CSULB protests the cuts

CSULB students and staff erupted in protest and marched on campus against the looming 2011 budget cuts yesterday afternoon.

The protest began near CSULB's bell tower with guest speakers, including the president of the Teachers Association of Long Beach, initiating the rally. The protest, as reported by the Daily 49er,drew around 500-600 people.

"This is your civil rights movement," said Teri Yamada, the president of CSULB's chapter of California faculty Association. "This is your moment."

A wave of applause roared through the crowd and protests signs found themselves raised in the air as Yamada spoke these words.



Though it is the CSU system that faces a potential $1 billion budget cut, Ted Stolze, a philospophy teacher at Cerritos College, said the cuts do not only affect students at univiersities.

"Those who call the shots want community college students to pay for a problem they didn't (start)," said Stolze. California's public colleges may increase their tuition and "up to 400,000 students may not be able to register."

While CSULB may face a $32 million cut, losing 535 jobs and 5,600 coursesThe Press Telegramreported some people "even demanded the resignation of CSU Chancellor Charles Reed, whom they noted earns an annual salary of more than $421,500 a year."

Duan Jackson, the chief steward of Academic Professionals of California at CSULB, said even though it is difficult to continue to support students without help, it is their duty to support students. "We're not asking for a hand out, (but an investment)."



When the speakers finished, those in the crowd were urged to continue the protest by toward Brotman Hall. The protesters chanted slogans such as "they say cut backs, we say fight back" as the crowd marched through the school.

"This is the only way we can do it: voting and protesting," finance major Pablo Moran said about the rally. "(The budget cuts ) hitting state wide and it's going to hurt us."

The following video, found from the Daily 49er's youtube page, showcases the protest:

2011-12 CSULB Budget Outlook

The worse case scenario for the CSULB's future budget may be in the form of a $72 million reduction, according to a power point presentation found at the CSULB's budget central website here

Meanwhile, the best case scenario for the entire CSU system may take the form of a $500 million reduction with CSULB sharing only $32 million of the deficit.

The power point then details an outline regarding both the best and worst case impacts and outlooks.

CSULB, for the best case scenario, would have to "[carefully] use . . . unspent non-recurring “restoration” funds [that] would provide a buffer against severe cuts for 2-3 years" all the while leaving "little felxibilty for anything new" such as "limited hiring."

If the university did face a $72 million cut, "after 1 year," according to the power point, the "campus would face abrupt, severe reductions" that may be administered throughout an entire year, rather than cushioned through the span of two or three years

49er football return could mean more fees

CSULB's elections gives students the opportuniy to not only vote for ASI leaders, but to pass a referendum that would recommend President F. King Alexander to issue an $86 student activity fee to reinstate a 49er football team able to compete in the National Collegiate Athletics Association.

(A Press Telegram article regarding the return of a LBSU football team can be found here: http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_17389448 )

The ballot 1 measure, along with bringing back the CSULB football team, would also advocate establishing women's lacrosse, crew and field hockey teams also capable of competing in the NCAA league.

If the measure passed, and CSULB did revive the 49er football team, The $86 fee would occur over the course of five years. Students would first pay an extra $25 dollars the initial semester, $17 the next and so on, decreasing year by year, according to business finance major Jason Aula.

Here's CSULB's own broadcast covering the football referendum:

Aula, who began the proposition to bring back CSULB's football team, said the effort of the footbal revival was "by students for students." The business finances major added that the community of CSULB could benefit through social intergration with the addition of several new school teams. Comparing Cal State Long Beach's sense of acedemic and athletic prestige to other universities, Aula asked "Why shouldn't CSULB have (a football team)?"

Aula's blog, http://bringback49erfootball.blogspot.com/, provides information revolving around the proposition.

Two grants not applicable for 2011-12 school season

As mentioned in my previous post, the budget for education may eliminate student aid for CSULB. Unfortunately, two grants are no longer available for the 2011-12 school year.

The National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant and the Academic Competitive Grant will not see the light of day for the next Fall semester. The Daily 49er reported the director of financial aid Nicolas Valdiva saying the latter grants will be cut to balance the federal defecit. (Here's the article: http://www.daily49er.com/news/lack-of-federal-support-ends-some-student-grants-1.2508599)

Meanwhile, according to the governor's proposed budget, found here: http://www.ebudget.ca.gov/pdf/BudgetSummary/HigherEducation.pdf, the CSU system's total funding will decrease by 4.5%, meaning a proposed cut of at least $216 million.

Fees up. Student aid possibly down.

CSULB students will face a $94 fee increase for upcoming semesters. As reported by the Daily 49er (http://www.daily49er.com/news/csulb-president-alexander-explains-new-student-fee-1.2485234#), "The increase is meant to help offset the $500 million proposed reduction for the California State University system due to state budget cuts."

The tuition increase, also dubbed the Student Excellence Fund, aims to save school programs and sustain the U-Pass. The fund is the consequence of an increase in the school's new $1.5 million health-care cost, maintaining an ideal univeristy standard and budget cuts, with possibly more fiscal reductions down the road. By the end of the 49er article, CSULB President F. King Alexander said the range of budget cuts could be between $400 million and $1 billion.

Meanwhile, as CSULB's fees increase to prevent losing some of our school's privilages, President Barack Obama was said to propose cuts to student aid programs as a means to keep federal Pell Grants the same amount. The president's support for the Pell Grant (which the story can be found here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-kantrowitz/president-obama-proposes-_b_823236.html) was a response to a Republican proposition of lowering the financial-aid grant by $845.