by Karina Piser –
Since then, an email group, “UCD General Assembly,” has been set up to spread awareness about meetings on campus and other opportunities for mobilizing students and encouraging participation on a broader scale. Student activists want to get campus clubs and organizations involved in the struggle, and student government is currently in the process of communicating with the Capitol. ASUCD representative Osahon Ekhator explained that ASUCD “reached out to…lobbycorps to assess what more we could do in terms of influencing policy and getting into contact with policymakers.”
At the protest last week, I asked a student activist about the question of transparency and legislation like Senate Bill 330, which would require the University of California to be more open about the allocation of funds. He told me transparency was not the issue. “We know the problems,” he explained with frustration. “It’s just a question of action.”
Mobilization and strike may be the next step for some students, but it seems like increased awareness could encourage students to act. Because many students have not been exposed to the details of fee increases and the budget crisis, they feel too distanced from the situation to get involved.
But students need to act quickly. On Monday October 11, UC Budget Director Patrick Lenz announced that UC Regents were contemplating a budget increase of up to 20 percent this coming November.
Despite the UC Davis administration’s alleged silence on the budget crisis and student protest, students’ cries may have been heard: officials have announced a plan to eliminate a significant number of administrators over the next three years. Chancellor Linda Katehi announced at a campus forum on Monday that the plan for reorganization should be completed by 2013, and is anticipated to significantly reduce staffing in financial services, human resources and information technology functions.
Another positive development is the recently-approved California budget, which would allocate up to $300 million of additional funding to UC and CSU. Last Thursday, 99 days after the fiscal year’s start-date, the California State Assembly voted 54-1 in favor of SB970. The new budget, which Schwarzenegger signed on Friday, will restore $200 million that was previously cut from the UC budget. This restoration, however, is at the expense of a $1 billion cut from California’s social welfare programs.
Although plans may be underway for improving the UC and CSU systems, students are still intent on mobilizing. On Wednesday night, as anticipated, students congregated at Wellman Hall to discuss a strike.
Despite efforts to publicize the meeting, only about thirty students showed, most of which were involved in organizing the Mrak protest last week.
The meeting kicked off with a discussion of the financial crisis as well as other issues on campus, such as an increase in hate crimes in recent years. The meeting seemed to revolve largely around a recap of current events rather than a program for action, only confirming the lack of awareness plaguing the student body.
One student chimed in on the issue of last week’s failure: “The goals of the Mrak occupation were not made clear. Nobody knew exactly what they wanted. That’s what went wrong.”
Others agreed that increasing awareness and general consensus are the only way to increase involvement. A wide range of courses of action was discussed, from remaining flexible on working with the administration to the possibility of a university-wide shutdown.
“We need to show why occupation, and why occupation as a strategy is a good idea,” another student said. “We need to decide if we’re going to be confrontational,” another added.
One participant brought up an important issue: “We’re seen like a joke. We need a concrete plan of action, a list of demands and a specific goal. Without that, we’re just out there and wailing without direction.”
Ekhator referred to an action taken by the Black Student Union last year that involved a list of demands and resulted in a $100,000 grant for the organization. “I’m not saying this is the same situation,” he said. “But a demand can work. My main objective right now is to have at least some general answers out in the open to be common knowledge. We need to realize that we’re all in this together, we’re all doing our best.”
Over an hour of discussion revealed a student body too disorganized and disconnected to mobilize—yet. Perhaps once individuals become more aware, UC Davis student activists can move toward more concrete action.
Weekly meetings will continue on Wednesdays at 7pm in Wellman Hall.
Not sure what a “strike” accomplishes… in industry, a strike removes workers from production… the employer “suffers”, and hourly workers get no pay from the employer for their ‘non-work’… at UC, professors, administrators, admin staff all get paid whether they are serving students or not… students (or, more likely their parents) pay the same tuition whether they go to class, or not… not getting how a “strike” does anything at UC other than letting professors, lecturers, etc. get a paid holiday…
Exactly hpierce, strike and miss class you’re just hurting yourself.
I think there’s a role for civil disobedience. Disrupting business as usual forces those in power to think and react to the situation. It also gains attention of the public and the lawmakers. I think people underestimate the impact of public action.
dmg: “I think there’s a role for civil disobedience.”
At what point does it become anarchy and unacceptable? Would it have been OK for the UCD students to have gone out on I-80 like they planned, and stopped traffic, which may have resulted in one or more students or drivers getting killed?
A student strike just deprives the student of services they have already paid for. How does that help their cause?
dmg: “One student chimed in on the issue of last week’s failure: “The goals of the Mrak occupation were not made clear. Nobody knew exactly what they wanted. That’s what went wrong.””
So these 30 students don’t even know what their goals are? They don’t fully understand the issues? Perhaps they ought to do their “homework” before resorting to disrupting others from attending classes. I suspect most students “get it” and are resorting to the wiser course of action – continuing to attend the classes they paid for.
The issues are out there; the legislature needs to be pressured as does the UCD Bd of Regents. But “striking” is probably not the answer. A list of demands is fine, a peaceful demonstration is fine. It worked for the Black Student Union, who did it the right way. These 30 would be “civil disobedience in the form of a strike” protestors could take a lesson.
“A list of demands is fine, a peaceful demonstration is fine. It worked for the Black Student Union, who did it the right way. These 30 would be “civil disobedience in the form of a strike” protestors could take a lesson. “
Those suggestion would gain nothing. It might have worked for the BSU but that is only because the University wants to appear to be politically correct.
They need a slogan like “Why can’t you give us an equal opportunity”. Then they need to do something dramatic – how about buying a large quantity of sea dye and turn Putah Creek to a nice blood red color. That would get some attention.
By now everyone knows the plight of the UCs, CSU and K-12. The good news is that people are sympathetic to education, except for perhaps the prison guard’s union. But further tuition increases are inevitable.
The alternatives are worse–damaging one of the best systems of higher education in the country.
“At what point does it become anarchy and unacceptable? “
When there is a breakdown of legitimate authority, then it becomes anarchy. Until then it is largely civil disobedience.
The UC system may be great, but the resident tuition is 50% higher than the average resident tuition for all of the western states. From a student tuition perspective the UC system is not so great!
“When there is a breakdown of legitimate authority, then it becomes anarchy. Until then it is largely civil disobedience.”
I’m not sure I’d agree with this statement. I think there are various levels of “legitimate authority” at play here, the two that come to mind are the management of UCD and law enforcement. I think a breakdown in the power of the respect for UCD management would not be anarchy, though unacceptable or not depends on your association. Conversely, I would agree that a breakdown of recognition of, and respect for, an officer of the peace would indeed be unacceptable.
I fear that the only way students will be heard is if they find a way to use the money they bring to the table (i.e. their tuition) as leverage. Unfortunately, this would require a collective effort and would present an endless list of challenges.
dmg: “When there is a breakdown of legitimate authority, then it becomes anarchy. Until then it is largely civil disobedience.”
OK, so how far out onto I-80 would you allow the students to go, before “civil disobedience” would be considered in your eyes “breakdown of legitimate authority”? The problem is once you allow that train to start rolling downhill, it is virtually impossible to stop. During the Viet Nam war demonstrations on college campuses, at the Univ of Md campus, cars were overturned and burned, and traffic stopped. Someone could have been killed. Students at Kent State were killed.
By the way, just had to say this. Univ of Md (GO TERPS!!!), my alma mater, had their marching band entered into a national contest. They played the Hawaii Five-0 theme (for those of you who remember that show), and band members spelled out “Bookem’ Dan-O” on the field. They won a $25,000 prize. I always knew the Univ of MD Marching Band was THE BEST!!!
“During the Viet Nam war demonstrations on college campuses, at the Univ of Md campus, cars were overturned and burned, and traffic stopped. Someone could have been killed.”
That’s terrible.
Did you happen to notice people were unnecesarily dying in Vietnam while some people made an effort to end the war? Do you really think the war would have ended as quickly as it did without the heated protests? Our casualties were 58K dead, 153K injured and 2K still missing – so what was worse “stopped traffic” or thousands of needless casualties. Some people survived because of those protests. The war was pointless – we lost and the Domino Theory was proven false. In fact Vietnam is turning into a capitalist society – not based on our bombs and destruction but rather simply time and the evolution of their economy.
The problem is once you allow that train to start rolling downhill, it is virtually impossible to stop.
Yes is rolled a long way during the Vietnam war, but it stopped quickly in January 1973, once the lunacy ended. It was not impossible to stop.
So Alphonso, what’s your solution to the UCD money gap? Where’s the money to come from? One solution you might consider is get a part time job or two and pay your own way. My kids both worked while in college and they were able to handle it and get good grades at the same time. You act as if you’re owed something, man up and do it on your own.
Alphonso, I falsely concluded that you are in college, so if you aren’t what I wrote applies to today’s students who are considering “civil disobedience”.
Rusty49
I just paid my 34th UC tuition payment thank you (3 kids). Most parents can not do that so the students end up with huge debts. I think they should get a fair opportunity – closer to what the students got 10 years ago. If all of the other western state universities charge no more than 2/3rd’s of the UC rate it appears UC needs to be more efficient and find non tuition sources of funding – don’t expect the students to absorb all of the shortfall.
To Alphonso: You are assuming no other way of protesting other than violence would have worked.
You are assuming no other way of protesting other than violence would have worked.
Not an assumption -that was reality. In a world of hawks and doves, peaceful doves just get eaten!
Alphonso: “Not an assumption -that was reality. In a world of hawks and doves, peaceful doves just get eaten!”
I don’t know, boycotts have seemed to be a pretty effective nonviolent way of protesting…