Some students, faculty, staff and members of the community will be participating in a planned march and rally on Thursday.
The march and rally, on March 4, are part of a statewide day of action planned by students, unions and educators from all levels of higher education – community colleges, California State Universities (CSU) and Universities of California.
The day’s events are a response to the state’s cuts from educational budgets. Fresno State saw a cut of $44.6 million at the beginning of the 2009-10 scholastic year.
Senior sociology major Matt Ford, one of the event’s organizers, said the demonstration has garnered support from labor unions, student groups and community members such as the United Farm Workers, Journey for Justice, Students for Quality Education and the local chapters of the California State University Employees Union and the California Faculty association (CFA).
Ford said, unlike last October’s walkout, this event would not come with demands for the administration.
“That’s kind of a dead-end road,” Ford said.
However, the event will be the unveiling of an academic constitution. Ford said the document is in its early stages, and still needs input from as many students as possible.
ASI senator Jamie San Andres, another organizer for the March 4 events, said students and community members have been meeting at least weekly since December to plan Thursday’s demonstration.
San Andres said her group reached out to community colleges and high schools in an effort to drum up support. She also said the university should be a place for social change.
“We believe that the university is a public asset,” San Andres said.