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Resources
Cal Poly CBF Information:
https://myportal.calpoly.edu/help/cbf.html
Why Another Fee Increase?
Over the last several years, Cal Poly has experienced funding
shortfalls that equate to approximately $25 million. An
increase in the college-based fee would help us to minimize
the negative impacts of budget reductions and keep our
learn-by-doing emphasis strong.
The State of California is facing a budgetary crisis of historic
proportions that has already forced cuts to the university’s
budget, with the result that our programs, facing deficits, will
have to cut faculty and course offerings in addition to taking
other cost-cutting measures, such as increasing class size, and
deferring lab maintenance and equipment acquisitions.
How Have We Handled Recent Budget Cuts?
· Faculty and staff reductions.
· Dropped low enrollment courses.
· Reduced travel and supply budgets.
·
Replaced State funds with gift and/or College-Based Fee funds.
How Do Cal Poly Fees Compare With Other Public University Fees?
Cal Poly's
student fees are much less than tuition/fees at the University
of California and also less than many comparable out-of-state
public educational institutions.
Click here for a comparison of Cal Poly Fees with other
universities.
Is the University looking only to student fees as a way to
support high-quality programs at Cal Poly?
What about help from the State of California?
What about help from the CSU?
The partnership to preserve excellence at Cal Poly includes the
State of California, private donors, and students. The greatest
contributor to the funding partnership is the State, or more
accurately, the California taxpayers. However, the CSU is only
State-assisted; there is a significant and growing funding gap
between State support and the actual costs to educate a
full-time CAFES student. Although the State recognizes the
decline of public support to the CSU and also the higher costs
associated with laboratory-intensive science and technology
programs, the Legislature cannot appropriate additional funding
in light of California's current fiscal crisis.
What Is The Proposed Fee Increase?
Increase the college-based fee to $362 per quarter for all
full-time students ($181 per quarter for part-time students)
effective Fall 2009.
Fee would be increased by an additional $100 per quarter for all
full-time students ($50 per quarter for part-time students)
effective Fall 2010 and another $100 per quarter for all
full-time students ($50 per quarter for part-time students)
effective Fall 2011.
Although the proposed fee increase will add dollar for dollar to
a student’s cost of education used to determine financial aid
eligibility, the true impact on a Cal Poly student currently
receiving financial aid is that some students may be eligible
for subsidized loans but most students will continue to only
have access to private or parent loans.
Given this impact we are committed to work with
University Advancement to raise more scholarship funding from
private sources.
Why is none of the fee increase
designated for scholarships?
In the past, the Board of Trustees of the California State
University have required that 1/3 of the revenues resulting from
a university-wide student fee increase be set aside for
financial aid. The trustees dropped this requirement from the
2002 and current College Based Fee proposals because the fee
increase is college/department/program specific.
CAFES has made
student scholarships a top priority.
The yearly total dollar amount of CAFES scholarships exceeds
$370,000.
Additionally, CAFES students are eligible for many of the
university scholarships available through the Financial Aid
Office. CAFES
students received more than $500,000 from both sources of
support last year.
How Will New Fee Revenues Be Distributed?
In CAFES, the Dean will retain new college-based fee revenues
equal to any State budget cut to the College. The remainder of
new college-based fees will be distributed to CAFES departments
per FTES headcount. Ongoing college-based fee revenues will be
allocated as before: 10% holdback by Dean for College-wide
priorities, balance distributed per headcount to departments.
Current College Based Fee Support for CAFES-wide priorities:
·
Advising Resource Specialist (continuous since 2003)
· Computer Support Staff Position (continuous since 2002)
· MAP Center (continuous since 2002)
· Student Professional Development (continuous since 2003)
· Summer Courses (continuous since 2004)
· Special requests for equipment, other program support
Historical College Based Fee Support for CAFES-wide activities:
Click here for a list of prior College Based Fee expenditures
endorsed by the CAFES Dean for college-wide activities.
Benefits Of The Fee Increase
Student learning and
success are the original and continuing purposes of Cal Poly’s
college based fee and the exclusive motivations for the proposed
increase. Examples
of opportunities that will be made possible with the fee
include:
· Scheduling of classes needed to promote timely progress to
graduation.
· Increased graduation rates with less time to graduation.
· Quality degree programs with uncommon learn by doing opportunities that characterize a Cal Poly education.
· Increased recruitment and retention of faculty members and corresponding student access to the faculty.
· Student-faculty research collaborations and project-based learning.
· Acquisition of sophisticated equipment and instrumentation.
In addition to these examples listed above, we fully anticipate
that the student fee advisory committees may make
recommendations that the revenues generated be used to fund new
strategic college and campus initiatives that develop from the
strategic plan (e.g., sustainability and inclusive excellence).
New Plan To Eliminate Barriers To Timely Graduation
Cal Poly is committed to a plan that will allow students
entering in Fall 2009 to graduate in 4 or 5 years (depending on
their degree program) by ensuring that courses are offered that
will assist students’ progress to degree.
Students will however need to commit to following their
curriculum requirements and completing courses successfully. If
followed, this approach will reduce the time to graduation for
most students, resulting in significant educational cost
savings.
Impacts Of Not Raising The College-Based Fee
· Loss of faculty positions – primarily lecturers.
· Reduction in course offerings.
· Increase in class size.
· Reduction of student enterprise projects (e.g. jam, chocolate, livestock enterprises, etc.).
· Reduction of instructional equipment and supplies, etc.
· Loss of
Teacher-in-Residence Program (Agricultural Education &
Communication dept).
Student Input Opportunities
· University Open Forums.
· CAFES Dean’s Open Forums.
View schedule.
· Dean’s meeting with Ag Council students.
View schedule.
· Department consultations with College-Based
Fee committees and student clubs.
View schedule.
· March 11 & 12 student vote via Cal Poly Portal.
· 38% student turnout required.
If The Fee Increase Passes…
The colleges and administrative areas will need to continue
to operate with reduced costs since the revenue from the fee
increase will not completely restore the shortfalls or fund the
loss of spending power due to inflation.
Recommendations on how new College-Based Fee revenues are to be
allocated within each department/college will continue to be
sought via the same student fee committee process as currently
used.
CAFES Department Specific Information
The above information relates to College Based Fees as they pertain to the College of
Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences as a whole. The following links provide
access to information on how students have chosen to use their College Based Fees in
individual departments within the college.
Agricultural Education and Communication
Agribusiness
Animal Science
BioResource and Agricultural Engineering
Dairy Science
Earth and Soil Sciences
Food Science and Nutrition
Horticulture and Crop Science
Natural Resources Management |
