SACRAMENTO, Calif.,USA- "They say cut backs, we say fight back", was shouted from a group of Sacramento State students and faculty last Wednesday. Students and staff are joining together to fight the continuing fee increase that The California State University Board of Trustees imposed on them for the Fall 2009 semester. This 20% fee increase follows a 10% increase that was issued in May. This burdens students with a fee increase of $978.
Students gathered for the rally and listened to fellow students and faculty voice their opinions about the fee increase. Whether they were eating their lunch or holding a sign expressing their disappointment, they were all supporting one another and standing behind their beliefs in a system that has once again failed them.
Along with frustrated students , stood a group of faculty that were recently burdened with a pay cut and forced to teach students less by taking scheduled furlough days. So if teachers are making less, why are students paying more?
“We are in the midst of a financial meltdown and need to take immediate action in order to preserve our institutions," CSU chancellor Charles Reed said in a news release. "We have developed an overall plan to get us through the next two years that both reduces expenditures and increases revenues. Raising student fees is always a difficult decision, and we recognize the tremendous burden and challenge it places on our students.”
Does Charles Reed really see the burden that is placed on struggling students? I was worried about how my fees were going to be funded before the first fee increase. Now, as a full time student, I have to figure out how I am going to pay an additional $1000. Did I mention that I am a single mother who works four nights a week as a bartender? Why am I being taxed?
Trying to make some sense of the fee increase, I am relieved to know that almost half of the fees are going to fund financial aid. The other half will help offset part of the $584 million budget deficit. I cannot make sense out of why student fees are being used to pay back a system that is constantly letting us down and leaving education as an open target. Frustration also lies in the fact that I am not receiving financial aid but contributing to fund a system that I cannot benefit from.
Although the rally was important for students and staff, I do not feel as though our voices are being heard. We can shout as loud as we want but unfortunately the leaders of the CSU system are refusing to listen. So what do we do now? We cannot refuse to pay our fees because we will be dropped from our classes. So we come together and listen to one another and offer support to each other in hopes that our shouts will eventually be heard.
Students gathered for the rally and listened to fellow students and faculty voice their opinions about the fee increase. Whether they were eating their lunch or holding a sign expressing their disappointment, they were all supporting one another and standing behind their beliefs in a system that has once again failed them.
Along with frustrated students , stood a group of faculty that were recently burdened with a pay cut and forced to teach students less by taking scheduled furlough days. So if teachers are making less, why are students paying more?
“We are in the midst of a financial meltdown and need to take immediate action in order to preserve our institutions," CSU chancellor Charles Reed said in a news release. "We have developed an overall plan to get us through the next two years that both reduces expenditures and increases revenues. Raising student fees is always a difficult decision, and we recognize the tremendous burden and challenge it places on our students.”
Does Charles Reed really see the burden that is placed on struggling students? I was worried about how my fees were going to be funded before the first fee increase. Now, as a full time student, I have to figure out how I am going to pay an additional $1000. Did I mention that I am a single mother who works four nights a week as a bartender? Why am I being taxed?
Trying to make some sense of the fee increase, I am relieved to know that almost half of the fees are going to fund financial aid. The other half will help offset part of the $584 million budget deficit. I cannot make sense out of why student fees are being used to pay back a system that is constantly letting us down and leaving education as an open target. Frustration also lies in the fact that I am not receiving financial aid but contributing to fund a system that I cannot benefit from.
Although the rally was important for students and staff, I do not feel as though our voices are being heard. We can shout as loud as we want but unfortunately the leaders of the CSU system are refusing to listen. So what do we do now? We cannot refuse to pay our fees because we will be dropped from our classes. So we come together and listen to one another and offer support to each other in hopes that our shouts will eventually be heard.
The writer attacked the column with a lot of enthusiasm, but needed to broaden her audience. Her two sentences might have actually made a good lead-in for the entire column...
ReplyDeleteLove this one. I couldn't agree more.
ReplyDelete