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Friday, October 9, 2009
Today's editorial in the Santa Cruz Sentinel highlights the challenge currently facing groups like ours that are affiliated with UCSC.

Here, in summary, are some extracts:

//The University of California, perhaps the best public university system in the world in terms of quality of research, is in the midst of a historic crisis. With a drastic cut in state funding, campuses are being forced to furlough employees and impose steep fee hikes for students.// ...

//One of the many benefits of having a UC campus in the community is the affiliated programs associated with a campus, from appearances by renowned speakers to cultural events.// ...

//The budget crisis, however, has left Blumenthal little room to maneuver with programs that are not supporting themselves. Two in particular have become local institutions and face uncertain futures. ...//

//In December, Shakespeare Santa Cruz was given an ultimatum: Either raise enough money to pay its own way, or shut down. Blumenthal says he stepped in two years before to provide support for the struggling program. This past year, he says, "I was ready to let them go." Shakespeare Santa Cruz raised more than $400,000 to stay alive for the last season. ...//

//The Arboretum has been running a deficit of nearly $230,000 and is $1.8 million in debt to UCSC. Now the university, while vowing to maintain the garden's collections and public access, is insisting the Arboretum pay back the debt. Meanwhile, director Dan Harder, a renowned horticulturist, has been laid off, his salary and benefits cut.// ...

//The university also has consolidated UC Extension services, closing its downtown Santa Cruz and Cupertino offices and moving professional training courses to new quarters in Santa Clara. This will save close to $1 million per year.// ...

The editorial concludes:

//How is all this playing locally? We hope people can appreciate that Blumenthal and his team are willing to take the heat in cutting cherished, but nonessential, programs, while fighting to save what is essential.// ...

[See http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/opinion/ci_13520995 for the full text]

What does this mean for us? Well, the University has estimated that it spends somewhat in excess of $20,000 for staff support for our organization. We have not yet been asked to pay for this support, but the handwriting does appear to be on the wall.

Robert Franson