Cal Poly Pomona group fights cuts
Patricia Guerra doesn't have an alternative if her gender, ethnic and multicultural studies major is cut by Cal Poly Pomona.
The major is in one of up to 30 programs at the university that could be cut because of budget constraints.
On Tuesday, more than 50 students, staff and faculty members at Cal Poly discussed ways to combat the cuts and organize themselves to defend higher education at an event titled "Fight Back Program Elimination."
"I don't know what I'm going to do," said Guerra, a third-year student.
Cal Poly Pomona economics professor Nestor Ruiz, the co-chairman of the Fight Back Program Elimination event, speaks about how to combat coming budget cuts. Photo by Will Lester.
"There's a possibility I could take courses at another Cal State school, then transfer the units, but it's pointless when other institutions are making cuts like this as well."
David Bradfield, chairman of the music department at Cal State Dominguez Hills, discussed ways faculty, staff and students at his campus fought the elimination of programs.
"We are in the business of providing opportunities for students. ... We shouldn't be in the business of taking away opportunity," Bradfield said.
The Cal Poly administration is meeting with department heads to come up with creative ideas to preserve programs, said Marten denBoer, provost and vice president for academic affairs.
University officials will determine what programs to eliminate based on the number of its graduates and majors.
Decisions will be made in the next few months, denBoer said.
Cal Poly officials estimated that between 20 and 30 programs could be cut.
denBoer declined to confirm those numbers.
"I think, at the end of the day, the number of programs that would be cut is less important than the long-term savings that we would hope to achieve," he said.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget proposal includes a $305 million increase in funding in the past year for the California State University system.
Cal Poly this year has had about $21 million cut from its budget, while the system faced $564 million in cuts.
"Students are facing a tough situation," said Dorothy Wills, geography and anthropology department chairwoman.
"They've had to endure fee increases, classes being cut, their major disappearing, and the classes they're in right now are too full. What we think is the excellence of their education will be diminished."
-Staff writer Maritza Velazquez contributed to this report.
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