Fellow Academic Workers,
We are at a critical juncture for the People’s University. The budget crisis created by CSU management has resulted in layoffs and program closures at our sibling CSU campuses, including Sonoma State, Dominguez Hills, Cal Maritime, and CSU Monterey Bay. Here at Cal State LA, we've already faced significant course cancellations, leading to the non-reappointment of dozens of Lecturers. With an additional 8% cut from Governor Newsom planned for 2025-2026, we can anticipate even more severe consequences for our faculty, staff, and students. We cannot sit idly by while administrators consider layoffs or consolidating or closing departments and programs while they sit on billions in reserves.
Also, Chancellor Garcia has just announced an initiative costing hundreds of millions of dollars to transform the CSU into an “AI University.” However, she is doing so by empowering an “AI Workforce Acceleration Board” to spearhead this effort without consulting the CFA, other campus unions, or the Academic Senate. In our view, “AI Workforce Acceleration” seems more like a strategy to speed up the rate at which AI can supplant academic and other workers who demand fair wages, improved working conditions, and safe workplaces. AI does not require any of those things. At the same time that there are millions of dollars for this questionable initiative, many CSU campuses are struggling with significant deficits because Chancellor Garcia decided to forgo funding the raises she agreed to, forcing campuses to implement cuts to balance the budget. That’s why we must take action now!
Therefore, we are calling all CFA members to attend the first General Membership Meeting of the Spring semester. It is being held on Wednesday, February 12, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Library Community Room. While we encourage those who can attend in person, a Zoom link is available for anyone who needs to join remotely by scanning the QR code. At the GMM, our main objective will be to strategize and take action to protect and defend the People’s University. We encourage you to join us!
Anthony Ratcliff
CFA-LA Chapter President
Immigration Rights Toolkit for Faculty, Staff & Students: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13QHiCFHOzLbnB26kTHwr-g-fJaef0IrvUSf5YhWOFgw/edit?usp=sharing
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