A California State Lottery revenue surplus has all CaliforniaState University campuses seeing green.
Portions of an unexpected $10 million lottery budget surplus havebeen divided among each of CSU’s 23 campuses for this academic year.
San Diego State University will be allocated a total of $863,000– $431,500 of that will be directed toward faculty developmentprograms and $431,500 will be directed toward campus technology.
The office of CSU Chancellor Charles Reed predetermined where themoney would be directed before SDSU received the funding.
SDSU financial manager Ken Perry said faculty development programsinclude the Faculty/Students Mentor Program, the Outreach Program andthe Pre-Doctoral Program.
Ethan Singer, associate vice president for academic affairs, saidhe thinks the money will go toward pre-existing faculty programs likethe scholarship research and creative activity faculty developmentprogram.
Perry said the money for technology will be used to purchaseinstructional equipment for SDSU’s “smart classrooms.”
Smart classrooms were created to provide classrooms with hightechnology presentation systems. Each smart classroom has a computer,video/data projector, videorecorder and visual presenter.
Some students said the money will help no matter what, but said itcould be directed to more specific problems facing SDSU.
“Every little bit helps,” said psychology senior Kris O’Grady.”But I think hiring more teachers or opening up more classes is moreimportant because ultimately that’s what affects the quality of thestudents’ education, not just a bigger TV screen for a classroom.”
Perry said the funds will also be used to supplement technologyinstructional programs which Academic Affairs and the UniversitySenate Academic Resources and Planning Committee endorse. Theseprograms can include Instructional Development, MultimediaProduction, Instructional Resources, Technology Systems offeredthrough the university.
He said that most of the nine colleges will receive some sort offunding resulting from the lottery surplus although he said he is notsure specifically how much.
“In the past, nearly all of the colleges have received some amountof the instructional equipment replacement funding, which comprisesmost of the ongoing lottery money,” he said.
The lottery budget surplus complies with the California StateLottery Act of 1984 which states that at least 34 percent of thetotal lottery revenue must go towards public education.
The CSU’s total 2000/2001 lottery revenue budget is $36.7 million.SDSU receives $2,472,231 from that, which is up from last years$1,810,967 lottery revenue and in addition to the $863,000 surplus.
Singer said he hopes the final allocations will be completed inDecember, but said he wants to make sure SDSU assesses its technologyneeds before any allocations are finalized.