Budget reductions for fall

Last week, faculty were alarmed to receive a one-two punch: first, news of large cuts to departmental budgets for next fall, then a notice from VC Tom Boegel announcing a zero-tolerance policy for classes with fewer than twenty students.

AFT 2121 responded with an open letter to Chancellor Rocha, and an emergency flex-day show of union solidarity and collective opposition to these austerity measures.

Outside the Chancellor’s address, AFT 2121 officers posed as ushers, distributing “Playbooks” opposing the Chancellor’s austerity program fewer class offerings, a broken registration system, and cancelled classes. Our own “program” offered alternative solutions to the budget crisis: a transparent, collaborative scheduling process, a clear, user-friendly enrollment system, and a return to our long-standing 15-student enrollment minimum.

While AFT leaders operated outside the Diego Rivera Theater, inside and all across the campus, hundreds of AFT 2121 members showed their solidarity and opposition to the Chancellor’s program by wearing their union T-shirts and sporting “These cuts won’t heal!” stickers.

This show of collective strength and unity was just the beginning of our fight to rebuild City College. We urge all City College faculty to join us in this fight by joining our class cuts action team.