Information Technology Services is currently in the process of updating Cal State Long Beach student e-mail accounts, announced at Wednesday’s Associated Students Inc. meeting.
According to Janet Foster, associate vice president of ITS, CSULB is considering using either Microsoft or Google.
“Today we have an older system and we really want to give [the students] more storage and a better experience,” Foster said.
Additionally, while student e-mail addresses currently expire six months after graduation, ITS is looking into providing alumni with email accounts as well.
ITS is aiming to have the accounts set up for students by fall 2010, but a set date has not been announced yet.
Mary Stephens, vice president of administration and finance, also introduced the governor’s budget proposal and addressed the effects these cuts will have on CSULB this upcoming school year.
The budget proposes a restoration of $305 million and an additional $60.6 million on receipt of extra federal funding, which remains uncertain, CSULB will still face small budget cuts and enrollment reduction.
Some strategies used to ease budget cuts this coming year are reducing lecturer positions and temporary staff positions, leaving permanent faculty positions vacant to minimize layoffs, and reducing the number of student assistant positions.
“We will also not be able to afford as many outreach activities, events we host and will be reducing our travel and equipment purchases,” Stephens said.
CSULB will also move more resources to the Web to cut paper use and improve organization.
“Students will have fewer classes to choose from; services, advising and tutoring will be less available,” she said. “Unfortunately, it could take longer to progress towards a degree.”
Enrollment will also be affected next year. Stephens said more students cannot be accepted until more classes can be provided. Next year, there will be 4,000 fewer students on campus and CSULB will not be accepting freshman and transfer students in spring 2011 for the second year in a row.
“We received just fewer than 49,000 applicants and, at the most, we will be able to accept 4,000,” Stephens said. “There are a lot of eligible students who will not be able to attend.”