The University of California's Board of Regents met last Thursday and approved a plan that will raise the cost of undergraduate tuition 32 percent next fall.
This has sparked debate from both students of California Universities as well as students from other institutions showing support.
President Yudof of UC stated that the increases were necessary, following the new decreases in budget.
The change in tuition will make it much more difficult and, in some cases, impossible for students to afford attending the public universities.
In response, students in colleges and universities across the country hosted a day of solidarity for the UC schools on March 4. United Students Against Sweatshops and A Space for Exploration hosted a teach-in for higher education on March 3 in the Spa.
This was designed to be an open-mic event where students and teachers could gather to discuss their responses to the UC tuition increase.
Vincent Weeks '10 initiated the discussion with his response to the issue. "The universities are being run more like a corporation," Weeks said. California currently has the second lowest rate of high school students who go directly to four-year institutions. "This will make the stats even worse," Weeks said.
The issue of funding was discussed amongst the students and teachers. In his introductory speech, Weeks quoted Yudof: "When we lend money to the state, we make a profit from interest, but when we spend money just on teachers' salaries, that money just disappears."
"What's our role in this as a member of a private liberal arts college?" Weeks asked. His answer: "Solidarity".
Students seemed eager to enforce the notion that everyone has the right to participate in higher education despite their financial standing. "Because we're part of higher education, we're part of it," said Aurora Pinkey-Drobnis '12, on our involvement in the issue in California.
The discussion moved to ways Skidmore students could help in the tuition ordeal. "We all go to college. We all have something to say," Weeks said.
Several students expressed interest in creating more educational dialogue between students outside of the classroom.
"You don't have to be struggling in order to make change," said Jon Zibbell, visiting assistant professor of anthropology.
Marc-André Wiesmann, associate professor of French, was also present at the teach-in, waving a flag for solidarity of students and teachers.
The teach-in was a helpful way for students and faculty to share their perspectives on the cost of tuition in California, as well as Skidmore, which costs over twice as much as the UC schools.
"Is it worth $30,000 more? I don't have an answer," Pinkey-Drobnis said.
The final message of the rally was that, although we are thousands of miles away from those students in California, we as fellow students of higher education should stand together against the increase in tuition.
"It feels like a looming issue that we are powerless in. We are not powerless in it. Find obtainable goals. How can we break it down into steps where we can feel productive and involved?" Storrow said.
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