SFSU holds first general assembly
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SAN FRANCISCO--On October 21, San Francisco State University (SFSU) held its first General Assembly as a way to endorse a call for a statewide conference following a September walkout at University of California (UC) campuses, and to discuss ways of advancing the fight against budget cuts affecting public education.
More than 8,000 students, professors and workers across the UC system delivered the opening blow in the struggle for the state's future on September 24, with a one-day walkout at UC campuses. The success necessitated the call for a statewide conference, aimed at coalescing the different sectors of public education in hopes of coordinating a sustained response.
Modeled after the successful assemblies held at UC-Berkeley prior to the walkout, the Assembly saw over 100 students, faculty, and staff participate in a way that SFSU hasn't experienced in decades. Organizing the assembly brought together the main forces of the campus left, who for the first time, have come together in a meaningful way in response to the severity of the crisis.
Out of the discussion came three proposals: An endorsement for a coordinated statewide action in early March to allow for the greatest possibly unity in all sectors of public education, while also stressing the connection of the budget crisis to the war; Sustained action that builds toward a general strike in San Francisco of all public sectors; Opening the books to students, faculty and staff to give them say in the implementation of the cuts. If the decisions are not respected, students will withhold their fees.
The third proposal is especially problematic, because it essentially asks students, faculty and staff to "manage" the cuts, not end them. It's a safe, pessimistic proposal that needs to be argued against. We should be against all cuts, recognizing that this crisis is unnecessary if we would just tax the rich.
The second proposal has its intentions in the right place, but isn't an accurate assessment of the current balance of forces. There is no question that a reversal of state's regressive tax structure won't happen without coordinated shutdowns of important sectors of the state's economy. But how do we get from one point to the other?
A statewide day of action would be a first and necessary step in escalating the struggle, and pulling it off would require every sector of public education coordinating with one another, developing the infrastructure to call for mass shutdowns. A success would mean mass organizational experience and the confidence to continue escalation. In essence, it could potentially build the base for the type of sustained action required to overhaul the cuts.
The fight to simply restore the budget will be a long one, but hopefully a determined one. Every year we are asked to set our sights lower--to accept more cuts and more bailouts. But as Kathryn Savvides said as she opened the General Assembly, "Today we have all made that very important first step."
