New White Paper probes "restructuring" of CSU
CFA outlines plan to fight back
By: Inner Pahal
Issue date: 12/9/09 Section: News
California Faculty Association (CFA) released a new White Paper on December 1st, scrutinizing the "restructuring" taking place on CSU campuses and describing how to begin a counter dialogue.
"On every one of our campuses, we are seeing signs that a profound change in the mission of our California State University is being implemented," Lillian Taiz, CFA President and professor of History at CSU Los Angeles said in a recent news release.
CFA members have been sounding off over enormous changes taking place throughout CSU campuses that have led to fast-rising tuition for students, program and class eliminations, and the laying off of thousands of instructors and staff-asserting they are being implemented under the pretense of an economic crisis.
"Every day, we encounter new evidence that the changes being made are not intended to help weather the economic crisis," David Bradfield, professor of Music and Digital Arts at CSU Dominguez Hills said in a recent press release, and added that the changes are being made to serve the needs of corporate interest.
The goal of the white paper is to bring to light fundamental changes taking place in public policy and demonstrating how to reclaim the discourse over the "quiet acceptance of every cut."
The white paper, titled "Restructuring the CSU or Wrecking It?", raised many provocative points, including criticizing recent remarks made by California State University, Stanislaus President Hamid Shirvani.
President Shirvani has been routinely criticized for his October 18th, 2009 commentary inside the Chronicle of Higher Education, titled "Will A Culture of Entitlement Bankrupt Higher Education?"
The white paper challenges remarks made by Shirvani calling for changes as "creative reconstruction," which the white paper says is meant to suggest to readers that budget cuts would lead to positive changes.
"Shirvani tries to reframe these staggering budget cuts as an opportunity to create his vision of a better, smaller university that does not waste resources on those who are not deserving enough," the white paper noted.
CSU Stanislaus professor and CFA chapter president John Sarraillé weighed in on the white paper's criticism of Shirvani.
"I think readers (of Shirvani's commentary) were troubled that he characterized education as a privilege, not a right," Sarraillé said. He claimed that Shirvani suggests that those people who want public funding of higher education have an unrealistic sense of entitlement. However, Sarraillé mentioned that California getsback $4.40 for every dollar it puts into higher education.
The white paper also warns of a recent internal memo by Benjamin F. Quillian, CSU Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer. The memo, directed toward campus administrators, calls on them to detail their plans on handling cuts and to provide them with direction in doing so.
"The budget reduction strategies must yield a fundamental transformation of the ways we meet the needs of our students, faculty, and staff," stated the memo.
"This is classic Milton Friedmanesque 'privatization of public services,'" said Steven Filling, Speaker of the Academic Senate at CSU Stanislaus. Filling is concerned about the direction this memo provides for campus administrators to make public education less public and more private.
A new dialogue:
The white paper outlines plans for the CFA to begin to fight back by a "reorientation to reality." The organization plans to do this by demonstrating how CSU administrators are reducing educational opportunities, exposing the state to long-term social effects of changes, and that historically "crisis" claims have been used to: "strip down social programs, privatize government, destroy democratic institutions, and create enormous wealth for a tiny group of individuals."
"Students, educators and others are mobilizing state-wide and even nation- and world-wide in support of public education," Sarraillé said when asked how people can reclaim discourse. He pointed to "a March 4th day of action" that is being considered as a protest of CSU budget cuts. Sarraillé mentioned that people can write letters to their representatives in legislature urging them to support Assembly Bill 656, which would raise funds for UC, CSU and community colleges.
The white paper can be found through the CFA website.
"On every one of our campuses, we are seeing signs that a profound change in the mission of our California State University is being implemented," Lillian Taiz, CFA President and professor of History at CSU Los Angeles said in a recent news release.
CFA members have been sounding off over enormous changes taking place throughout CSU campuses that have led to fast-rising tuition for students, program and class eliminations, and the laying off of thousands of instructors and staff-asserting they are being implemented under the pretense of an economic crisis.
"Every day, we encounter new evidence that the changes being made are not intended to help weather the economic crisis," David Bradfield, professor of Music and Digital Arts at CSU Dominguez Hills said in a recent press release, and added that the changes are being made to serve the needs of corporate interest.
The goal of the white paper is to bring to light fundamental changes taking place in public policy and demonstrating how to reclaim the discourse over the "quiet acceptance of every cut."
The white paper, titled "Restructuring the CSU or Wrecking It?", raised many provocative points, including criticizing recent remarks made by California State University, Stanislaus President Hamid Shirvani.
President Shirvani has been routinely criticized for his October 18th, 2009 commentary inside the Chronicle of Higher Education, titled "Will A Culture of Entitlement Bankrupt Higher Education?"
The white paper challenges remarks made by Shirvani calling for changes as "creative reconstruction," which the white paper says is meant to suggest to readers that budget cuts would lead to positive changes.
"Shirvani tries to reframe these staggering budget cuts as an opportunity to create his vision of a better, smaller university that does not waste resources on those who are not deserving enough," the white paper noted.
CSU Stanislaus professor and CFA chapter president John Sarraillé weighed in on the white paper's criticism of Shirvani.
"I think readers (of Shirvani's commentary) were troubled that he characterized education as a privilege, not a right," Sarraillé said. He claimed that Shirvani suggests that those people who want public funding of higher education have an unrealistic sense of entitlement. However, Sarraillé mentioned that California getsback $4.40 for every dollar it puts into higher education.
The white paper also warns of a recent internal memo by Benjamin F. Quillian, CSU Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer. The memo, directed toward campus administrators, calls on them to detail their plans on handling cuts and to provide them with direction in doing so.
"The budget reduction strategies must yield a fundamental transformation of the ways we meet the needs of our students, faculty, and staff," stated the memo.
"This is classic Milton Friedmanesque 'privatization of public services,'" said Steven Filling, Speaker of the Academic Senate at CSU Stanislaus. Filling is concerned about the direction this memo provides for campus administrators to make public education less public and more private.
A new dialogue:
The white paper outlines plans for the CFA to begin to fight back by a "reorientation to reality." The organization plans to do this by demonstrating how CSU administrators are reducing educational opportunities, exposing the state to long-term social effects of changes, and that historically "crisis" claims have been used to: "strip down social programs, privatize government, destroy democratic institutions, and create enormous wealth for a tiny group of individuals."
"Students, educators and others are mobilizing state-wide and even nation- and world-wide in support of public education," Sarraillé said when asked how people can reclaim discourse. He pointed to "a March 4th day of action" that is being considered as a protest of CSU budget cuts. Sarraillé mentioned that people can write letters to their representatives in legislature urging them to support Assembly Bill 656, which would raise funds for UC, CSU and community colleges.
The white paper can be found through the CFA website.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Aj Hayes
posted 12/09/09 @ 9:20 AM PST
what address would i use to send a letter to Benjamin F quillian
Paper Service
posted 12/10/09 @ 8:49 AM PST
The goal of the white paper is to bring to light fundamental changes taking place in public policy and demonstrating how to reclaim the discourse over the "quiet acceptance of every cut. (Continued…)
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