Faced with over a half billion dollars in cuts from the state in the last year, U. California has grappled with numerous efforts to mitigate their effects. The UC furloughed faculty, hiked up student fees and formed numerous committees to chart a new course for the university.

While those measures captured the attention of the nation months ago, the physical effects of $637 million in state cuts are still being felt.

To combat UC Berkeley’s $209 million initial shortfall, the campus had to make changes as well, cutting the budgets of most research and teaching units by about 20 percent or more. Individual departments were left with deciding how to meet their shrunken budgets.

Within the College of Letters and Science, 19 departments have cut phone service for faculty offices. One gardener now mows all the lawns on campus. There are 63 leaky roofs across campus and the campus has accrued millions of dollars in deferred maintenance.

Though campus officials have said the number of course offerings have been a priority, maintaining about the same level last year as in previous years, fewer lab and discussion sections have been offered for some classes because individual departments have been unable to afford graduate student instructors.

To curtail cuts and generate more revenue, the campus has embarked upon an ambitious project, dubbed Operational Excellence, to streamline what many campus administrators say is a “decentralized” campus structure by potentially consolidating and cutting various units – aimed to save at least $75 million.

The UC Commission on the Future was established by UC President Mark Yudof and Russell Gould, chair of the UC Board of Regents, in July to craft new proposals to save the university money in coming years.

Additionally, the campus admitted many more out-of-state and international students to this year’s incoming freshman class in order to raise further revenue from the higher fees that non-residents must pay. The extra funds will go towards increasing courses offered as well as towards diversity initiatives.