Budget cuts affecting community college students have been proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for 2008-2009 in an attempt to resolve a projected $14 billion state budget shortfall.

Education makes up approximately $1.6 billion of the proposed budget reduction.

“The main areas that they are talking about cutting are the basic extra services that help the student succeed, not the classroom,” Harold Tyler, dean of student development, said.

Services considered to be categorical programs are listed to receive budget cuts.

Some of those programs include disabled students programs and services, nursing, professional development and the student senate.

“The students should not be worried about this; what the students should be doing is telling their student leaders, ‘Hey, watch out for us. We need you to keep us informed. We do not want to hear this on the news,” Tyler said.

Schwarzenegger has proposed large cuts to California’s budget across the board; higher education makes up 10.3 percent of the state’s 2008-2009 total expenditure plans.

“First, I propose to reduce spending by implementing a 10-percent across-the-board reduction to nearly every General Fund program, and to have those reductions take effect on March 1, ” Schwarzenegger wrote in the Governor’s message.

Community colleges are set up to receive a $400 million payment that is due on June 30.

That is the last payment of the year to the colleges; the payments have been delayed for the past couple of years until July.

“This time, they are proposing to delay the payment until September, which means that the state must have some cash flow problems. That is serious when a state has to say it can’t make the payment it owes you in June until September,” Dr. Thomas Fallo, president of EC, said.

While waiting to see what happens with the state budget, EC has begun work preparing a new budget under the assumption that the various proposed budget cuts will be made.

“We hope that we won’t have to cut a class,” Fallo said.

No reduction in class schedules and no staff or faculty layoffs have been announced and are not expected.

“We are not expecting having to lay off any of our staff members,” Tyler said.

Budget cutbacks concerning students can be addressed by contacting local legislators by phone and by mail. In addition, a rally is scheduled for April in Sacramento.

“I think letters are more effective,” Lance Widman, political science professor, said.

Schwarzenegger and the California Legislature are currently working on the state budget, with future reductions for education expected to be proposed.

“It’s a question of where the axe, or hopefully the scalpel, falls,” Widman said. “You try to do it with a scalpel but without any antiseptic, it’s going to hurt like hell.”