THURSDAY November 17, 2011 Volume 97, Issue 47 W W W.T H E D A I LYA Z T E C . C O M
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CSU fee hike incites violent riot SPORTS COURTESY OF ADOLFO GUZMAN-LOPEZ, KPCC
Antonio Zaragoza photo editor Frustration at yesterday’s California State University Board of Trustees meeting in Long Beach turned into a violent riot after the board approved a $498 tuition fee increase. Four protesters were arrested, including San Diego State student Ashley Wardle. Three police officers were injured during the conflict, one of whom was transported to a local hospital afterward. His condition was unknown at the time of publication. “This was definitely one of the most highly frustrating and contested board
meetings I have ever seen or known about,” Greg Washington, president of the California State Student Association, said. The 9 percent increase, set to take effect next fall, is in addition to the 29 percent in increases that have already been placed on CSU students since last year. Students should expect to pay about $7,000 in tuition fees next year. Approximately 400 protesters gathered at the trustee meeting, which took place at the Chancellor’s Office. Several of the protesters carried signs that read “Make banks pay” in bold letters. Inside the meeting, the crowd of more than 100 people contained approximately 12 protesters. Many of
IDENTIFYING THE BUDGET PLAN Technology Infrastructure $20M Urgent Maintenance $30M 5% Enrollment Growth $155M Graduation Initiatives $58M Compensation Increase $85M Health & Energy Benefits $26M
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those protesters were affiliated with the ReFund California Coalition, which could not be reached for comment. After a 30-minute public comment period preceding the vote, protesters continued to disrupt the meeting by shouting and yelling obscenities, after which the trustees called for a 10-minute recess. Police began removing the disruptive protesters from the building as the meeting was relocated to an adjacent room, where the trustees passed the measure with a 9-6 vote. During this time, protesters began trying to force their way back into the building. A video posted on YouTube shows campus police using pepper spray on protesters as they tried to get inside, followed by the breaking of a glass door blocking the protesters’ entrance. It was unclear whether the broken glass door was an accident or done intentionally. Accounts of exactly what happened yesterday differ. According to Erik Fallis, media relation specialist for the CSU, much of the disruptive behavior could be attributed to only a handful of people not reflective of CSU students or faculty. “Our faculty students and staff are much more respectful of each other and of their institution than this group was,” Fallis said. Reaction to the trustee vote was immediate and determined.
“It’s time to recognize that our students and our state are in crisis, and we need talented college graduates to bring California’s economy back. This proposal takes us the wrong direction at the worst possible time,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction and CSU trustee Tom Torlakson said in a statement released by his office. Many students, including SDSU graduate student Tess Banko, have dreaded additional fee increases but were not surprised by the vote. “I kind of knew that the increase was going to happen. It was just a matter of time. I think the leadership of our state has just forgotten about what it’s like to be a student in this state,” she said. “I work two jobs and get student loans and every year, tuition goes up. At some point, something has to give and I think we’ve given enough.” SDSU President Elliot Hirshman was at the meeting, along with other CSU presidents. He declined to comment on the situation. A.S. Vice President of External Affairs Krista Parker, who was also present at the meeting, said she was disappointed in the vote. “It’s unfortunate that students have to see these increases again,” she said. “Of course the alternative could be lay-offs, limits to accessibility and fewer class sections but it’s sad that students have to be the ones to pick up the cost.”
New budget proposed to trustees Carl Hensley staff writer The CSU system presented a budget request to the Board of Trustees concerning the more than $300 million needed in monetary resources for the CSU system yesterday, while also presenting the alternative of a fee increase. The CSU Office of the Chancellor released a statement stating that “CSU’s state funding support was slashed by $650 million this year and the system faces an additional $100 million cut if state revenues don’t improve.” Robert Turnage, the CSU assistant vice chancellor for budget, said , “for the past four years, California and the CSU system have been in a fiscal crisis.”
He also said the CSU may go through a trigger cut next month that would mean another $100 million less for the current budget. “The CSU system has had $868 million cut from their annual funding levels and could go up to $968 million is the trigger cut goes off in December.” This would bring the money currently allotted to the CSU system to about $2 billion — about one-third of the budget the CSU had four years ago. Turnage said the CSU’s budget should have been growing to take care of student access and other items related to the issue. He also said even though there were tuition increases in the past few years, CSUs still have a “sticker price” and the fees of the CSUs will remain less than any other universities in California, and in most of the U.S.
The CSU Budget Central blog states there is “a negative $410 million in annual resources to teach and serve students.” With the proposed budget request to the Board of trustees, these resources will be filled by additional funds given to the CSU system, if the governor accepted the request for the additional $300 million. Another outcome of the budget crisis is that the CSUs are restricting enrollment to CSU eligible students. “We need additional resources to accommodate new students,” Turnage said. “We need resources to provide meaningful access to all students to the courses that they need.” According to Turnage, these additional resources will promote student success and increase student graduation levels. Other resources
used by the CSU assist students through financial aid. “Financial aid programs are quite substantial,” Turnage said. “There is $2 billion of financial aid for CSU students through grants, aid and tuition through tax credits. This protects 45 percent of undergraduate students from the tuition increase that may happen if the governor does not approve the new budget request.” SDSU Vice President of External Affairs Krista Parker said, “The university is doing everything it can to sustain the experience students receive here at SDSU. Eventually, students are going to see some changes on the campus if the cuts keep happening and that will hopefully result in students taking action and voicing their concerns.”
SDSU’s star might not play against its toughest opponent.
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E N T E R TA I N M E N T BarCraft is bringing “StarCraft II” to bars across the U.S.
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“So teachers have lives. Students have lives. People on both sides of the dais have lives outside of the classroom. But are we aware of this?” B A C K PA G E
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