UC President Mark G. Yudof issued two post-election statements, one of them the afternoon of May 20 and the other on May 22:

May 20: The special election's impact on the university's budget

The outcome of the May 19 state ballot propositions means that the University of California will be facing significant budget reductions in the 2009-10 fiscal year. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's revised state budget proposal alone calls for a cut of $322 million, and, when combined with the state's underfunding of student enrollments and inflationary cost increases, UC's total budget gap would amount to $531 million.

Such a severe budget reduction, following years of chronic underfunding, would force the university to weigh a number of stark choices. Salary reductions, employee furloughs, decreases in enrollment, increases in class sizes, cuts to programs and student services, and, unfortunately, even higher fees — at this point, all options must be placed on the table for consideration at some point in the future.

The budget cuts as proposed would, in effect, act as an anti-stimulus package for the California economy. As the federal stimulus package recognizes, investment in human capital is the best way to dig out of an economic trough. In tough times, great research universities are not luxury items; they are engines for recovery. The innovations developed at institutions like UC lead to new products, new industries and new jobs.

There also is concern that, as the state now must scramble to make ends meet, funds from the federal stimulus package will not be invested in ways meant to stimulate the economy at all, but instead will become space-holders, used to backfill holes in the state budget, thus further delaying recovery.

We are troubled by cuts that would target our academic preparation programs. These programs help educationally disadvantaged students across the state prepare for college. We will continue to work with the governor and the Legislature with the intent of again finding ways to restore funding for these valuable programs.

Finally, we would ask the governor and Legislature to weigh carefully the impact of reductions to the university's budget on its eligibility to receive federal stimulus and other funds that support important research and medical programs, which benefit all Californians.

We have worked hard in the past to protect access and affordability for students, and we will continue to do so going forward. But we fear these proposed cuts will leach into the core of our primary mission to maintain the academic excellence and learning environment that have made California and the UC world leaders in higher education.

May 22: 'Quite drastic' proposals, including a threat to Cal Grants program

The budget situation in Sacramento is fluid, and in the next few days and weeks all sorts of proposals, many of them quite drastic, can be expected to be put into play. The University of California is actively engaged in sorting through the shifting scenarios, and is prepared to be a vigorous participant in the state's efforts to work through this fiscal crisis.

What can be said at this point is that we are gravely concerned. Under one scenario already being discussed, the UC is looking at a doubling of the $322 million in cuts contained in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's revised state budget proposal for fiscal 2009-10. This would equate roughly to a 20 percent reduction in state support.

We also are extremely troubled that the Cal Grants program has been mentioned for possible elimination. More than 46,000 UC undergraduates receive Cal Grants, which bring in $293 million in grant aid for students from lower-income California families.

The university is weighing its options under a variety of budget scenarios. The choices are stark, and everything is on the table. We urge the strongest possible state investment in the continued development of our state's human capital, which is critical to California's economic recovery and long-term competitiveness.

Going forward, I will continue to do my best to keep you informed in a timely fashion on how the budget recommendations will impact the university.