Students Organize Campuswide Walkout
in Protest Over State Budget Cuts in Education
April 16, 2004
FULLERTON, Calif. – A group
of students calling themselves “Students Informing Students”
(SIS) at California State University, Fullerton has organized with
Associated Students Inc. (ASI) to protest the proposed budget cuts
to the CSU statewide system. In cooperation with the California
Faculty Association, SIS is staging a walkout on April 29 at noon
to rally in the Quad at CSUF.
“Our goal is to inform students on how detrimental
these budget cuts will be to their education,” says Tatianne
Velo, one of the founding members of SIS.
Community leaders are expected to attend the rally
to support the CSUF role in continued economic growth. Students
and faculty will speak of personal experiences and how these budget
cuts will affect their lives. The rally will feature guest
speaker Gus Chavez, former director of the Equal Opportunity Program
(EOP) at San Diego State University and widely considered to be
the “grandfather” of EOP. Chavez will speak on
behalf of the importance of public education and the resources that
public schools provide to those who otherwise would be unable to
obtain an education.
“We will have booths and information available
to the students to get them involved says Nicole Risdall, one of
the founding members of SIS. “The students will be able
to sign a letter for their local legislator, which will also be
sent to the Governor. Then in May students from all campuses
statewide are going to Sacramento to meet with the governor. We
want to give students, faculty and staff an outlet and means for
action,”
According to an Economic Impact study conducted by
faculty members in the CSUF College of Business and Economics, CSUF
and its students generate $828.5 million in economic activity and
support nearly 12,000 full- and part-time jobs.
“The irony of reducing student admission
is that fewer students mean less revenue,” says Adam Byrnes,
director of statewide affairs for ASI, responding to the governor’s
budget proposal to reduce admission statewide by rejecting 22,000
qualified applicants. “This is really going to have
a significant impact on the economy of California because lower
enrollment equals a lower number of graduates. And a lower
number of graduates equals a lower amount of workers who add money
to the economy and tax rolls.
“Over the past two years, CSU has already
suffered a 20 percent decrease in state support. In the 1970s,
the state was spending approximately 6.5 percent of the General
Fund on the CSU – today it is only 3.5 percent. There
has been a significant decline in per-student spending from the
General Fund. In the 1980-81 academic year, the CSU received $10,742
per student (in 2002/03 dollars). Last year spending dropped to
$8,426 per student, which equates to a 21.6 percent drop in student
spending from the state, ” he noted.
The theme of this campaign is “STAND UP! It’s
YOUR education at stake!” The meaning behind this slogan is
to “motivate students into action,” says Risdall. “We
want students to know that if we all unite and take a stance, our
31,000 voices will be heard.”
“This is a call to action on behalf of the students
and the community to protect the future of California’s economy
and growth,” says Tammy Chase, one of the founding members
of SIS.
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