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California is so effed, Cal State edition (faculty strike)
I have no idea where the money is supposed to come from, but I am super sympathetic to the faculty. The one guy's had a 3 percent raise over 10 years? And the cost of rent has gone up how much in the past 10 years? LOL that the justification for presidents' raises is that they hadn't had a raise since 2007...gee, how do you think the faculty feel? Pretty sure that's still bad optics when you're talking about a 10 percent pay cut to faculty.
Cal State Faculty Strike Amid A "Scary Future"
California State University, the nation's largest four-year, public university system, is in trouble. Wednesday, professors authorized a strike over working conditions and pay, and students began a hunger strike demanding a tuition freeze. This unfolding crisis is the result of massive state cuts in funding that have pushed higher education in California to the breaking point.
Cal State University has 23 campuses and more than 420,000 students. It's one of three public institutions of higher education in the state ? the University of California system and community colleges are the other two.
But in the last 10 years, Jarret Lovell says, CSU has hit a wall. Lovell teaches criminal justice at Cal State, Fullerton.
"And in the 10 years that I've been here, I've received a 3 percent raise," he says. "I can't afford a home; I can barely afford to rent."
'We Don't Want To Strike'
After taking a 10 percent cut in pay in 2010 and agreeing to an 18-day furlough, Lovell and his union ? the California Faculty Association ? are asking for a 1 percent salary increase this year. It's not just about the money, though, Lovell says.
"Classes are getting cut, workload is increasing, class sizes are increasing, and that results in a poorer quality of education," he says, "and yes, some of that has to do with morale."
Lovell voted with a majority of his colleagues to strike.
"We don't want to strike. I don't want to strike," he says.
But faculty members have no choice, Lovell says.
For 22 months, the California Faculty Association and CSU administration have been at an impasse over new terms for evaluating full- and part-time faculty ? and at least $214 million in salary increases over three years.
"Impossible," says John Swarbrick, CSU's lead negotiator.
"Our question back to them at the table is: Where does this money come from ? not only for this fiscal year but each fiscal year going forward?" he says.
Union leaders say it should be from the same place CSU took money to give campus presidents salary increases at the same time they were raising tuition. Two presidents got a 10 percent increase just this past March, an increase that CSU spokeswoman Claudia Keith defends.
"None of our presidents had gotten an increase since 2007. They all took furloughs like all of our employees. So we've all had to sacrifice ? faculty are not alone in that," she says. "Our students have had to sacrifice, they're paying more and probably getting less."
A State Crisis
CSU's budget crisis, of course, is the result of the state's own budget crisis. Lawmakers slashed $750 million from the California State University budget this school year, triggering layoffs, caps on enrollment and a 9 percent increase in tuition.
The state isn't done cutting either. In the next few months, it's likely to cut another $200 million.
"It's a scary future because you don't know what's going to happen," says student Sean Acselrod. "If this system crumbles, it's going to become only the rich can go to school."
Acselrod, 22, is a criminal justice major at Cal State Fullerton. He's graduating this month, but like thousands of seniors, he almost didn't because he had such a hard time this semester getting into a course required for graduation.
"When I tried to register for it, I was shocked that I was put number two on a wait list. How can you justify paying money if I can't even get the fundamental classes they tell me I need to graduate from here?" he says. "I would make the argument that you're not getting your money's worth for your education."
Cal State University officials say campuses have had no choice but to ration courses, eliminate programs and even turn away eligible students.
"We turned down 25,000 students last year, [they] couldn't get into the California State University because we did not have a spot for them," Keith says. "That's what the public should be in an uproar about ? not that [CSU is] being 'unfair' in terms of our collective bargaining agreements."
'Wasted' Education?
Faculty members get angry too when they hear that their demands are "unfair."
At Cal State, Dominguez Hills, several full- and part-time professors have set up a table near the entrance to the library. They say they have no job security and they're working harder for less money every year. That's why they're striking.
Clare Weber, a union member and chairwoman of the Sociology Department, says the shoddy treatment of faculty ultimately hurts students ? especially low-income, first-generation college students who make up the majority on this campus.
"This is their one step into ... decent jobs and a middle-class lifestyle, and they're being denied that," she says.
Cal State-Dominguez Hills' budget is in such bad shape, the school is likely to shut down spring enrollment in 2013. For students, as one professor put it, what was once the "gold standard" of higher education in this country has turned into "fools gold." It sure feels that way, says 24-year-old Jessica Sharpe, a chemistry major.
"There is kind of a gloomy mood, and you kind of start getting off topic in classes when you're talking about this stuff. I feel like our education is being wasted," she says.
Sharpe says nobody is blameless here ? not lawmakers, not taxpayers, not faculty or administrators. Still, Thursday both sides will meet yet again, face-to-face, to see what, if anything, they can agree on.
Re: California is so effed, Cal State edition (faculty strike)
Entitlement issues
HTH
Above Us Only Sky
Ouch!
Who has entitlement issues?
The furlough days are appalling. Faculty cannot even respond to a student's email or phone call or grade papers, technically. I had a professor who wrote up a whole little blurb about it in her syllabus for each class, including who to contact if you disagreed with it, lol.
And I skimmed the article, but they'll basically only be admitting transfers from community colleges next year because they don't have the money otherwise - but at the same time, they won't be getting more money from tuition, either, so it's a catch-22.
*is so glad to have graduated last year*
40/112
the employees for wanting raises, they should be happy they have a job and the students for wanting specific classes (sarcasm)
Above Us Only Sky
I've got a coworker who's daughter started college this past fall at the same CSU Pescalita and I did 11 years ago; her tuition alone is TRIPLE what ours was.
Somebody needs to scrap the Prop system yesterday.
SERIOUSLY.
40/112
I graduated in Dec 2010 from a CSU. Cuts, tuition increases, furloughs, etc were going on then too. It sucked for us students not knowing if we'd even get into a class we needed to graduate. It was a very stressful time. We didn't even know if our classe would even be offered the next quarter. The professors were miserable and pissed about the furlough thing. Like pp mentioned, they were not allowed to do any school related things on their furloughs.
There was an article recently where it stated the incoming president for CSU Fullerton was getting an increase in pay from what the previous president received. Also, the free house she gets to live in will a have a few hundred thousand dollar renovation paud ir by the university. I think the year before the president had a pretty costly office renovation as well. There's talk of layoffs.
CRAFTY ME
my read shelf:
Ditto.
I went to CSU Sacramento before transferring to UCDavis. Tuition for both has almost doubled since I attended. I don't know how people do it.
"This ribbon has been reported." - lovesnina
UC schools were FREE for residents 50 years ago. Thanks, Reagan, for changing that.
40/112
He's the gift that keeps on giving.
Forgive me for being sentimental, but my parents moved to CA from Puerto Rico (with a year-ish pit stop in MA before they realized that being cold sucks) in 1977 and they were drawn to it because it was the up and comer in terms of jobs, education and quality of life.
It's a shame to see what it's becoming. When I visit my mom in the LA suburbs now, I notice crappy infrastructure, a bad real estate market, people stuck with outrageous commutes, a less-than-stellar job market, a government that's ground to a halt and declining services. I wish my brother had listened to me in 2006 and moved instead of buying a house there. He's stuck now.
What do you (current residents or people who know CA well) think it will take for things to turn around?
UCs are no better, i graduated 15 years ago this June and my bil who graduates this May paid 2.5 X what i paid for mine which is 1.5x what his wife/my sister paid 10 years ago. from what i understand, UC 'tution' is going up yet AGAIN for next year.
I haven't lived in Cali for about 8 years, moved to Illinois (an equally disastrous place) after graduating from UCDavis. I'd ditto whoever said that the Prop structure is FUBAR. Basically Californians will vote yes on any number of ridiculous (and not so ridiculous) programs, while simaltaneously voting no on the tax hikes needed to fund them. It's a pretty ridiculous system.
"This ribbon has been reported." - lovesnina
DH and I were lucky to graduate 3 years ago before sh!t started to hit the fan.