Prompted by the 32 percent tuition increases in the University of California system, on March 4 students around the country protested in what organizers called a “Day of Action.” While we certainly support the cause of making public education affordable — Cornell receives, of course, significant state funding — we question certain elements of their campaign.
We must first remember why these cuts are occurring. Last year, amidst a serious budget crisis, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger cut $600 million from the University of California budget, prompting the deans of the various UC schools to raise tuition. As UC President Mark Yudof stated, there was no other reasonable way to close the budget gap. We must therefore question the protesters’ assertion that “a nationwide resistance movement is needed.” The decisions to cut budgets and raise tuitions — though undeniably causing much pain — are, given certain circumstances, justifiable.
In these difficult economic times, states such as California that face dire budget straits are forced to make difficult cuts to vital programs. But considering the other areas budget cuts could have affected, raising the price of higher education is reasonable. It is important to keep in mind that while these increases place a greater burden on students, they may be a necessary compromise to maintain the strength of the UC system. Making college more expensive hurts — we sympathize with the frustration of those students who are hit the hardest, and understand the protesters’ argument that “education cuts are attacks against all of us, particularly in