EEUU: Students, professors to protest education cutbacks

EEUU: Students, professors to protest education cutbacks

A movement born of $1 billion in budget cuts to California's state university system has blossomed into a nationwide protest, as students and professors in 33 states will challenge administrators and state lawmakers to ante up.

Most of Thursday's demonstrations will focus on cuts to state-funded colleges and universities, which supporters say drive up tuition, limit classes and make higher education unobtainable to many.

A blog called Student Activism said in a Twitter update that 122 events are slated from coast to coast -- most on campuses, and some at state capitals.

Dissatisfaction, anger and an uncertain future have led professors and students to call for a day of action to defend education.

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State funding for the California State University system was reduced by nearly $1 billion for the academic years between 2008 and 2010. Schools have responded by increasing fees, canceling classes, cutting student support programs and furloughing professors. Fees have increased 182 percent since 2002.

"The less affordable education becomes, the less likely low-income students will be able to get a college education," said Lillian Taiz, president of the California Faculty Association and professor of history at California State University, Los Angeles.

In Georgia, a legislative committee proposed $300 million in cuts to the state's college system, on top of $100 million cut in the past two years, University of Georgia President Michael F. Adams wrote in an open letter to students, faculty and staff.

"This is not our plan; these are not cuts we offered to make; and we will vigorously oppose any effort to implement them," Adams wrote.

In response, student organizers in Georgia are urging fellow students at every college in the state system to wear black this week to "symbolize the 'death' of our education," according to a post on Facebook.

See where the protests are planned

Budget cuts have resulted in canceled classes and class waiting lists doubling or tripling in California.

Whitney Thompson experienced that firsthand when all her courses at Fresno State University were dropped, setting her back an entire year. She is part of a rising phenomenon, in which students take up to six years to graduate. She is now enrolled in classes that do not meet her graduation requirements.

"My plans were messed up. I now have more debt," according to Thompson, who said she's taking classes that were not her first choice.

Alejandro Laro-Briseno at the University of California, Berkeley, said he knows students who have to choose between buying a book and eating.

Honora Keller, a fifth-year student at San Francisco State University, has to work three jobs to keep up. "I have to eat, buy books and [pay] tuition, and I'm still taking out more loans," she said.

"People are taking semesters off to save for tuition. It's a common conversation you hear everywhere on campus," Keller said.

Watch students march on Colorado Capitol

Similar conversations are taking place across the country as states slash funding not only for colleges, but also for elementary and secondary education.

California high schoolers rally against education cuts

Alejandro Lara-Briseno, the first in his family to attend college, now doubts he will be able to finish. "I remember when I was accepted to the University of California, Berkeley, my mother started crying," he said.

More students take particular classes, not because they are interested in the topic or are even fulfilling their requirements, but because they are unable to register for anything else, says Vivian Chavez, an assistant professor at San Francisco State University.

Furlough days and a 10 percent salary decrease have affected the morale of professors and students at the school.

"We are doing more with less," Chavez said. "I normally teach 45 students, and last semester I taught 68 students. It was so difficult to remember student names. How do you give each one individual attention?"

As students and professors prepared for Thursday, they remain hopeful that administrators and legislators will listen.

"I want people to question where the priorities are -- to see people getting together to accomplish a goal, by creating awareness for something as simple and as basic as the right to be educated," Keller said.

CNN, 04/03/10