Sparked by the fiscal crisis and its negative effects on campus, the Solidarity Symposium will address how the California State University budget crisis has affected underrepresented people on campus, such as blacks and Latinos.
Speakers at the event will discuss how fee hikes and program cuts are going to affect student retention and admission rates for those at the university level. Faculty will also discuss what the CSU system will become if the fiscal trends in California continue to slump.
There will be three Cal State Long Beach professors and two administrators speaking: Clarissa Rojas and Jose Moreno, professors of Chicano and Latino studies; Lionel Mandy, professor of Africana studies; Mary Stephens, vice president of administration and finance; and James Manseau-Sauceda, director of the Multicultural Center.
“The panelist speakers come from a diverse set of fields and have unique perspectives on the issues at hand. … Their insights are informed and definitely beneficial to our goal of learning,” said Waldo Gonzalez, community service committee member for La Raza.
La Raza, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) college chapter and the African Student Union (ASU) organized the symposium.
According to the CSULB Web site, La Raza is designed to improve opportunities for Latinos. The NAACP chapter at CSULB focuses on major efforts to increase voter empowerment, educational excellence and individual responsibility of ethnic minorities. The ASU explores new ways to make black students on campus aware of the need for unity.
“I can safely say that our organizations will always raise the specter of educational panels whenever we have dire problems affecting our students — in particular, marginalized students that are most vulnerable,” Gonzalez said.
Obstacles and pertinent issues, as well as possible solutions, will be offered for both students and administrators.
Gonzalez said, “We hope to empower students to act on the vital information that our speakers will charismatically present.”
The symposium will be held at the University Student Union Ballrooms on Tuesday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Refreshments will be provided.