Budget reality bites SDSU students: the frustrations of one mother

[toymachines]

Budget reality bites SDSU students
Alicia DeLeon Torres, SDNN

San Diego State University has been busy. My daughter has received double amount of the informational emails from the school since June 1, 2009. Last week was a “bonus” week. She received two:

On July 23, 2009:

“Based on the recommendation of the SDSU Senate-established Enrollment Management Task Force, effective fall 2009, the number of units in which undergraduate and graduate students are allowed to register has been changed to 17 units during the registration time period. Students can register for more than 17 units during schedule adjustment, which is August 31 - September 16.”

Translation: Most San Diego State University students graduate in five years or more - not four. It will now take six years or more. If you really must graduate in four or five years, you can try to “crash” the few classes we still offer in your major/minor. In order to “crash” the class, you must be a fourth semester senior who has not been able to secure this class - ever - because you didn’t have a compelling reason as to why the professor should choose you over the other 200 students vying for the 3 slots open. Please work on your “crash” speech before coming to class. For those who will try to “crash” classes by emailing professors before classes begin, please don’t. The enormous amount of emails will result in our servers “crashing”.

Then on July 26, 2009:

“On July 21, 2009, the California State University Trustees voted to implement an increase in the State University Fee and Out of State Tuition effective for the Fall 2009 semester. For students enrolled in 6.1 or more units, the per semester State University Fee increase will be $336 for Undergraduate Students (for total registration fees of $2,451); $390 for Students in the Teacher Credential Program (for total registration fees of $2,775); and $414 for Graduate Students (for total registration fees of $2,919).”

Translation: The tuition fee hike that you/your parents paid this past June (and in 2008) was to assist the Cal State system meet the expanding cost of providing YOU with a fine education. This fee hike is because Gov. Schwarzenegger and the ‘Big 5′ needed to balance the state budget on the backs of older adults, children, counties, cities, non-profits, state workers, YOU and all the other elementary, middle, high school and college students - just about everybody - except his ‘special interests’ (example: oil companies)...Read more

http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-07-27/news/alicia-deleon-torres-budget-reality-bites-sdsu-students#ixzz0MZchZ4NC

[mike_c]

1. get good and mad, the vote then rat bastards who did this OUT OF OFFICE....

The California State University has been under attack by the legislature for the last five years at least. We are now operating on a budget that is $600 million LESS than a decade ago. This year will see a total 30 percent fee raise for students-- it's still one of the best education deals in the country, make no mistake-- and we will be "trimming" admissions by 40,000 students. That means that 40,000 qualified Californians will be turned away from the flagship state teaching university-- a betrayal of the primary principles that established it.

So yes, get mad as hell. The only reason this is happening is that the legislature doesn't feel much heat when they cut the Cal State budget, year after year. We're at the point where the university can no longer fulfill its mission. This has been coming down the road for years. Anyone who was looking could see the headlights and had plenty of time to put on the brakes.

Get REALLY mad. Maybe mad enough to elect progressives instead of republican pigs and their democratic party water carriers in the California Legislature.