kpholmes Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 (edited) Major protests this week at UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis over the UC Reagents decision to raise tuition 32% (comes out to about $2,500 more a year) Students took a building a few hours ago in Berkeley and barricaded the doors, there was a sit-in last night at UC Davis. Arrests over 100 so far on the week. UCLA Protest Yesterday UC Davis Sit In I'm currently at UC Davis graduating with my bachelor degree in March, and entering grad school here in the Fall, with several family members also in the system. Classes have been canceled all week, students and staff are heavily speaking out and showing displeasure with the decisions made... What kind of national coverage is this getting, if any at all? Edited November 20, 2009 by kpholmes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big F'n Dave Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 First I've heard, but give 'em hell! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarc117 Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 more fees and taxes to come!!! good times!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muck Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 First I've heard of it, but most of this sort of stuff flies right past me. Good luck with it; this is a very difficult situation to put someone in. I mean, its like you know that the cost will go up (it always does, doesn't it?) in the range of 6-12% ... so, you're able to plan for it ... but to see it go up 3x - 6x your budgeted increase will put college beyond the reach of many that were planning on coming to the school of their choice. I believe we are entering an era of difficult choices where personal pleasure will have to take a back seat to personal necessity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Beatings Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 This is the first I've heard of it as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpholmes Posted November 20, 2009 Author Share Posted November 20, 2009 (edited) CNN's Article Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Students were occupying buildings Friday on campuses of the University of California system in protest of a 32 percent tuition hike. Students took over portions of buildings on campuses in Los Angeles, Berkeley, Santa Cruz and Davis late Thursday, and two remain occupied Friday morning. Student organizers said they would escalate their protests after the system's regents approved the tuition hike during a meeting Thursday on the UCLA campus. University officials said the $505 million to be raised by the tuition increases is needed to prevent even deeper cuts than those already made because of California's persistent financial crisis. Protesting students said the hike will hurt working and middle-class students who benefit from state-funded education. Are you there? Share your images, video On the Santa Cruz campus, where building occupations began last week at a library, about 100 students staged a sit-in in the second-floor lobby of Kerr Hall soon after hearing of the tuition hike's approval, according to UC Santa Cruz Provost David Kliger. The occupation was still under way late Friday morning, a student organizer said. Such action, he said, "does little more than divert precious resources while denying others their rightful access to campus facilities and services." His campus suffered $50 million in state budget cuts this year, Kliger said. On Friday morning, UC Berkeley students occupied the second floor of Wheeler Hall, UC Berkeley spokeswoman Janet Gilmore said. Campus police broke through a barricade of furniture and office equipment on the ground floor and arrested three students, Gilmore said. She said she did not know how many students remained in the building, which was closed. A small number of classes were canceled, Gilmore said. Authorities arrested dozens of angry students at the Davis campus late Thursday after they refused to vacate the school's administration building. The Davis Police Department and deputies from the Yolo County Sheriff's Department took 52 students into custody, according to UC Davis spokeswoman Claudia Morain. The arrests at Mrak Hall administration came about four hours after the usual 5 p.m. PT closing time. At one point, as many as 150 students were at the building protesting the tuition increase, Morain said. UCLA's Campbell Hall was occupied for several hours Thursday evening, a school spokesman said. The takeover was not planned or sanctioned by the main protest organizer -- the United States Student Association, according to Gabby Madriz, a representative for the group. The same building was briefly occupied Wednesday night by several dozen student protesters, according to a UCLA news release. The building was the site of the 1969 shooting deaths of two Black Panther Party members during an internal dispute, the statement said. The UCLA campus was the scene of the largest and loudest demonstrations Thursday. "We're fired up. Can't take it no more," students chanted as they marched and waved signs at UCLA. "Education only for the rich," one sign read. iReport.com: Students march, chant "fight back" Some faculty members and campus workers -- saying they're worried about possible furloughs and layoffs -- joined the students. "Stop cuts in education and research," a sign carried by a teacher said. After the regents voted, students rushed to parking decks to stage a sit-in to block regents' vehicles from leaving. Campus police and California Highway Patrol officers in riot gear stood nearby. As one regent member walked out, students lining his path shouted, "Shame on you, shame on you." The situation ended without incident as students gradually left the scene. University executives told the regents the fee hikes are needed because they've already made deep spending cuts in the past two years -- cuts forced by the state budget. About 26 percent of the $20 billion spent each year by the system comes from the state's general fund coupled with tuition and fees paid by students, according to a summary on the regents' Web site. The first tuition hike, which will take effect in January, will cost undergraduate students an additional $585 a semester. The second increase will kick in next fall, raising tuition another $1,344, the regents said. The fee increases are to be balanced by a raise in "the level of financial assistance for needy low- and middle-income students," according to the Board of Regents. The tuition hike is expected to raise $505 million for the university system, and about $175 million of that money is to go toward student financial aid, the board said. CNN's Augie Martin and Lynn Lamanivong contributed to this report. Edited November 20, 2009 by kpholmes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo mama Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 (edited) I've been following this pretty closely. The students are well-intentioned, but stupid (ah, youth). The UC system is heavily subsidized by the state, which is why the freakin' awesome eduction the UC provides is so cheap compared to most universities. So when the state can no longer afford to subsidize the UC system, the UC must raise tuition or cut services. That's just common sense and economics 101. So here are my bottom-line thoughts: - even with a 30% increase in tuition its still a kick ass eduction that is cheaper then private school, or comparable out of state public schools (which charge out of state fees); and - it isn't the UC's fault the state cut their funding. So protesting against the school is pretty silly. Get in your car, drive to Sacramento, and protest there you freakin' lazy hippies. Edited November 20, 2009 by yo mama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazinib1 Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 My son is currently enrolled at UC Santa Barbara. $2,500 more per year is a big hit if successfully implemented. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiegie Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 I've been following this pretty closely. The students are well-intentioned, but stupid (ah, youth). The UC system is heavily subsidized by the state, which is why the freakin' awesome eduction the UC provides is so cheap compared to most universities. So when the state can no longer afford to subsidize the UC system, the UC must raise tuition or cut services. That's just common sense and economics 101. So here are my bottom-line thoughts: - even with a 30% increase in tuition its still a kick ass eduction that is cheaper then private school, or comparable out of state public schools (which charge out of state fees); and - it isn't the UC's fault the state cut their funding. So protesting against the school is pretty silly. Get in your car, drive to Sacramento, and protest there you freakin' lazy hippies. pretty much my thoughts too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpholmes Posted November 21, 2009 Author Share Posted November 21, 2009 I've been following this pretty closely. The students are well-intentioned, but stupid (ah, youth). The UC system is heavily subsidized by the state, which is why the freakin' awesome eduction the UC provides is so cheap compared to most universities. So when the state can no longer afford to subsidize the UC system, the UC must raise tuition or cut services. That's just common sense and economics 101. So here are my bottom-line thoughts: - even with a 30% increase in tuition its still a kick ass eduction that is cheaper then private school, or comparable out of state public schools (which charge out of state fees); and - it isn't the UC's fault the state cut their funding. So protesting against the school is pretty silly. Get in your car, drive to Sacramento, and protest there you freakin' lazy hippies. My problem isn't the tuition increase. That obviously makes sense with the state's budget the way it is. My issue is that University administration hasn't had a dime taken from their paychecks, and have actually received raises - while staff and faculty have had their salaries cut in addition to hundreds of employees being laid off. If you're going to raise tuition, do it after you've taken from the administration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo mama Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 My problem isn't the tuition increase. That obviously makes sense with the state's budget the way it is. My issue is that University administration hasn't had a dime taken from their paychecks, and have actually received raises - while staff and faculty have had their salaries cut in addition to hundreds of employees being laid off. If you're going to raise tuition, do it after you've taken from the administration. I think we can agree that those raises represent a de minimis amount of the UC budget shortfall. But if you want argue over the principle, I'm on your side of that argument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiegie Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 My problem isn't the tuition increase. That obviously makes sense with the state's budget the way it is. My issue is that University administration hasn't had a dime taken from their paychecks, and have actually received raises - while staff and faculty have had their salaries cut in addition to hundreds of employees being laid off. If you're going to raise tuition, do it after you've taken from the administration. wow, so everybody is taking a hit except the administration.... that is bad mojo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpholmes Posted November 21, 2009 Author Share Posted November 21, 2009 I think we can agree that those raises represent a de minimis amount of the UC budget shortfall. But if you want argue over the principle, I'm on your side of that argument. Like I said, I'm not out there protesting - I understand that tuition raises are inevitable with the way things are right now. But yes - in principle, it is one of the last things that should have been done, after administrators receive pay cuts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiegie Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 Like I said, I'm not out there protesting - I understand that tuition raises are inevitable with the way things are right now. But yes - in principle, it is one of the last things that should have been done, after administrators receive pay cuts. now I do disagree with that they should have taken a cut instead of giving themselves raises when they made the faculty and staff take a cut, but that is about it--the state already heavily subsidizes the students' education, so to ask the administration members to specifically subsidize them more isn't right either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muck Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 If the average students tuition is going up $585 / semester, I wonder how many of the protesting students spend $585 / semester on beer? I wonder if this will mark an uptick in a more serious student body? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtomicCEO Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 My problem isn't the tuition increase. That obviously makes sense with the state's budget the way it is. My issue is that University administration hasn't had a dime taken from their paychecks, and have actually received raises - while staff and faculty have had their salaries cut in addition to hundreds of employees being laid off. If you're going to raise tuition, do it after you've taken from the administration. Wow... it's too bad unions are totally irrelevant these days according to two other threads, because it sounds like they could really use a good one out there. Why don't all the staff and faculty just go get a better job somewhere else in this highly portable global economy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WaterMan Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 Sweet, more kids in debt. We should change our country's name to the United States of Debtors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarc117 Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 education is another bubble just waiting to burst Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sox Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 Spreading the wealth,but in reverse. Awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WaterMan Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 Spreading the wealth,but in reverse. Awesome. Start yourself out in the world by paying the rich money back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zooty Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 more kids looking for a free ride Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarc117 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Last week at UCLA, 10 minutes away from where I was working on the documentary, violence broke out when students started a riot about college tuition costs increasing 32% in one semester. This is just a sign of things to come. Imagine what is going to happen when prices of all goods and services in the U.S. start increasing by over 32% per year. As you will see in 'The Dollar Bubble', major food shortages are coming to the U.S. next year and civil unrest is very likely in 2010 across the nation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Sacrebleu Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 can someone help me witht the math? What is the current price of tuition? I may have poor reading skills, because all I see id the increase (32 percent) but not the base cost. Witht the other figures listed, one should be able to get to the base tuition, but I am too drunk to figure it out I will ajust my outrage accordingly. BTW in 2007 I taught at a private universtiy in RI. Tuition was 41 000 dollars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiegie Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Imagine what is going to happen when prices of all goods and services in the U.S. start increasing by over 32% per year. I'm going to party my ass off because it means that the real interest rate on my mortgage just went to negative 27%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiegie Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 can someone help me witht the math? What is the current price of tuition? I may have poor reading skills, because all I see id the increase (32 percent) but not the base cost. Witht the other figures listed, one should be able to get to the base tuition, but I am too drunk to figure it out I will ajust my outrage accordingly. BTW in 2007 I taught at a private universtiy in RI. Tuition was 41 000 dollars If I did my math correctly, the current price of tuition is about $7800. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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