Over 1000 Students, Staffers, Employees and Faculty Members Participate in Walk Out Rally at UC ...
Over 1000 students, employees, faculty members, staffers, and others affiliated with the University filled the East Quad at UC Davis on Thursday afternoon advocating against fee increases that many see as the death knell for public education in California. Speakers were concerned about talk that UC President Mark Yudoff is moving toward a hybrid public-private university that will make fees that are set to go up as much as 32% in the next year, unaffordable for many.
Over 1000 students, employees, faculty members, staffers, and others affiliated with the University filled the East Quad at UC Davis on Thursday afternoon advocating against fee increases that many see as the death knell for public education in California. Speakers were concerned about talk that UC President Mark Yudoff is moving toward a hybrid public-private university that will make fees that are set to go up as much as 32% in the next year, unaffordable for many.
Among the speakers on Thursday was Professor Markus Luty, a physics professor who jokingly encouraged students that it was a great day to ditch class.
On a more serious note, he reminded students that the UC system began in 1960 with a Master Plan that included a spot for the top 1/8 of all California school graduates--free of charge.He liken UC to a Superbowl-winning football team:
"The University of California is like a Superbowl-winning football team. If you stop investing in it, it will still be great fora while. But eventually the top players will. start leaving, you won't be able to recruit top talent to replace them, and you will end up with a mediocre team."He continued:
"The UC system is at a tipping point between greatness and mediocrity. Faculty morale is low, and I hear a lot from my colleagues about leaving the UC system. This has been noticed outside California: a recent editorial in the Austin Statesman suggested that the University of Texas should set aside money specifically to recruit top UC faculty. Those Texans know a thing or two about football!"Furthermore, UC is now in serious trouble.
"This great university system is now in serious trouble. The problems did not start this year. Since the 1980s, higher education funding has been cut more than any other major sector of the state budget. It is the only sector that had a reduction in real per capita revenues between 1984 and 2004. Then in 2004, Governor Schwarzenegger made a "compact" with the University of California and California State Universities that fundamentally changed the model for higher education in California. The universities committed to shift financing from state funding to student fees and private donations. In return the compact was supposed to guarantee a minimum level of state support. But the governor and the California state legislature have walked away from this agreement and made further cuts."
On Wednesday evening, the Vanguard discussed the issue of the UC Davis Walkout in protest of furloughs and student tuition hikes. We interviewed five individuals from four different groups for their perspective. Guests: Julia Tachibana a 4th year English major, Sarah Raridon, a 4th year Gender Studies major, Jeff Bergamini from UPTE, Rick Sandoval from AFSCME, and Pat Turner, the Vice Provost of Undergraduate Studies represented the university.
Click here to listen to the radio show. The Vanguard will have a full story and many more pictures tomorrow morning with speakers who ranged from students, graduate students, lecturers, faculty, representatives from various unions, and many others.---David M. Greenwald reporting