President Welty meets with students, faculty and staff at the Peace Garden
By Collegian Staff | November 3, 2009
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Matt Weir / The Collegian Online
President John D. Welty addressed a list of demands this afternoon that were presented during the walkout two weeks ago. The gathering was attended by approximately 200 students, faculty and staff.
The meeting was conducted in the style of a debate, with each round lasting five minutes. Both sides were provided with a three-minute rebuttal and Welty followed with a three-minute response.
The list of demands included that recent student fee increases be abolished, that all administrative privileges be rescinded, and support of a severance tax on oil extraction in California.
Several student activist groups said they wanted not just a reform, but a revolution that consisted of transparency and shared governance, according to a student representative.
Matt Weir / The Collegian Online
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13 Responses to “President Welty meets with students, faculty and staff at the Peace Garden”
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student activists probably also want an all-expenses paid four-year tuition waiver for all students illegally in the state of California—-WHAT they want doesn’t really matter, it’s mostly unattainable.
Uh…
Blazman……that is not what student activists demanded today. Learn how to read and think critically. No where in the student demands did it mention anything about “illegal” students. Although that should be a right allowed to even “LEGAL” residents as it once was before the shift in attitude to free education.
Jared,
I agree that thinking critically is key to solving this problem. I would ask you to think critically about how much the world has changed since the 1960s master plan, which is the source of the free education idea, to which the attitude you refer to has shifted. In 1960, we hadn’t gone to the moon yet, computers were the size of buildings, the Cold War was gearing up, and Ike was on his way out.
Master plans are made with the best knowledge available at the time, and are changed as times change, new information becomes available, and budget realities come into play. Businesses do the same thing with their strategic plans, as do courts with legal precedents.
Free education is an excellent goal, but it won’t happen by invoking an outdated, 50 year old document. If you really want it, think critically about how to obtain it, put together a legitimate plan showing how it can be done under modern conditions, present it to Welty, and ask for his support. If you want something, take charge and do the work necessary to obtain it.
I agree with David. It seems like all these groups are doing is throwing a temper tantrum whenever their absurd list of demands isn’t met. Asking for irrelevant things, and then calling an individual(s) corrupt/evil/[insert adjective here] when they don’t agree to them is childish at best. Make a legitimate plan, present it as an adult, and maybe you will see change.
These people live in a utopian communist fantasy world and think it is their birthright to a free ride. Free education is never free. Its an impossibly expensive goal. The only way to obtain it without requiring everyone to pay substantially more in taxes (which voters would never approve) would be to abolish all social welfare programs for those who aren’t disabled and say, “well, you’re only welfare is a college education, you mess up and you’re on your own.”
These people see no real responsibility and think that money just grows on trees and that the CSU is just lining the pockets of big business.
They are a short sighted group of uniformed kids who have all this rage built up because they couldn’t get into the class they wanted and are now taking it out on everybody around them.
I certainly agree with the comments here about doing more than simply stomping ones feet and saying “I want, I want,” without grasping the fact that there is a cost to everything and choices must be made. Demands for more in one area require taking from someone else and it is immature to pretend otherwise.
On the other hand, it is equally short-sighted to pretend that we don’t have a broken and corrupt system simply because you don’t see or notice the effects directly. Public and student money is being shifted to private corporations that claim to be working in the interest of students, yet they hide behind their status as private entities and refuse to disclose some very shaddy dealings (Theater agreement at Campus Pointe, loans to foundation members in Humboldt and Sac etc…). In the midst of years of financial crisis and fee hikes, the number of administrators has risen dramatically and they have argued that they are underpaid and have been granted large “equity” raises. Our system of funding is so bankrupt that we turn away students, layoff faculty, cut the pay of staff – yet we have over $100 million dollars for a library addition. Surely you are not arguing that the system, as it stands, makes good use of the vast resources spent on education.
Your right, it is about choices and resources – In the current system administrators, fancy buildings, athletics and public/private developments have taken priority. Call me old-fashioned but I’m still attached to that quaint notion of students and profs in a classroom learning. Everything else is secondary and budget priorities should reflect that.
I have to agree with Blazman a majority of the students were protesting were from a specific group that wants free education. It is not only them but it also the many other students that want to, “Milk the System.” Wait until these activists go out in the real world making real money. Let me tell you I pay my fair share of taxes to fund pell grants and other that they are demands. Some of the demands were just comical and just foolish to even suggest. Nothing is free in this world these activists should realize that. Maybe it would be a good thing to have these big corporations pump a little money into the Fresno State economy that would create jobs then these student activists could go work for these money machines then they wouldn’t be complaining about how they can afford college. It was sad to hear about a young lady crying saying she doesn’t have health care. From working in Health Care I hear these kinds of stories all the time. That is just sad but she is not the only one that is struggling and to put Welty on the spot for that was just a shame.
Stop pretending you’re a doctor.
Pretending to be a Doctor that is funny. Why not have the last name Martinez. Don’t like to see a minority being a doctor. Just another funny ignorant person. With that comment your just as ignorant as those people wanting a list of demands. I guess you find yourself all high and mighty to insult people. I don’t fight with my fists I fight with my wallet something that I think you lack in. So nice try!
John,
I really hope your post was a joke.
“My family is not remotely rich. My parents only earn around $200,000 a year and making tuition payments is freaking easy. Get a clue.”
Are you serious? Again, I hope you are kidding and not really that ignorant of the real world. The average household income in the U.S. is about $46,000 per year. Your parents income puts them in the top 3% in the country. What do you consider rich? Remember, many people have to work their way through school and provide for themselves, not have mommy and daddy do it for them. I disagree with many things said by the protesters but your ignorance is a joke. You were right about one thing though- someone needs to get a clue.
That wasn’t meant to be prejudiced towards you or anyone else. It just seemed strange that an actual doctor would post as their username their entire name along with their medical title. Other non prejudiced students I have overheard noticed that
too. If you really are a doctor it was my mistake to assume you were just a college student here messing around. As for the prejudice of the other people on here, they are idiots. If you are actually a doctor I apologize for my incorrect assumptions.
You’d think someone with an MD could actually write English effectively…