CSUB still has plenty of GSTs to go around

By Amber Smith
Staff Writer

CSUB students do not need to worry about a shortage of one and two unit General Studies classes (GSTs). There are still many GST classes available for students, despite the July 2008 staff union contract extension that made staff no longer eligible to teach GST classes.
Contrary to what some may have heard, the decision to not allow staff to teach was actually decided by the staff themselves-the staff union at least.
First off, the main differences between faculty and staff are that faculty usually have PhDs or Master's Degrees, are regular teachers and receive a higher salary than staff. Staff usually interact with students on a regular basis in different offices on campus. For example, some former GST teachers included counselors and staff from the office for students with disabilities.
According to the actual contract addendum, the staff union contract was extended in July of 2008 and added the stipulation that "non-credit bearing courses" would qualify as classes worthy of faculty status and pay. The previous contract did not include non-credit bearing courses, so staff were allowed to teach them.
Patrick Choi, a member of local union staff unit four, the union responsible for the decision, said that the decision was made by the union and the board of trustees for the CSUs. When asked why the union decided to ask for more money, Choi only said, "We feel that it should be a faculty responsibility."
Dr. John Dirkse, associate vice president of academic programs, said that CSUB was notified of the union's decision the week before classes began for the Fall 2008 quarter. "It was a blow to us," said Dirkse.
It is well known that CSUB, and all other CSUs, are in a huge budget crunch right now and do not have a lot of extra money lying around.
"The staff union decided they wouldn't let their members teach classes anymore without increased pay. If we could afford it, we would love to continue to have the staff teach," said Dirkse.
Dirkse also said that, to the best of his knowledge, almost all staff members he knew of would have still been willing to teach these classes without the pay increase. "Just about every single one of them said they would gladly do it without the pay. They've really been going above and beyond, already for many years," Dirkse said.
Choi said he did not know of any staff members that would be willing to teach without the pay, and repeated, "We feel it should be a faculty responsibility."
Regardless of what staff was willing to do, their new contract will not let them teach, period.
Despite the small reduction in GSTs, they are still in abundance. Just this Winter Quarter alone there are 21 GST courses being offered. Some of those classes available help students improve their academic fitness, their parenting skills or their ability to manage stress.
Dirkse did say that a few classes were lost, but only around three or four. One of those happened to be a general studies class titled Cinco de Mayo. Dirkse did not specify how many students were disrupted by the loss of GST 142 Cinco de Mayo.
Dirkse did go on to say that, despite previous reports, students can still fulfill their financial aid unit requirements with the available GSTs. To qualify for full-time status with FAFSA, a student must be enrolled in at least 12 units. Because of the uniqueness of CSUB and its quarter system, many students wanting to take the bare minimum course load would need to take two five-unit courses and one two-unit course. That option is still readily available through the 21 GST courses still offered.
Students could even go a step farther and take three five-unit courses and avoid any possible GST mishaps. By taking three or more five-unit classes instead of a GST, students are actually making progress towards their degree. GSTs are for a student's personal betterment and do not work towards that student's major, minor or general education requirements.
Dirkse, and other faculty, overcame the obstacles that resulted from the staff union's decision by keeping the GST classes available. The classes are now taught by MPPs, or management professionals. These individuals have more responsibilities than the staff, are not part of a union and receive a higher salary.
MPP faculty include counselors, assistant directors and librarians, to name a few.
Dirkse said that, from what he knows, there are no immediate plans for an MPP union.