 "Photo: (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times / September 23, 2009)")
California State University and the University of California have suffered a triple whammy this year from budget cuts, student protests and massive layoffs these past few months. The budget deficits handed down from Sacramento have forced universities to cut back on academic programs and temporarily denied entrance to new students. Students across California have united in protests to fight for the right for a higher education at a reasonable price. In addition, California’s governor suspended Proposition 98, which is a necessity for the college’s budget state-wide.
California State Universities Students Take Action
On September 30, 2009, students at California State University Stanislaus staged a mock funeral in which they mourned the death of classes that were cut. The protest was sponsored by the Sociology Club; about 150 students from across the campus, mainly dressed in black, joined them. Sociology Club President Jesse Duran, 23, passed a petition to the crowd to be signed and sent to Gov. Schwarzenegger, the California legislature and officials of the CSU systems.
At the beginning of the fall semester 2009 at CSU Stanislaus, over 144 classes were cut from the schedule, and approximately 60 faculty and staff have been laid off. Tuition also rose from $3,819 per semester to $4,775, according to calstate.edu. Plans to raise tuition by an additional 10% are still in negotiation and will be decided by early next year.
In an interview with the Modesto Junior College television studio show, “You’ve Got Issues,” Stanislaus State student Barbara Olave declared that she would like to plan a state-wide protest in Sacramento to voice issues and concerns that students face. Olave dressed as the grim reaper during the mock funeral. (SEE video of this interview at www.pirateslog.org.)
“CSU Stanislaus cut approximately 2,000 seats in the middle of August,” said Roger Pueh, Associate Vice-President of Enrollment Management. “More classes will be reduced by winter 2010, and students will know the outcome by the first week of November.”
“I had a prerequisite class that CSU Stanislaus had cut,” said Lucinda Salvaggio, 25, who is majoring in Kinesiology. “I had to take this (prerequisite) class before I could get into other classes to get my degree.”
Salvaggio is forced to wait to enroll in this class that is only offered every other semester. After re-planning her schedule and determining when she will be able to get her degree, Salvaggio finds herself set back another two years at CSU Stanislaus. “They also limited other classes I need to only once a year instead of … every semester.”
Across the state, CSU has been faced with a $584 million dollar deficit for the 2009-2010 fiscal years. The board of CSU took action to attempt to solve their budget deficit by eliminating 22,000 courses, and decrease faculty salaries by $275 million.
“Guiding principles of any action plan would be to serve as many students as possible without sacrificing quality and to preserve as many jobs as possible.” said CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed at a board meeting.
According to calstate.edu, California State University is the largest system of senior higher education in the nation. It has an estimated 450,000 students, and 46,000 staff and faculty.
Students and Union members of University of California Fight Back
On September 16, 2009, the UC Board of Regents debriefed severe financial hardships facing the 10 campuses in the 2010-11 fiscal years.
According to University of California.edu, Patrick Lenz, UC Vice-President for Budget told board members that the campuses are faced with a $535 million budget gap for 2009-10, and will rise up to $600 million by 2011.
These debts factor necessities, unfunded enrollment, inflation, utility costs, health benefit cost increases and collective bargaining agreements.
Students, union members and Bay Area residents protested at UC Berkeley on September 24, 2009. An estimated 5,000 people protested the cuts in support of higher education, and the decision of Mark Yudof’s President of the UC Board of Regents to cut programs.
“I regret the personalization as well,” said Mark Yudof, President of UC Board in regards to the attacks on him in regards to the cuts at the September 16 meeting. “We live in the time we live; we don’t control all the variables, we live in the time we live and each of us does the best we can.”
His statement wasn’t enough to satisfy students and union members as to why tuition was increasing, while the quality of education is decreasing. Protesters held picket signs on the campuses of Berkeley, Santa Cruz and Davis, and displayed signs that said: ‘fight for a higher education’, and ‘lay-off Yudof’.
The Board of Regents also has future plans to reduce its instructional budget by $139 million, laying off 1,900 faculty staff, eliminating 3,800 positions, and deferring from hiring 1,600 positions across the campuses.
University of California also reduced the enrollment of freshman coming from high schools by 2,300 students. The board increased the number of students who plan to transfer from a community college to a UC by 250 – that is an average of two additional students accepted into a UC from the 110 California community colleges. Lenz stated at the board meeting that the 10 campuses are still over-enrolling 14,000 students every year.
Furlough Days is a trend that UCs and CSUs have followed
Gov. Schwarzenegger issued state workers two furlough days a month back in January and CSU agreed back in July to use those days, hoping to save money.
Furlough is defined as a temporary leave of absence used to save government a few extra dollars.
University furlough days are two days per month, and for administration, it usually falls every other Friday.
“This (Furlough Day) is one way to help solve the budget deficit,” said Pueh. “Faculty can expect a 10 percent reduction in pay.”
CSUs and UCs expect an accumulated savings of $184 million dollars in 2009-2010.
The faculty was asked in the beginning of the fall semester to sign a request form of what days they are willing to take off. The only restriction is that if the day falls on a class day, the faculty member is required to provide an alternative assignment for their students.
Staff members were required to turn those forms into their department dean by September 4, 2009. Over 47,000 faculty member have been furloughed.
The CSU Headquarters in Long Beach also calculated that 85 percent of its budget goes towards its faculty members.
Proposition 98
In July 2009, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and state legislatures had oppossed passed a proposal to suspend Proposition 98, the minimum funding law designed to provide funding protections for our schools. This proposition was passed in 1988 by the voters of California to provide needed assistance of funding for schools.
California Department of Education’s State Superintendant of Public Instruction, Jack O’Connell, issued a statement to the press criticizing Gov. Schwarzenegger’s decision to suspend Proposition 98.
After the suspension of Proposition 98, California schools have cut a total of $12 billion in education, programs and faculty.
"California needs a well-educated, critically thinking, and problem-solving workforce in order to improve and grow California's economy,” said O’Connell in a press release on the UC website. “Public education is the key to unlocking the potential for success that our students possess. It is wrong-headed to cut education when we desperately need to nurture and support the students in our schools today who will be the backbone of our economy in just a few short years.”
In summary
Modesto Junior College is working closely with students who plan to transfer to any university and other vocational college. “I encourage students to be proactive in the process of transferring to a UC or CSU,” said Leticia Cavazos, transfer center counselor. “The career and transfer center counseling office is always there for any student who has any questions or concerns.”
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