By Julissa James
Editor in Chief
Cal State Dominguez Hills faculty member Charles E. Thomas proposed a resolution opposing the proposed CSU tuition increase at the Nov. 16 Academic Senate meeting.
The tuition hike, if approved by the CSU, would add $270 annually per undergraduate student. The action item received a unanimous vote from the Senate in favor of opposition.
This proposal came a day after the CSU Board of Trustees’ meeting at their headquarters in Long Beach, where the possible tuition increase for all 23 CSU campuses was put on the table for discussion.
Thomas noted the possible implications from increasing tuition for the CSU, the major one being that many students are financially disadvantaged, and many of them homeless.
The Los Angeles Times reported that one in 10 of the CSU’s 460,000 students don’t have a steady home, while one in five don’t have stable access to food.
“$270 is a big deal for some,” Thomas added.
Academic Sen. Cyndi Villanueva, echoed Thomas’ calls to action. She spoke on behalf of the Students for Quality Education, which is also hoping for the Senate’s support to oppose this tuition hike.
The letter made the point that the tuition increase was unnecessary, and the CSU Chancellor’s Office has not made improvements to the system with fee increases in the past.
“Our classrooms are still broken, our restrooms are still dirty and our technologies are still antiquated,” read the letter.
Academic Sen. Thomas Norman called to repeal tuition in general.
“[Let’s] channel a little Bernie Sanders,” he said.
In his proposed resolution, Thomas also noted California’s disinvestment in the CSU system in the last decade, straying away from their responsibility under the 1960 California Master Plan for Education to fund public systems.
With a few amendments requested from academic senators, the resolution for CSUDH to oppose the potential tuition increase was passed with a unanimous 34 votes in favor.
