Coburn Palmer
ASO Fights Fee Hike
Pierce students are encouraged to start a letter writing campaign by Associated Student Organization (ASO) president Nick Naczinski to Calif State Senator Huff to protest a fee increase from $26 to $40 a unit.
Naczinski is planning to draft a form letter that students can copy and visit classes where he will distribute it.
“We need to tell these legislators that from a student point of view we’re struggling to pay rent and buy groceries. If you raise fees you’re gong to really hurt students. There has to be other options,” said Naczinski.
Most of the money for community colleges’ budgets come from the government not student fee’s.
Senator Huff has proposed raising junior college fees and making other cuts in higher education as a way to balance the state budget.
Tom Rosdahl, Pierce College Acadmic Senate president, has seen fee hikes before.
“If they run up the fees, enrollment will go down. It’s more difficult for those with financial problems,” said Rosdahl.
“Higher education is back on the table for more budget cuts, ” said Pierce College president Kathleen Burke-Kelly.
During a Student Affairs Committee (SAC) meeting last Friday Naczinski and the presidents’ from the eight other colleges in the LACCD discussed the possibility of a rally outside Huff’s office to protest the proposed fee hike.
Anyone wanting to learn more is encouraged to contact Naczinski by email at nickn271@gmail.com.
“It’s my job to represent the students interests and I don’t want to see fees go up,” Naczinski said.
http://pierceaso.webs.com/
