CSUN President to Write Sacramento About Fee Increase

The president of Cal State Northridge, following student protests against a proposed 40% fee increase, agreed Friday to write the governor and state Legislature, telling them the increase will cause hardships for students.

President James W. Cleary stopped short of denouncing the fee increase, as student demonstrators demanded Wednesday, saying they would organize a class boycott if he did not.

“President Cleary agreed that he would write the governor and show his empathy for students,” CSUN spokeswoman Kaine Thompson said. “He felt that they had a point, that quality and access are a major concern.”

The proposed increase has been adopted by the governing board of the state university system and is under consideration by the Legislature.

Cleary will also ask the governor, the CSU chancellor and state legislators for guarantees that some of the funds from the fee hike “will be used to offset the blows to students who can least afford it,” Thompson said.

The letter followed a meeting between Cleary and students Friday after 30 to 50 fee opponents marched to the administration building. In a protest Wednesday, about 250 students threatened to boycott classes if Cleary did not agree to speak out against the fee hike.

But the threat appeared to have been abandoned, with student leaders saying that the increase could best be fought in Sacramento instead of Northridge.

“We as students need to focus our attention more on Sacramento because that’s where the decisions are being made,” said David Weiss, Associated Students president. “I’m supportive of him sending this letter.”

But Elissa Glickman, a 19-year-old sophomore who heads the student Legislative Task Force Committee, was less enthusiastic.

“On a personal level, I was not satisfied with the president’s response,” said Glickman, but added, “I understand that since he is an employee of the state. . .He cannot go against this fee increase.”