.
According to UC Student Association Chair Debbie Davis, her
conversations with UC officials and legislators made it clear that
up to $1 million would be cut from the proposed increase in
student-initiated outreach.
But UC spokesman Brad Hayward said no action has been made in
terms of distributing the $2 million in cuts.
“The university has made no decisions regarding the
implementation of that reduction,” Hayward said. “No
program has been identified as receiving cuts.”
Student-initiated outreach programs work to better prepare K-12
students in disadvantaged areas for college ““ particularly
for UC admission ““ and to increase the number of
underrepresented minorities at UCLA.
These programs provide peer advising, tutoring, field trips and
workshops on topics such as admissions requirements, financial aid
and study habits for students and parents.
Espinosa said because the additional money for student-initiated
outreach has not been distributed, it is up to students running
these programs to make an effort to access it. He also said it is
up to the university to make sure the money is available and not
cut from the budget.
“(The university) would be hard-pressed not to fund when
these programs are doing the majority of outreach work,”
Espinosa said.