CALIFORNIA FACULTY ASSOCIATION HEADS TO WASHINGTON, DC SEEKING HELP TO SAVE CALIF. STATE UNIVERSITY
Education Desk
March 24, 2009
Faculty to share deep concerns about California Legislatureīs attempt to use Federal Recovery Funds as excuse to cut another $50 million from CSU budget already short $600 million. Deep state budget cuts have pared opportunity in nationīs largest four-year university — the 23-campus California State University.
CFA will tell national leaders: "Every American Deserves Access to Higher Ed."
A delegation of California Faculty Association leaders along with CSU students leave for Washington, DC today to expose the threat of another $50 million cut to the CSU budget because of the federal stimulus "trigger" adopted by the California State Legislature.
The delegation also will tell members of Congress and the administration that the U.S. needs a new strategy to rebuild the nationīs crumbling state colleges and universities in the face of deep state budget cuts in at least 21 states. As college opportunity falters, the numbers in the higher educated work force is not keeping up with the needs of the 21st Century economy.
CRISIS IN CALIFORNIA — LARGEST STATE UNIVERSITY UNDER THE GUN
In the state budget deal cut February 19, the state legislature adopted a so-called "trigger" for more cuts to the California State University, University of California, other education and various health care services, if federal recovery dollars do not meet a pre-determined standard.
If this new cut is made, the CSU alone will lose $50 million. That is equal to the cost of about 10,000 classes in the CSU. Students already canīt get the courses they need to graduate on many CSU campuses, due to $600 million in funding shortfalls already this year — almost 20 percent of the total CSU budget.
"Rather than wait to see exactly what federal money California actually will receive, the legislature and governor want to make this determination by April 1. We all know government accounting is open to interpretation, and trying to calculate recovery money this early is pure guesswork," said Dr. Lillian Taiz, CFA President and a history professor at the CSUīs Los Angeles campus.
"Perversely it looks like the influx of billions of dollars from the federal government meant to spur on the economy is being used instead as an excuse to cut even more out of public higher education," she said.
Taiz added, "This is a colossal tragedy of short-term thinking, destroying the very institutions that make the economy work. We need more college educated people we already donīt educate enough."
CSU faculty, staff and students will begin calling members of Congress from California in their district offices on Wednesday. They will share the same message that federal recovery money should not be an excuse to cut higher education and that such cuts undermine the intent and effectiveness of the recovery plan.
The California State University was created 50 years ago as part of a plan to provide broad access to public higher education. With 23 campuses, more than 400,000 students, and 50,000 employees, it is the largest system of four-year higher education in the U.S. It has been an engine for Californiaīs economic success.
The California Faculty Association represents the 23,000 instructional faculty, librarians, counselors and coaches in the CSU.
NOTE: Readers can follow the delegationīs progress at Twitter.com/CFAinDC
CFA will tell national leaders: "Every American Deserves Access to Higher Ed."
A delegation of California Faculty Association leaders along with CSU students leave for Washington, DC today to expose the threat of another $50 million cut to the CSU budget because of the federal stimulus "trigger" adopted by the California State Legislature.
The delegation also will tell members of Congress and the administration that the U.S. needs a new strategy to rebuild the nationīs crumbling state colleges and universities in the face of deep state budget cuts in at least 21 states. As college opportunity falters, the numbers in the higher educated work force is not keeping up with the needs of the 21st Century economy.
CRISIS IN CALIFORNIA — LARGEST STATE UNIVERSITY UNDER THE GUN
In the state budget deal cut February 19, the state legislature adopted a so-called "trigger" for more cuts to the California State University, University of California, other education and various health care services, if federal recovery dollars do not meet a pre-determined standard.
If this new cut is made, the CSU alone will lose $50 million. That is equal to the cost of about 10,000 classes in the CSU. Students already canīt get the courses they need to graduate on many CSU campuses, due to $600 million in funding shortfalls already this year — almost 20 percent of the total CSU budget.
"Rather than wait to see exactly what federal money California actually will receive, the legislature and governor want to make this determination by April 1. We all know government accounting is open to interpretation, and trying to calculate recovery money this early is pure guesswork," said Dr. Lillian Taiz, CFA President and a history professor at the CSUīs Los Angeles campus.
"Perversely it looks like the influx of billions of dollars from the federal government meant to spur on the economy is being used instead as an excuse to cut even more out of public higher education," she said.
Taiz added, "This is a colossal tragedy of short-term thinking, destroying the very institutions that make the economy work. We need more college educated people we already donīt educate enough."
CSU faculty, staff and students will begin calling members of Congress from California in their district offices on Wednesday. They will share the same message that federal recovery money should not be an excuse to cut higher education and that such cuts undermine the intent and effectiveness of the recovery plan.
The California State University was created 50 years ago as part of a plan to provide broad access to public higher education. With 23 campuses, more than 400,000 students, and 50,000 employees, it is the largest system of four-year higher education in the U.S. It has been an engine for Californiaīs economic success.
The California Faculty Association represents the 23,000 instructional faculty, librarians, counselors and coaches in the CSU.
NOTE: Readers can follow the delegationīs progress at Twitter.com/CFAinDC
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