CSUS Campus Comes Together For Rally Against Fee Increases

This past Wednesday students and professors presented a united front in the library quad while they sang songs, chanted, and spoke from personal experiences about the recent fee increases.

For the Fall 2009 semester students were bombarded by two fee increases, which totaled to a 32 percent increase. The fee increases were delivered by email and left many students scrambling at the last minute to come up with the extra cash.

“I came home from my summer vacation and went on my school account to check my class schedule for the fall,” said CSUS student Nikki Pottier. “I was shocked when I saw the fee increases on my account. At first I thought it was mistake, but then I read the emails. I am lucky that my parents came through with the extra money. I would have been dropped from all my classes. I’m angry and I’m [at this rally] to see what I can do to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Students were not the only members of the campus community that took a hit this semester. For the first time, CSUS professors have received a 10 percent deduction in pay and have been told they must take furlough days during class times. These mandatory days off make it impossible for students to correct papers or even answer student emails as these things are considered work.

Students joined professors in taking turns expressing how they have been effected personally by the recent changes in the system, as well as what they thought could fix the problem. Students stated that as members of the working class, they were appalled that they were being taxed so heavily when there were other things the money could come from. Many people voiced their opinion that California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and CSU Chancellor Charles Reed were the ones to blame for the situation. ASI President Roberto Torres urged students to march to the capital in the Spring to show representatives that the students are fed up.

The situation is only going to get worse as fee increases are expected to continue to growing over the next couple years. Reed said that tuition will continue to increase to about 5,000 dollars a year.

The situation begs the question: what are the top people doing to ensure that the future of Sacramento State does not look so bleak?

One thing is certain; these officials are not taking pay cuts. According to the Sacramento Bee’s salary database CSUS president Alexander Gonzalez took home 368, 584 dollars in 2008 despite the fact that the campus was expected to have a budget deficit.

While students are dealing with pay increases, bigger classes, or they are one of the students that were not able to even get enrolled as CSUS due to decrease in enrollment, the board of trustees and other school officials are continuing to rake in huge amounts of money.

The message of the rally was clear. The future of higher education is in serious jeopardy and students and professors need to act together to create change.