SF State's faculty, aware of the severity of California's fiscal situation, is opening up a wave of dialogue with students about the current budget cuts and furlough days.

In July, the state legislature and governor reduced funding from the California State University system by $584 million, the amount given by the state to support roughly 95,000 students. SF State's campus suffered a $31 million cut.

In addition, most full-time staff and faculty must take a 10 percent pay cut and face university-wide and individual furlough days.

Even though there is less instruction, full-time SF State undergraduate students must pay a fee increase of $672.

"This is a great time for students who are going to be angry, confused and frustrated to learn more about what has caused their pain and suffering," said Tom Thomas, an associate professor in the College of Business. "A state that used to have one of the very best higher education systems in the world is falling into tatters. A good way to channel that frustration would be to engage in a discussion of why this is happening and how we got here."

Thomas said the California budget crisis is something that has been brewing for decades, not months or years. He said one source of the problem is Proposition 13, introduced in the 1970s to lower property taxes and limit further increases, allowing retirees on fixed incomes to avoid being forced out of their homes due to rising property values.

Thomas said there are two provisions to Proposition 13 that created havoc in the state budget.

Because Proposition 13 includes commercial property, the business sector is paying a much lower portion of tax obligations than they used to. The state is relying on individual taxpayers for revenue, placing a burden on them and as a result, burdening educational services provided by the state and its counties.

Another problem, according to Thomas, is that 33 percent of the legislature can block any compromise because all budgets must have a two-thirds majority vote to pass if a tax increase involved.

"We need a constitutional convention of some sort to go back and undo the damage of propositions and initiatives that have been passed and misconceived or ill-represented," said Thomas. "It is going to require more than voting in and out representatives and the governor because our hands are tied by this proposition."

Robert Gabriner, director of the doctoral in educational leadership program at SF State, said that members of the program are in constant dialogue with each other about the issues students are facing in the educational system. He said that Californians have to turn to a different type of political and financial organization to survive the 21st century.

"It's a period of transformation," said Gabriner, who has spent 40 years working at community colleges that he said have been under funded for decades. "Right now it's ugly, but hopefully in the future there will be a focus on the needs of the people in the state."

Gabriner said that during the Vietnam War, professors spoke about foreign policy issues with their students. He said it's normal to stop the usual business and focus on the problem at hand.

Raïsa Van Olden, a 21-year-old psychology major studying abroad from the Netherlands, said she didn't expect prior to coming to SF State that students would be so impacted by California's economic woes. She experienced a fee increase last year at the University of Amsterdam but the students protested and wrote letters to their government. Their efforts were a success and the fee increases were revoked.

"In Holland, if there's not enough space, they'd teach outside if they had to," Van Olden said. "They wouldn't turn a student away if they had already paid and they really needed the class."

Van Olden said her friends back home are in disbelief that students are struggling to add classes.

"In Amsterdam, if we don't agree with it we go on the street screaming, and here people say this sucks but they don't do anything," she said. "But I don't know if they have a choice."

Van Olden said her teachers are doing a good job trying to explain what is going on and relating with the students.

Sam Brown-Vasquez, a 21-year-old senior majoring in Spanish and environmental studies at SF State, said that students have had a poor working relationship with teachers.

"In order for a dialogue to be successful for students and teachers we have to sit down as equals at the same table since we both are equally affected," Brown-Vasquez said. "We both have to respect each other and understand each other. Only in the past few weeks have I begun to see teachers reaching out to students. I feel like we're starting to come together."

Ali Borjian, an assistant professor of elementary education, said that not having enough access to higher education is economically and culturally detrimental. When access is denied, he said, the huge social gap that already exists will grow.

Borjian stressed the importance of establishing a dialogue with students. "Teachers are agents of change and advocates for students, not just conveyors of information," said Borjian, who said his concern with the budget cuts is not focused on his pay but on the restriction to students' quality of education.

Jenny Lau, a professor in the cinema department, supports the plan for students, faculty and staff at universities to join together in a statewide protest on Oct. 26, a furlough day, in their respective cities.

"If you have enough people adamant about this issue then the rest of society will pay attention," Lau said. "If you're secretly angry or sorry, nothing is going to happen."