SF State Students Stage Walkout in Solidarity With Occupy UC Movement
SAN FRANCISCO – The UC Board of Regents was forced to cancel a meeting at UC San Francisco’s Mission Bay campus today after protesters planned to occupy the building.
Among the plans the Board of Regents is considering is an 81-percent tuition hike by 2015 for UC schools. If approved, the four-year budget plan could increase tuition annually for UC schools from the present $12,192 to $22,200 by fall 2015.
But UC students weren’t the only ones joining in the protest against the fee hike.
Students at San Francisco State University staged a walkout on Tuesday, organized by the group Occupy SFSU, to protest tuition hikes and budget cuts across all California universities in solidarity with UC students.
Another meeting, held by CSU Trustees, is scheduled to take place today in Long Beach at the CSU Office of the Chancellor. Students in Southern California plan to protest that meeting, where trustees are expected to vote on a plan to raise CSU tuition by 9 percent next fall.
One first-generation immigrant student who joined the San Francisco State University walkout reported taking out $30,000 in student loans in four years; another said she owed $40,000.
Even then, students acknowledged their privilege over others as students of a university.
Kandell Nevarez, a junior at San Francisco State University, said to a crowd, “We must fight not only for ourselves but for those who’s back this society is built on.”
Nevarez later said that she wanted to double major in anthropology and Latino studies, but resorted to minoring in one subject and majoring in another because of the high cost of classes.
Despite the dismantling of Occupy camps in New York and Oakland, students at San Francisco State University remained hopeful for the future of the Occupy movement.
“They attacked New York and Oakland, but the fact that there are so many people here right now lets me know that this is a fire you cannot stamp out,” said one student.
The UC Board of Regents released a statement Monday indefinitely postponing the meeting, after UC San Francisco Police Department warned of public safety concerns.
According to the statement released by Regents Chair Sherry Lansing, Vice-chairman Bruce Varner and President Mark G. Yudof, UC police said they had “credible intelligence” about plans to disturb the typically peaceful student presence with “rogue elements.”
The ReFund California Coalition, made up of student groups and university staff unions, released a statement saying, “The UC Regents’ decision to cancel their meeting wastes a huge opportunity for the UC community to engage in dialogue about how to make the 1 percent pay to refund public education and all Californians instead of more cuts.”
Protestors had planned to bus an estimated 1,000 students from all over the San Francisco Bay Area to the regents meeting. Instead, the buses from UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, CSU Fresno, UC Merced, and San Francisco State University will be transporting students to a rally at Justin Herman Plaza today. The students plan to march to the banks and the corporate offices of the UC Regents in the San Francisco Financial District.
The UC Regents meeting has yet to be rescheduled.
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Anonymous
Posted Nov 17 2011
University of California Berkeley Chancellor Birgeneau hijack’s our kids’ futures. I love University of California (UC) having been a student & lecturer. But today I am concerned that at times I do not recognize the UC I love. Like so many I am deeply disappointed by the pervasive failures of Regent Chairwoman Lansing, President Yudof, Chancellor Birgeneau from holding the line on rising costs & tuition increases. Paying more is not a better education.
Californians are reeling from 19% unemployment (includes: those forced to work part time; those no longer searching), mortgage defaults, loss of unemployment benefits. And those who still have jobs are working longer for less. Faculty wages must reflect California's ability to pay, not what others are paid.
Current pay increases for generously paid University of California Faculty is arrogance. Instate tuition consumes 14% of Ca. Median Family Income!
Paying more is not a better education. UC Berkeley(# 70 Forbes) tuition increases exceed the national average rate of increases. Chancellor Birgeneau has molded Cal. into the most expensive public university.
UC President Yudof, Cal. Chancellor Birgeneau($450,000 salary) dismissed many much needed cost-cutting options. They did not consider freezing vacant faculty positions, increasing class size, requiring faculty to teach more classes, doubling the time between sabbaticals, cutting & freezing pay & benefits for chancellors & reforming pensions & the health benefits.
They said such faculty reforms “would not be healthy for UC”. Exodus of faculty, administrators? Who can afford them and where would they go?
We agree it is far from the ideal situation, but it is in the best interests of the university system & the state to stop cost increases. UC cannot expect to do business as usual: raising tuition; granting pay raises & huge bonuses during a weak economy that has sapped state revenues & individual Californians’ income.
There is no question the necessary realignments with economic reality are painful. Regent Chairwoman Lansing can bridge the public trust gap with reassurances that salaries & costs reflect California’s ability to pay. The sky above UC will not fall when Chancellor Birgeneau is ousted.
Opinions? Email the UC Board of Regents marsha.kelman@ucop.edu
Anonymous
Posted Nov 17 2011
University of California Berkeley Chancellor Birgeneau hijack’s our kids’ futures. I love University of California (UC) having been a student & lecturer. But today I am concerned that at times I do not recognize the UC I love. Like so many I am deeply disappointed by the pervasive failures of Regent Chairwoman Lansing, President Yudof, Chancellor Birgeneau from holding the line on rising costs & tuition increases. Paying more is not a better education.
Californians are reeling from 19% unemployment (includes: those forced to work part time; those no longer searching), mortgage defaults, loss of unemployment benefits. And those who still have jobs are working longer for less. Faculty wages must reflect California's ability to pay, not what others are paid.
Current pay increases for generously paid University of California Faculty is arrogance. Instate tuition consumes 14% of Ca. Median Family Income!
Paying more is not a better education. UC Berkeley(# 70 Forbes) tuition increases exceed the national average rate of increases. Chancellor Birgeneau has molded Cal. into the most expensive public university.
UC President Yudof, Cal. Chancellor Birgeneau($450,000 salary) dismissed many much needed cost-cutting options. They did not consider freezing vacant faculty positions, increasing class size, requiring faculty to teach more classes, doubling the time between sabbaticals, cutting & freezing pay & benefits for chancellors & reforming pensions & the health benefits.
They said such faculty reforms “would not be healthy for UC”. Exodus of faculty, administrators? Who can afford them and where would they go?
We agree it is far from the ideal situation, but it is in the best interests of the university system & the state to stop cost increases. UC cannot expect to do business as usual: raising tuition; granting pay raises & huge bonuses during a weak economy that has sapped state revenues & individual Californians’ income.
There is no question the necessary realignments with economic reality are painful. Regent Chairwoman Lansing can bridge the public trust gap with reassurances that salaries & costs reflect California’s ability to pay. The sky above UC will not fall when Chancellor Birgeneau is ousted.
Opinions? Email the UC Board of Regents marsha.kelman@ucop.edu
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