1992_02 Insight February 1992

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Volume 24, Issue 1
Wednesday, February 12,1992
Fee increase
angers CSUF
students
By Krista Lemos
Staff Writer
T* he/re upset, even shocked.
Some say they might not come
back.
More than 200 CSUF students, in
an infom\alsurvrey, voiced thdropin-
ions on the proposed 40 percent fee
increase that would raise California
StateUniveratyfull-timefeestoSl^OB
ayear if passed by the state legislature
in June.
The 40 percent fee increase proposed by the CSU board of trustees
last month looks to meet the Master
Plan calling for accessible high quality, tow cost public higher education.
Some students don't see it that
way.
Bryon Spied, a biology graduate
student, summed up for the opponents. "I'm totally against the increase," he saidshaking his head
slowly. 'Worepeoplearegettingpoor
while the rich are sitting high and
dry."
Spied and his fiancee represent a
growing number of students on
campus who are struggling to stay in
school and support their families.
Sitting amid a pile of paper in the
reentry office, Spied, 30, said he and
his fiancee, both reentry students,
work part-time while attending
classes. They also support three children.
"If Go v. Wilson wants to hold onto
his job, hesgoing to ha ve to find some
other way to balance the budget
without placing the burden on the
poor, the middle class and the students," Spied said.
Trustees say the governor's outlined budget for 1992-93 leaves CSU
$137.9 million short of the amount
needed to maintain the current level
of service at current enrollments On
Feb. 19, the board will make its final
recommendation to the legislature.
Steve McCarthy, CSU public affairs spokesman, said that in the past
five years the CSU system has seen a
23 percent dedine in state funds. He
said trustees have held off increasing
fees, believing the shortage was temporary.
"They've reached a point where
they can no longer put this off,"
McCarthy said.
This increase, tacked onto the 20
percent increase in 1991-92, would
make fees 60 percent higher than in
1990-91. CSUF Budget Officer Karen
Webb said this would produce only
S35rru]ltoninadditioTvalrevenueovr*r
last year's figures.
Junior Kim Frost said she already
works25 hoursa week to supplement
her education. While carrying a full
load in accounting courses, she commutes each day from Coarsegold because shecan'taffbrd to li vein Fresno.
Coarsegold lies about 30 miles
northeast of Clovis.
Students said they bdieve money
can be found dsewhere by raising
state taxes for everyone. Spied said.
Gov. Pete Wilson has indicated
that he won't impose a tax increase.
He said he believes taking money out
of the system would only make the
economy weaker.
For some students, what bothers
them most is not the inorcaseitsclf,but
the amount that is being proposed.
Lucia Bordona,30,said the increase
was too much all at once. She would
prefer smaller doses.
"If s difficult to deal with a huge
increase with no warning. It would be
better if they'd phase it in over a few
years." A liberal studies major carrying 18 units, Bordona said she might
have to get a part-time job and take
less units to continue.
Administrators also arc not fully
supportive of the increase. Although
the money is needed, the increase will
not provide capital to update equipment, hire new faculty or open more
classes.
Richard Backer, CSUF director of
admissions, records and evaluations,
said at this point he couldn't estimate
the effects of the increase. No offidal
numbers will be ready until late this
week. At present spring 1992 registration is slightly higher than a year
ago.
But without the fee increase,
trustees expert a 30,000 student reduction from the current CSU enrollment McCarthy said that could moan
a 10 percent cut from the continuing
students at CSUF.
Even with the$372 fee increase, the
CSU system will still facea $45 million
defidt Enrollment could still be limited by the trustees.
"The fat was cut out a long time
ago, and we are wdl deep into the
bone," McCarthy said.
Becauseofcutsin 1991-92, the CSU
system wasforced tocut l,000faculty
members, did not rehire an additional
2,000 part-time instructors and eliminated nearly 1,000 non-faculty positions. In addition, the system cu 15,000
class sections and reduced library
hours and library purchases.
Backer said he isn't happy.
"My personal philosophy is that
higher education should be as inexpensive as possible. The government
Soo Fogs, page 8
Playboys and Playgirls
On a recent Saturday morning, Jan McKee, above, and    rose bushes n ear "Thomas" ArJmlnSWRon^eveTal
members of the San Joaquin Valley Rose Society planted   varieties, Including Playboys and Playgirls, were planted.
African People's History Month begins
By Melissa Knight-Barfield
Insight staff
More than 500 students from
valley high schoolsattonded the
African-American Student
RccruirmeritCbnferciKeonSaturday
Feb. 1 — the first event in a month-
long cdebration of the history of
African- Americans.
Each year the university's recogni -
bonof African People'sHistory Month
begins with a concentrated effort to
entice more African-American
youngsters to attend CSUF.
AccoidingtoconferericcorgarazeT
FrankieMoore,attendancewasdown
to500fromthel991 attendarvceof 700
for the opening event. However,
pJartningcoiruruttec members expect
overall partidpation in the remaining
scheduled events to be higher than in
previous years.
Walter Robinson, adviser to the
African People'sHistory Month planning committee, said, 'Participation
this year should be better than in the
past. In previous years we've had
some problems with getting the word
out.
'Thisyearthereare more students,
faculty and staff involved with the
planning process and more university offices sponsoring the activities,"
Robinson said.
According to Robinson, the high-
lightof the month'sacti vities expected
to be the keynote address given by
CSUF alumnus John Stanfield on
Feb.lOat the Satellite Student Unioa
Throughout the 15 years that the
university has recognized February
as African People's History month,
theplaruiingcornmitteehasdelighted
the campus and Fresno with its selection of famous national and international speakers.
Keynote speakers from previous
years indude Dr. Alvin Poussaint in
1986, Assemblywoman Maxine Waters in 1987 (Waters is now a US.
congresswoman), Faye Watttoton in
1988 and Dr. GeorgeMcKenna ID in
1989.
The first cdebration of African-
American history began in the 1920s
when the founder of the celebration.
Carter G. Woodson, proclaimed a
week in February as "Negro Historv
Week."
African- Arnencan history hasbeer
celebrated annually around theeoun-
try since the early 1970s as a result of
a congressional resolution proclaiming Black History Week in February
Many does and schools across the
United States expanded their celebration from a week to the entire
month of February in the early 1980s.
According to Dr. Malik Simba.
professor of ethnic studies, the cri-
ebration is a time for historical reflection and for assessing present day
realities and goals
'It's good for all the people on
campus, not just black people, to be
involved in thecetebra tion of African-
American history. It can hdp us to all
Sw History, page 2
Search on for CSUF
second-in-command
By Krista Lemos t_
Insight staff
The second-in-command seat at CSUF, vacated
last summer, remainsopen. A bright brochure
with pictures outlines Fresno's attractions,
attempting to lure a qualified candidate.
The position of provost and vice president for
academic affairs, the person in charge in the
president's absence, includes responsibilities such
as leadership in academic planning, setting educational policy and improving programs for the eight
schools.
The 12-member search committee, formed last
semester, developed a high-tech brochure to attract
top applicants. The committee will begin reviewing the submissions Feb. 15.
Chair Prisdlla Chaffe-Stengel said to date about
75 applications have been received. She said 200
are expected.
Some say they are worried that the California
State University's shaky budget situation might
scare away potential candidates.
"We are a little worried," said Chaf fe-Stengel, an
information systems and decision sciences professor. "I would feel more comfortable if we had more
than 100 applicants right now."
Chaffe-Stengcl said this is her first major search
committee, but other veterans have assured her
Sm Search, page 2
Vice in Fresno
Altar listening to an explanation of Irrigation tasting irom CSUFs Dr.
Solomon, right, Vice President Dan Ouayle told President Welty and
guests that he and tha people ol Indiana would ba happy to sand C
soma of Indiana's axosss water.
Engineering opening a smash
By.JesseChenault
StaffWriter'       —--,
The hammersare put away, the paint
is dry and the 52,217 square foot
addition to the Engineering East Building
is open for business.
But as with every new structure,
there are bound to be some minor
problems.
At least one door lock was installed
backward,    trapping    Professor
Mohamad Yousef and
two assistants in his   a^s»ss»»»Bs»BjBi
third floor office.
"Before school
started, two student
assistants and 1 came
here to see where we
would be moving to,"
said Yousef. "We
came in and looked
around. When it was
time to leave, somebody tried to open the m~~—-~~~~
door and it was locked. We didn't
even have keys at the time."
This happened in the evening, after the campus police had already
made their security rounds. When
Yousef tried to phone for help, he
"People will always remember the
first act of vandalism in the building
was done by me," Yousef said.
According!© Elden Shaw, dean of
the School 6T Engineering, the $7.8
million building has been in the planning for nine years.
"We're very happy with the construction." Shaw said. "There's always going to be some minor problems with any new structure, but we
have no complaints."
»■.•■»■»■■»■»■»■■■»■        When everything is
moved into place, the
People Will alwaVS    building will feature
remember the first
act of vandalism
was done by me"
—Professor Yousef
computer labs, 10
engineering labs, 35
offices and four lecture rooms. A total of
$3.2 million worth of
equipment will be in
the new addition to
         Engineering East.
  "11 gives me a good
feeling about being an engineering
major," Reza Sadaghiani said "The
new facilities make me want to take
my studies more seriously."
Construction on \\\e 17-month
project, with funding from the state
discovered the lines weren't working through a higher education bond, was
yet. He decided to smash the window completed in December 1991.
in his office with a typewriter, reach An open house for the new facili-
th rough to the outside doorknob and ties is tentatively scheduled for April,
open the door. Shaw said.
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