Anyone remember the California Master Plan for Higher Education????

As with many of you, out there in the blogosphere, I am really feeling the start of the new academic year. This time around, however, I am overcome with sadness and frustration as over the last 10 days I have have to turn away at least 100 students from my classes.  My heart is breaking for those who are struggling to obtain something to which they are entitled, an education.

One thing that I don’t really hear being talked about a lot in relation to all this budget crisis hoopla is the California Master Plan for Higher Education. For all those out there who don’t really know about the Master plan, I think its really important because it is something that has historically really defined California and made California such a great place to live. Here’s the thing, the Master Plan (created in 1960) was based on the principle of universal access and choice for education and was a product of a belief in education opportunity for Californians. It was a commitment to the idea of tuition-free education to residents of the state.

What we are currently seeing in the state of our State and our daily experiences in dealing with caps on enrollment, furloughs, students struggling to get classes and so on isn’t just about short term cost saving measures. It seems to me, it is also about dimantling an ideology that says everyone has a right to an education and it is the responsibility of the state to uphold access to that right.  And quite frankly, that is what really pisses me off about this whole thing.

Anyway, here is a really great site about the Master Plan. http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/aboutuc/masterplan.html.  Maybe I should send this link to the CSU chancellor, board, and the governor. It seems like they may be suffering from selective memory.