As an adjunct (part-time) English instructor at Cal State Fullerton, I have not involved myself too much in the politics of school administration and budget issues. I have largely sat back, riding the waves of budget cuts, and just taught my classes.
But yesterday on campus, as I walked past the library, I noticed a cluster of tents and students on the grass outside, with a huge banner proclaiming "Take Back CSUF!" Intrigued, I walked over to the group and glanced at the flyers and pamphlets they had made, explaining why they were there. What I learned opened my eyes to the fact that even public universities (not just Wall Street) are not immune to corruption and unfair distribution of resources.
Take the following numbers as evidence. Between 1998 and 2011:
-Salaries for adjunct faculty (like me!) rose 7%
-CSU Chancellor Charles Reed's salary rose 66%
-CSUF President Milton Gordon's salary rose 71%
-Salaries for full-time faculty rose 27%
-Student fees increased 263%
A very basic glance at these numbers indicates that something is rotten in the CSU system. The executives gives themselves enormous raises while students and teachers get screwed. This is wrong. This is unethical.
Take Back CSUF!
Source: www.calfac.org/research
