Angry about the Budget? US TOO!

To Our Unit 3 Siblings!

The budget priorities of Sacramento State – and the CSU system as a whole – are misaligned with our core mission of teaching & learning.

CFA demand that Sacramento State leadership increase funding for Academic Affairs in both the upcoming budget cycle and in their fundraising campaigns. This is how we will best serve our students: by robustly funding their classrooms. We know that this funding is available, without raising student fees. Our recent library funding win showed that when we make enough noise, money comes through.

Athletics are important to our campus life and learning. We love our students who are involved in athletics and our Unit 3 Coaching Faculty. Two things can be true at the same time. While we support athletics, we also support academics. All we ask isto see the same level of energy, engagement and fundraising toward Academic Affairs. 

If you want to learn more about the current Sacramento State budget, see this Vision Statement on Budget Priorities, researched and written by CFA Membership & Organizing co-chair Monicka Tutschka, or listen to this CRISJ Building Justice Podcast episode.

CFA member-leaders have been uplifting our “Fund the Library/Fund Academics” message through actions in the Library breezeway, comments in faculty senate, and in meetings with campus leadership.

And our organizing works. In March, it was announced that three million dollars in one-time funds will come into the library budget for maintenance and renovation over the next three years. We want to make it crystal clear that this three million dollars in one-time funds is only a small first step– ongoing funding is needed to ensure that the library faculty, staff, hours, databases and other resources are sustained into the future. We are still pushing for ongoing library funding, without new student fees.

What is next after we secure additional Library funding? What do YOU think should be the priority for our next funding campaign?

We will be hosting a Budget Priorities Town hall for CFA Members on Zoom on Monday May 4 from 3:00-4:30, Register here. Please attend this Town Hall and be sure your department’s ideas are represented. There, you can weigh in on which of the following priorities are most important to you:

• Offering more course sections, instead of adding sections at the last minute
• Providing more research & creative activity grant funding
• Funding more paid professional development opportunities and course release
• Providing larger operating budgets, so departments can set their own priorities and offer robust programming
• Providing more support for teaching, such as restarting the Pedagogy Enhancement award, offering curricular funds to develop courses and/or support service learning projects
• Something else!

We need to keep applying pressure, and working together to organize so that our budget aligns with our core academic mission.