HAYWARD — Facing the loss of millions of dollars from the campus budget, California State University, East Bay, students, faculty and staff bombarded the phone and fax lines of the governor's office Tuesday.

All 23 CSU campuses are participating in the Governor: Can You Hear Us Now? campaign this week. Thousands are expected to continue pumping out phone calls and faxes to oppose Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to reduce the growing state deficit by cutting higher education funding. San Jose State University also took part at its own campus Tuesday, while San Francisco State is scheduled to continue the campaign Thursday.

"We want to keep the pressure on him to reconsider cuts to education," said Carolynne Komata, a senior and student organizer at CSUEB. "If anything, education would help fix the budget crisis in California."

Organizers began the campaign in Hayward at 10 a.m. in front of University Union. Cell phones were provided to students to call the governor's office and voice their concerns about his proposed cuts. By noon, the campus had sent out nearly 500 faxes, according to campaign organizers.

"We're trying to jam up his machine," said Kim Geron, a CSUEB political science professor who informed students of the possible cuts and encouraged them to fill out a fax form.

One student who sent out a fax Tuesday was Concepcion Solis, a junior studying political science.

Solis, 21, has been able to pay for

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college using scholarships. Next year, however, her education remains up in the air because her scholarship will expire. That coupled with the possibility of rising tuition and the governor's proposed cuts, and Solis said she foresees tough times ahead.

"I'm already working full time, so I'm probably going to have to get another job this summer so I can make enough just to pay for next year," she said. "The governor's cuts will hurt."

Officials project that CSU funding will decline by $312.9 million under the governor's proposal. That translates to $8.7 million for the CSUEB campus, making the university unable to accommodate about 300 students next school year, according to university officials.

Those who oppose the governor's spending plan said they are also concerned that the quality of education will deteriorate.

"There will most likely be less classes," Geron said, "(and) bigger class sizes."

Kristofer Noceda can be reached at 510-293-2479 or knoceda@bayareanewsgroup.com.