NANCY ROSSIGNOL
PRIDE STAFF WRITER

The California Faculty Association will host “A Day of Class Action” at all 23 Cal State campuses on Wednesday, April 13 as part of a national campaign in support of higher education and university employees.

CSUSM rally participants will gather at noon in Cesar Chavez Plaza, then walk to the Rotunda in Craven Hall for refreshments, live jazz and speakers from 12:15 – 1:30 p.m. An open mic session will follow from 1:30 – 2 p.m., giving students, staff and faculty opportunities to voice their concerns about major changes to higher education, both nationally and locally. “Without clear, vocal and very public statements against the changes that are being proposed and/or have already been enacted, higher education as we currently know it will be seriously damaged,” CFA Chapter President and CSUSM Sociology professor Donald Barrett said. Concerns regarding funding and the rights of employees and students are key issues surrounding the event. These concerns include budget cuts and resulting tuition increases adversely affecting affordable higher education, threats to faculty decision-making power regarding class content, size and delivery, elimination of major courses, majors and minors and the idea of students being viewed in terms of cost/benefit ratios.

“In terms of attacks on the rights of students, the overall issue is an increased focus on getting students through the system efficiently. While this may sound good, it has an impact on the diversity and quality of education available and is particularly problematic for students who come to higher education less-prepared than other students,” Dr. Barrett said. Collective bargaining, another key issue, Dr. Barrett explained as “efforts to centralize administration and weaken the power of employee unions to collectively represent the interests of employees.” These changes to higher education “will result in a less diverse student body, loss in access to quality education, and a loss in the quality of the work environment for faculty and staff,” Dr. Barrett said.

Photos courtesy of www.nicholls.edu