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Students and faculty got University of California-Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau to talk to them on Nov. 5 about cuts to the budget, following weeks of protests and demonstrations.

Approximately 400 attendants heard Birgeneau speak about strategies to address the $150 million budget cut made to the university. In addition to stating their plan to seek an increase in federal funding, administrators announced their intent to admit more out-of-state students.

Chancellor Robert Birgeneau said that a planned increase in out-of-state enrollment would generate $60 million per year.

"It is foolish to rely on [state funds] given the history of the state disinvestment of the educational system," Birgeneau said of plans to attract more private and federal funding.

Panelists—including Executive Vice Provost George Breslauer, Dean of Students Jonathan Poullard and Erin Gore, associate vice chancellor of budget—also directed students to lobby the state legislature in Sacramento for more funding to higher education.

Many students raised questions about the proposed 32 percent student fee increase that was will be voted on by the UC Board of Regents at their upcoming meeting on Nov. 17.
 
“Without student fee increases, the quality of education would deteriorate," Birgeneau replied.
 
“We need to do everything [the administrators] said but a lot more too. We can’t depend on them alone,” said Sophomore Farrah Moos, who appreciated but was not wholly satisfied with the administrators’ effort to address students.

The amount of money cut from the school this year amounts to the equivalent of 2,500 students being completely unfunded by the university.

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