Issue date: 2/14/07 Section: News

While students may not have a direct say in how contract negotiations are going, or even what the final decision will be, it is clear that the administration and the California Faculty Association both want the support of Sacramento State students.

"I'm sick of hearing about contract negotiations," said junior economics major Michael Brown. "First it was in the newspaper, then the bulletin and now I'm hearing about it in my classrooms and reading about it in my e-mails."

While the arguments of the CFA and the administration were once limited to spoken word, it appears that both sides have stepped up their game, which in turn has caused an outbreak of student frustration and anger.

"I get it, the faculty hates the administration (and vise versa)…it's old news at this point," Brown said.

The war of the words has gotten so disruptive that a number of faculty members, including Communications Department Chair Nick Burnett, have started speaking to their fellow professors about the negative impact certain discussions or actions can have on students.

In an e-mail sent out to all communication studies professors, Burnett asked that talk of contract negotiations and possible strikes be kept to a minimum, so as not to disrupt or agitate students.

"Each faculty member needs to follow his or her own conscience regarding a rolling strike or notifying your students about the contract negotiations," Burnett said. "I simply ask that you do your best not to burden your students or distract too much from the content of your courses."

Freshman art studio major Katie Miller said that at times she feels that students are nothing more than pawns.

"I'm really disappointed," Miller said. "I feel like the only thing that either side cares about is who has student support and who looks like the (bad guy)."

Miller went on to say that students should be in school to learn, not to have their time taken up by name-calling and finger-pointing.

A recent attempt to gain student support came in a mass e-mail sent out by President Alexander Gonzalez on Feb. 2.
In the e-mail, Gonzalez commented not only on the state of negotiations, but also on how the California State University feels about its current offer.

"I want to take this opportunity to reassure you that we do not expect your progress toward graduation to be seriously impacted (by negotiations and the possibility of a campuswide strike)," Gonzalez wrote.

While the e-mail received mixed reviews from students, Associate Vice President of Public Affairs Frank Whitlatch said that it was simply sent out to update students about the negotiation process.

"There is nothing in the (e-mail) that seeks student support for either side," Whitlatch said. "President Gonzalez sent the e-mail to students to provide basic information about the status of bargaining and to reassure them that their progress toward graduation should not be seriously impacted."

Former President of Sac State's chapter of the CFA James Chopyak said he feels that the e-mail is not only silly, but inaccurate as well.

"Clearly (the e-mail is being used) as a ploy to get students to side with the chancellor's position rather than with the faculty," Chopyak said. "It is unethical, if not illegal, for (Gonzalez) to comment on negotiations that are currently going on. Rather than represent his employees to the chancellor (like he is supposed to), he represents the chancellor and his position to the students."

Chopyak went on to say that he questions Gonzalez's intentions.

"It's obvious from this and other things that he has done (that Gonzalez) is in the chancellor's pocket," Chopyak said.

Assistant Biology Professor Winston Lancaster said that while he does not think that the e-mail is outright offensive, he does see that Gonzalez used the e-mail as a way to take a few cheap shots at the faculty.

"Overall, I thought that the e-mail provided students with important information and was for the most part a fair sketch of the situation," Lancaster said.

Lancaster went on to say that where he took issue with the e-mail was when Gonzalez refused to refer to the CFA by name.

"He refers to (the CFA) 'as the union representing the system's faculty,'" Lancaster said. "It is a common ploy to demean one's opponents by denying them a name. I find this to be disrespectful and churlish."

Lancaster went on to say he thinks that Gonzalez's lack of respect is most noticeable in the way he chose to end the e-mail.

"The president's e-mail is concluded with a call for strong mutual respect," Lancaster said. "(This is funny because) many faculty members feel that the administration does not give them any professional respect, whatsoever."

While much of the attention seems to be on Gonzalez and his actions, many would argue that he has not been the only person vying for student support.

In an e-mail sent out by Cecil Canton on behalf of the CFA on Jan. 23, Sac State faculty members were encouraged to include information about the possibility of a strike and the status of contract negotiations in their syllabi.

Whitlatch said that while he cannot say whether it is professional to give information about bargaining in a syllabus, he thinks that the act of doing so is just another example of how the CFA is trying to gain student support.

"Union members will have to decide whether it's necessary or professional to include that info in a syllabus," Whitlatch said. "(All I can say is that) the CFA has clearly been trying to get student support."

Miller said that faculty members and administrators need to reevaluate their actions and try to see the bigger picture.

"(Students) are here to learn, professors are here to teach and administrators are here to oversee the process," Miller said. "Our education is in their hands….I think a lot of people have forgotten that."

Ashley Evans can be reached at news@statehornet.com

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