CUNY Finds Ways To Limit Damage Done by State Cuts
By DAVID SIMS
City University of New York Chancellor Matthew Goldstein has released a letter to CUNY's members saying that state budget cuts to the University's senior colleges will not hit as hard as originally predicted. The $50.6 million in cuts agreed upon by Governor Paterson and the State Legislature "has been reduced to $18.6 million in actual reductions," according to Mr. Goldstein, "through contingency planning ... one-time resources and alternative ways of financing."

Still Hiring Faculty

According to the Chancellor, CUNY lessened the impact of the cuts through "restrictions on other than personal services (OTPS), a temporary vacancy control program on the replacement of administrative personnel, and a reduction in University-wide lump sum appropriations." He said that this means CUNY will continue "maintaining the momentum [it] has achieved over the past decade."

Mr. Goldstein was careful to reinforce that there would be no freezes in hiring, saying that "we are hiring full-time faculty, for replacement purposes and for new positions already provided for in the college's financial plan, and staff who provide direct services to students, such as academic advisors and mental health counselors." He was similarly optimistic about student programs, saying that "we anticipate no reduction of direct student services or cancellation of course sections attributable to the implementation of the aforementioned reductions."

BARBARA BOWEN: CUNY bound to suffer.

Professional Staff Congress President Barbara Bowen expressed her unhappiness at the cuts and at Mr. Goldstein's reaction to them, saying, "We are extremely disappointed in this cut, extremely disappointed that CUNY suggests it can be tolerated, and we feel that it is absolutely the wrong signal for the Legislature to send about CUNY's ability to endure disinvestment by the state."

'Can't Withstand More Cuts'

"I completely disagree with Goldstein's analysis of the cuts," said Ms. Bowen. "After two decades of stripping CUNY budgets ... CUNY cannot withstand even one dollar cut, let alone $51 million. To me it's preposterous that CUNY can withstand that level of cuts with that fiscal history without suffering."

She softened somewhat, adding, "I appreciate that the CUNY administration has made an effort to insulate faculty hires, student services and courses ... they also insulated some of the new initiatives that are in our proposed contract. I want to say I appreciate the efforts that were made there and I'm sure that the faculty appreciates those."

Nonetheless, she was mostly pessimistic about the impact the cuts would have on the system, emphasizing that with the money being taken out of CUNY reserves, the schools are left with "$8 million to spend on the basic things that make an education work, such as chalk in the classrooms, paper in the Xerox machine, the ability to Xerox an article for your students. This may mean when you ask for a book to be put on reserve in the library, the answer's going to be 'No, we have budget cuts.'''

Ms. Bowen concluded that the cuts "make our faculty feel that we are operating in poverty circumstances ... [they] need equipment, they need books in the library, they need the ability to offer a serious education. Every dollar you chip away from services, from supplies, chips away at education."