Students for Quality Education fighting for all students

By Destiny Cerezo
Staff Writer

"We are fighting for education," said Vanessa Rojas president of CSUB's Students for Quality Education (SQE) organization.
Rojas is one of the hard-working and devoted student volunteers within the CSU system advocating for the students of Cal State Bakersfield.
With budget cuts affecting the CSU system due to the state's economic downturn, Rojas represents the student component underneath the California Faculty Association (CFA) of the Alliance For the CSU.
According to Elizabeth Hoffman CFA Associate Vice President, the CFA is a broad coalition of students, alumni, faculty, staff, administrators, parents, business and community leaders working to protect CSU funding.
"Our goal is to inform, educate and get students to voice their opinion about the budget cuts and all issues related to the Higher Educational system. Our main desire is to get students to get involved and get them to become activists about their education," said Rojas.
SQE has been around for nine years and there is one located on all 23 campuses in the CSU system.
"We need help, we need for students to work with us because if no one is involved, we can't make a difference," said Rojas.
Currently, six strong volunteers represent CSUB's campus and throughout the state of California, 70,000 alliance members have joined. Together the SQE and CFU are responsible for the restoration of the $97.6 million January budget proposal.
Because of the budget cuts, the CSU has lost millions of dollars, which effects all 23 campuses in many ways. If the state continues to take away from the "nation's largest public higher education system," fees will continue to increase, less professors will be hired and class availability will be limited. In turn, the result is postponing graduation due to students only being able to take certain courses once a year.
According to the website, allianceforthecsu.org, "It will be harder to get into and stay in the CSU. Thousands of students are already being turned away." The website also states that the budget cuts will effect "Latino, African-American, Native American, low-income and first generation students and veterans who rely on the state university to get a college education" the most.
SQE exists to turn the budget cuts around and provide funding for the CSU. All students can help, anyone who is interested in the higher education system.
First and foremost e-mail the SQE President at www.yourvoice_csub@yahoo.com and express interest and availability, sign up for the Alliance for the CSU. Tabling is an option as well, spread the word and set up a table, sign students up to help so that they can inform others of these issues. Hand out fliers. SQE provides students with all materials necessary to help recruit other interested volunteers. Assist with classroom presentations, the SQE President offers training to individuals willing to publicly speak of the organization. Most importantly, just get involved!
"I encourage our students, faculty, staff, alumni and labor unions to work together to tell our elected officials, as well as our local businesses, community and civic leaders, that the CSU is the economic powerhouse that provides the highly skilled professionals to the industries that make California successful and that higher education is a long-term investment that benefits everyone," said CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed.