Student Protest Forces Yuba College Board To Rescind Chancellor's Raise; Tuition Soars Everywhere

In what I certainly hope is the start of a trend, a student protest caused the Yuba college board to rescind chancellor's raise.

Following a protest Tuesday, the Yuba Community College District governing board has called a special session for Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. to rescind a $30,000 raise given to district Chancellor Nicki Harrington, board President Jim Buchan said.

Several hundred students, faculty and college staff turned out to protest the pay hike for the Yuba Community College chancellor.

They were incensed that the chancellor would get a raise while cuts were being made to faculty, administrative positions and class offerings.

Students assembled outside the campus administration building, holding signs and chanting: "Chop from the top."

"This is bigger than we could have imagined," said Lisa Jensen-Martin, president of the college's faculty association.

What's The Chancellor Pay?

Inquiring minds just might be asking "How much does Chancellor Nicki Harrington make?"

That a good question. I found the answer in this update: Board votes 6-0 to rescind chancellor's pay raise

Trustees, citing the public perception that they violated Brown Act by granting a $29,282 raise to Yuba Community College District chancellor Nicki Harrington, voted unanimously today to rescind her pay boost.

Several trustees praised Harrington's performance and Lisa Jensen-Martin, president of the Yuba College Faculty Association, said after the turstees vote that it's still possible they'll approve the increase that pushed the chancellor's salary to $249,282.

"If they do," Jensen-Martin added, "it would be the most irresponsible act that they could come up with."

"The community is outraged," she said.

Outraged Indeed

It is ludicrous to see 13.7% raises when almost everyone else is cutting back. The entire board is irresponsible.

Teresa Dorantes-Basile, president of the California School Employees Association for the district says the raise will win approval.

Students, get ready to protest some more.

Soaring Tuition Has Students On Edge

Inquiring minds are reading Parents, students on edge over soaring tuition

As students around the country anxiously wait for college acceptance letters, their parents are sweating the looming tuition bills at public universities.

Florida college students could face yearly 15 percent tuition increases for years, and University of Illinois students will pay at least 9 percent more. The University of Washington will charge 14 percent more at its flagship campus. And in California, tuition increases of more than 30 percent have sparked protests reminiscent of the 1960s.

Tuition has been trending upward for years, but debate in statehouses and trustee meeting rooms has been more urgent this year as most states struggle their way out of the economic meltdown.

The College Board says families are paying about $172 to $1,096 more in tuition and fees this school year. The national average for 2009-2010 is about $7,020, not including room and board, according to the nonprofit association of colleges that oversees the SATs and Advanced Placement tests.

At the University of California, which has 10 campuses and about 220,000 students, in-state undergraduate fees in fall 2010 are set to reach $10,302 — 32 percent more than in fall 2009 and three times what California residents paid 10 years ago.

At the University of Washington, where tuition and fees are expected to pass $9,000 by the 2010-2011 school year, students are worried about threatened cuts in financial aid as well.

The Seattle university expects to raise tuition another 14 percent next year.

Why Is Tuition Soaring?

Inquiring minds are asking "Why is tuition soaring?"

One of the answers is can be found in the first article: School boards are stacked with greedy pigs voting to give administrators $30,000 raises in spite of everything going on in the economy.

However, the big reason is student loan guarantees.

When government guarantees student loans, there is every incentive for the greedy school boards to give themselves and all the administrators big fat raises on top of their already bloated pensions.

It should be no surprise to find that is what they have done year in and year out. To pay for it, they have to jack up tuition every year.

What Are Students Getting For Their Money?

The answer is a mediocre education, as much as $200,000 of debt, no job offers, and no way to pay the loans back.

The lenders don't care, because government (taxpayers) guarantee the loans.

The school boards do not care as long as they can keep giving themselves and administrators fat raises.

Students, you are purposely being taken advantage of by school boards, by lenders, by the school administrations, and by the teachers' unions.

What took you so long to protest?

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
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