Graduate and undergraduate students campus wide are seeing the toll of budget cuts as they enroll in classes for fall 2009.

“I was looking at the course offerings for psychology for fall 2009 and it does seem like they might be offering fewer classes, like seminars,” Irene Martin-Alciati, a junior psychology and art history major, said. “It doesn’t seem like the change is too drastic, though.”

Mathew Eng, a sophomore biology major, has also noticed the smaller number of seats and classes available.

“I’m trying to take some upper-level classes, 400-level seminars, next semester, and there don’t seem to be as many seats available in the labs as there usually are,” he said. “I’m starting to get worried about what I can do next year if I don’t get into these classes.”

Graduate students are also having problems, though of a slightly different sort.

“As a graduate student, there are fewer resources to go around; the cuts on the different departments are making everyone nervous about the future,” Paola Fajardo, a political science graduate student, said.

“The [political science] department is trying to accommodate everyone, but if things keep going the way they are, the entire University will have to face more problems,” she added.

Associate Dean of Harpur College Jennifer Jensen confirmed that, “Yes, it’s effecting how many classes we can offer.”

According to Jensen, the cuts on classes will take effect in the fall 2009 schedule of classes. Both the class choices and section size will be affected.

“We’re going to keep our enrollment absolutely level because we’re worried we’re not able to give [students] the courses that they need,” Binghamton University President Lois DeFleur said in a press release.

Jensen said the dean’s office has “worked hard to soften the blow” that the smaller list of classes will bring to students.

“[There is] no way to cut a couple million [dollars] from the school budget and not have it affect the way we do things,” Jensen said. “Our situation is not different from any other public or private school in the nation.”

This problem affects BU further because, according to Jensen, the University is not well supported by state funds.

“The funds we get from the state for student education is comparatively lower and we are a comparatively higher regulated state system compared to other state universities in the country,” she said.

Since the BU budget will be taking a loss, much of that money must now be relocated to different areas of the University.

“Most money goes into the faculty,” Jensen said. “Computer technology is relatively modest by comparison to faculty payment.”

The state’s higher education system already endured $210 million of cuts in state support this year, including $6.5 million to BU. Gov. David Paterson and the New York State Legislature have agreed to take 90 percent — $62 million — of this spring’s State University of New York and City University of New York tuition hike. Paterson has also proposed to take 80 percent, or $122 million, of the tuition hikes for 2009-10.