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Students protesting the cancellation of summer school chanted “cut your salaries, fund the university” as they filed into Ursa Major of the Bronco Student Center for a meeting with University Michael Ortiz Thursday, June 11 at noon.
The protestors demonstrated in the form of a study-in and literally camped out with tents across from the library after receiving the email sent to all students stating that all summer classes were canceled due to a $400 million to $700 million projected state budget cut to the CSU system.
Emotions were high as students expressed individual and collective concerns.
“The purpose of the study-in is to show the university that we’re watching, that they can't make these without our consultation,” said Chris Rodriguez, a graduating gender ethnicity and multi cultural student, who was one of the students demonstrating this past week.
Rodriguez, along with many others, expressed a collective concern rather than individual issues at the forum.
“Even though it's finals week it doesn’t mean that we are not paying attention, or that we will stop studying, because we care about our education,” Rodriguez said. “We are also going to let the university know that we are not content with the way they have managed our funds. We feel there needs to be a reevaluation, and a restructuring of the administration.”
Rodriguez expressed strong feelings about the situation as he and other demonstrators held signs and brought up questions for Ortiz and other administrators during the open discussion.
“The administration has shown no dignity in the work that they do,” Rodriguez said. “In fact it’s just an insult to students.”
Other students expressed a call for unity across Cal Poly, rather than pointing the finger at the administration.
Student and outgoing ASI Vice President Marcy Daramola believes the dialogue between students and faculty should be strong in order to pull through this difficult economic time.
“As ASI Vice President it is fitting that this comes at the end of our term because it’s something that Jeff [Weintraub] and I have believed in this whole year, transparency,” Daramola said.
Daramola expressed her belief that the administration is acting on behalf of the welfare of the students.
“They are not trying to screw students over,” Daramola said. “Without us they don’t have a job. I don’t agree with every decision they make, but they are here to serve students. I truly trust the administration, having worked with them this whole year.”
Daramola believes students have the right to voice their opinions but also feel students should do their homework and understand completely what they are protesting.
“If you walk through the BSC, there is a pie chart that tells you where the money goes,” Daramola said. “The information is out there. If you don’t take advantage of it then you can’t complain because you didn’t take that extra step.”
Ortiz was the main administrator answering questions and concerns during the forum and expressed his frustration with the situation.
“I didn’t create this budget problem, but it is my responsibility to deal with it,” Ortiz said.
Despite the heated nature of the meeting Ortiz assured students that he was going to make decisions with their best interests in mind.
“All decisions that I’ve made since I’ve been here have always looked at the needs of the students. They have not always been popular decisions but that’s always been my first priority,” Ortiz said.
The decision to cancel summer courses was ultimately made by Ortiz along with a team of administrators.
“I’m looking at how I can provide services to the students in the fall winter and spring quarters without reducing those significantly and summer cancelation appeared to be the only solution,” he said.
For more specific information regarding summer courses visit the summer school 2009 website
20 comments
You say, "Cal Poly Pomona’s Associated Students INCORPRATED (sic) is innately bound to generating profit under the banner of 'Services for and by students.'"The Associated Students is a NONPROFIT CORPORATION. Their corporate charter, state and federal law dictate that their goal does not include generating profit. Other well-known examples of this sort of corporation are: Amnesty International, the United Way, and NORML. However, I'm sure you'll find a way to say these too are tools of white men bent on oppression.And correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't you an intern for ASI's art program?
Daramola’s claim that "students should do their homework [or] you can’t complain because you didn’t take that extra step” is rooted in a myth socially constructed by white male social scientists. These top-down social scientists have defined what truth is and how one must back it up. Firstly, truth as they proclaim is what can be "seen and heard" therefore it must be written down, documented and recorded. This is otherwise known as "empirical evidence." Seeing and hearing are senses that have been associated with the masculine and therefore dominant (according to the patriarchal social scientist). But what about that which we feel, smell, and taste??? Is that not how we know certain things too?? Nope! not according to the white man...those bodily senses (feel, smell, and taste) are associated with the feminine and therefore 'inferior" and NOT truth. So YES, providing facts and evidence is anglo-centric, patriarchal and imperialistic! I FEEL Therefore i KNOW.Salute to Claudia and your M.A.! Not only did you show the white man that a Chicana can master his "knowledge systems" but you also expose how ignorant and backwards THEIR ways of thinking are too! Keep talking back as bell hooks would say!
What does this mean for us? It means that for some we internalize the humiliation, we become dis-empowered; our self-esteem is crippled, and lose hope.
During last week’s forum many students, in a brave and dignified way, stood up and voiced their rage and discontent with Ortiz and the CSU administration’s decisions. Some of us may have not had all of the facts straight (whatever that means) but, lke most of us, our rage...dignified rage is all we need to express our opposition and hold everyone responsible accountable. Regardless of this, those at the top do not care about nor are they sympathetic towards student's feelings. Ortiz and the administration have no dignity and can only rely on fabricated lies and psychological intimidation to shut us up. The ASI elected officials also become tools of this.
For those who chose to break the silence and speak truth to power: Ask yourself "why did i speak up? why did i spend the night all week in a tent on campus when i could have just gone home?" Maybe you will answer, "because i had to" or "it FELT right" or "because this isn't fare" or "i have to"...Isn't our rage against these cuts enough to validate our words?
Why should I show you the facts when you know this s#%& is wrong?