The California Faculty Association reached a tentative agreement with the California State University system on Jan. 22, ending its systemwide strike after just one day. But a vote among faculty union members would determine whether they return to the CSU system’s previous offers.
The faculty union, which represents 29,000 professors, lecturers, librarians, counselors, and coaches in the CSU, has the opportunity to vote on whether to accept the tentative agreement from Feb. 12 to Feb. 18. While some members view the deal as a sign of progress for the union, for others, the terms do not satisfy the union’s demands.
“We understand the TA has generated controversy among some of us who wish to achieve nothing short of what we have been justly demanding for the past several months. For others of us, the TA reflects substantial progress toward our goals and an opportunity to get faculty members much needed salary increases and improvements to our working conditions that will sustain us for the work ahead, including full successor contract bargaining,” according to the CFA website.
The CSU initially offered a 5% general salary increase for all faculty effective Jan. 31, 2024. Still, the tentative agreement would not give CSU faculty the 12% raise they had demanded. Instead, it provides all faculty a 5% increase retroactive to July 1, 2023. A second 5% raise would depend on the state not cutting the overall base funding
to the CSU, whereas past offers depended on an increase in state funding.
The tentative agreement would also raise the salary floor by $3,000 for its lowest-paid faculty retroactive to July 1, 2023, and give an additional $3,000 to faculty who earn a minimum salary of $54,000 on July 1, 2024. Eligible faculty below the Service Salary Increase maximum would also receive a 2.65% increase for 2024-25.
California State University, Bakersfield relies heavily on its lecturers, says Tracey Salisbury, associate professor and department chair of Ethnic Studies. In Fall 2022, CSUB employed nearly 400 lecturers, outnumbering its 241 tenure-track professors.
“Our lecturers do a tremendous amount of service simply because they do love the students. They love inter-
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Ashleah Flores aflores212@csub.edu
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acting with the students, and if our lecturers would stop doing that work, CSUB would be a very different place,” said Salisbury, who is also the president of the CFA Bakersfield Chapter.
If members vote to reject the tentative agreement, the CSU system will provide its previous offer: the 5% increase to faculty effective Jan. 2024, a salary increase to department chairs of $160 per month of service as a chairperson, and allow increased faculty parking fees.
However, a ‘yes’ vote on the tentative agreement would address some of the faculty unions' demands, including paid parental leave and counseling services, two particular priorities among some CSUB faculty.
“We have a lot of young female faculty either recently given birth or
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currently are pregnant, that are having to make choices about how long they stay on the job to get the full advantage of the 30 days. For some of our male faculty, 30 days is not enough to bond with a new child, or they have small children,” Salisbury said. “So, parental leave is extremely important at CSUB, particularly in Bakersfield. Child care is very difficult, it's expensive, and it's very difficult to find and attain.”
Some women faculty may hold off on starting families during their tenure track because they cannot afford to take parental leave and raise their families, says Zachary Zenko, associate professor of kinesiology and faculty rights chair of the CFA Bakersfield chapter.
The tentative agreement would expand paid parental leave from six to 10 weeks. It would also allow counselors to request academic-year or 10-month employment contracts, and add language in the contract “that acknowledges the importance of moving all campuses to a 1,500:1 students-to-counselor ratio,” according to the CFA website.
“I think here in the Central Valley, especially in Bakersfield, we just don't have enough mental health professionals and as our students are coming in, coming off of the pandemic… there's just a really huge need for that” Timothy Burke, psychology lecturer, said.
Burke says that he tries to be an advocate for students’ mental health, but that adequate counseling services should be prioritized to help students thrive in the classroom.
Contact Haydee Barahona at (hbarahona@csub.edu)
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As February kicks off and California State University, Bakersfield starts to celebrate Black History Month, you might feel a buzz around the campus filled with support, remembrance, and celebration towards the black community.
For college students, having a sense of community is a vital part of their college experience. Oftentimes, for some students, it can be hard to find the crowd that they fit in with, leaving them wondering if there is even a space for them.
This is exactly what James Robinson, a business administration major, experienced when he first attended CSUB. He felt lost and didn’t really know where he belonged. As he continued to search, he eventually came across the Black Student Union, a student organization, and got connected to other students.
Black History Month is a “huge celebration for black people… we have to work so much and this is our month…” expressed Robinson.
This is why Black History Month is important to CSUB students in particular. For the Black students on campus, there is a desire to attend edu-
Okey-Dike, Student Assistant for Enrollment Management, Kimberly Seward, Information and Re-Enrollment Coordinator, and Nicholle Hooks, Student Assistant for Enrollment Management at the Runner Hour event on Feb.
cational and community events or join one of the various clubs that support the Black community. The students always look for pockets within the campus that make them feel seen, heard, and welcomed.
When Tiffany James, Project Rebound outreach specialist and ASI director of graduate students, first started her education at CSUB, she was able to participate in events that the
Black Faculty and Staff Association hosted on campus. Her interaction with the association helped James on her journey to discover the Black community within CSUB.
“Sometimes we don’t know our history, it always helps if we have those individuals that can share some of our history and teach us things that we don’t know,” said James in regards to the BFA.
Just as James was taught the importance of having Black role models when she first arrived at CSUB, she embraces the opportunity to celebrate and educate students, by being involved in her role as the Black Women On Campus co-advisor.
James expressed that the experience of watching “Black women come together and fix each other’s crowns… is an
amazing thing.”
Black Women on Campus is a club that started in the Fall 2023 semester to create a safe space for Black women at CSUB to feel welcomed and inspired by their community.
“We welcome everyone who is a student at CSUB to not only join, but to participate in our events. That way they can become more educated, celebrate, and embrace Black culture. Especially because we are the minority, it’s important to have allies and support from our peers.” Wrote Brittany Kizer, president of BWOC and psychology senior.
While clubs at CSUB are creating a sense of community semester-round, it can feel like there is a gap in support from the CSUB campus.
It’s easy for people to listen to the stories of Black people and celebrate the Black community during Black History Month in February. Yet, it can feel isolating when that is the only time people are actively engaging in the community.
Anjelica Banks-Abbott, vice president of Black Student Union and senior liberal studies major with an emphasis in special education and a minor in psychology, explained that due to CSUB not being a Historic Black College University, oftentimes within her experience, there is only about one to three other Black students in her classes. She wishes that there were student hubs, events, and socials to create a stronger community and bond with other Black students outside of the bounds of Black History Month.
“To better celebrate Black History Month and support black students on campus, it would be nice to see and share black history facts yearround… having events for Black students and staff outside of Black History Month would also make us feel more seen,” wrote Abbott.
With the Cal State University system increasing tuition, how do you feel about the CSU’s Chancelor Mildred Garcia getting a 27% salary increase?
Alexander Knaak and Blake Burton Opinions Editor and Photo/Video Director
Shelby Cathey:
“It’s an important job. It’s a needed job, but also not the boots on the ground person who’s actually educating.”
Adrianna Sautter:
“Why is she [Garcia] getting a pay raise when we have to pay more?”
Diana Melendez:
“I don’t find it as fair. I don’t really get much money from FAFSA. So, some of the money comes from my own pocket and with [tuition] going up. . .it’s getting really out of hand for me personally, which makes me not. . .want to continue going here.”
Jennifer Gutierrez:
“I don’t see how that’s fair. . .We still have to pay for books, parking, and amenities. I don’t see how that in retrospect benefits the students.”
David Dircio:
“I just got here and I’ve seen what there is available and it’s not that much. . . It’s really hard to justify the raise to our tuition.”
Antonio Zamudio:
“It’s pretty unfair considering there’s not much keeping going on throughout CSUB.”
Viridiana Mercado:
“I don’t know what they do, I don’t know what their purpose is, and for them to just get that higher percentage. . .what do you do? That’s why I was upset because I don’t know what she [Garcia] does.”
Sahib Singh:
“I would say that’s a bit much and for our tuition hikes.”
Contact Alexander Knaak at (aknaak@csub.edu) and Blake Burton at (bburton2@csub.edu)
Cal State Bakersfield had its big conference game against Long Beach State, who is above .500 in the Big West Athletic Conference and is sitting in fourth place, with five spots ahead of CSUB.
Dalph Panopio, junior guard who is coming off a monster game against Hawaii with 23 points shooting 9-13 from the field, said the key focus in the matchup.
“They’re definitely a great team, but the key factor that we should win statically is the rebounding game, with that and focusing on the transition game, should be the key to a win against them,” said Panopio.
It was one of the best starts to the game for CSUB as the end of the first half came. CSUB was up by 3 in a high scoring half, finishing out the half with a 40-37 lead.
Senior Guard Kaleb Higgins was leading the way in the first half with 22 points.
“This is what the game is all about, keeps you into,” said Nso Ifemeje, audience member and CSUB student, about the first half of the game.
The start of the second half came and LBSU went on a run, but CSUB stayed afloat, making this game go back and forth and eventually going to overtime. Tied at 70, this high scoring game was intense and kept the crowd on their feet. When the tip off of overtime came, CSUB put LBSU away by hitting all 12 of their free throws in the extended period of game time.
Higgins led all scorers with 34 and Junior Guard Marvin McGhee backed him up with 22 points and shooting 6-10 from the three-point line. CSUB dominated the three-point shooting game going 11 from 20 from beyond the arc.
CSUB Head Basketball Coach Rod Barnes had high praises for his team after the game.
“I’m proud of my guys. We came out tonight and we knew we were going to have to fight,” said Barnes.
With the Big West being a tough conference, CSUB is looking to carry this momentum with them to their big games coming up.
The Black history Kickoff started with a big bang the student union was filled with staff and students ready to celebrate the month filled with history.
The event began with Tamar Anthony the co-chair of the Black Faculty and Staff Association she spoke about the different events that were going to be held in the month and the events that were going to happen during the Black History Kickoff.
Speakers such as Dominique Miller the president of BSU spoke about BSU (Black Student Union) and the events that were going on in the club. Another speaker Chinazo Okey-Dike talked about her club ASA (African Student Association) and the events going on during the month such as Zumba to Afrobeats that is being held on the 21st .
Continuing through the day we moved in the MPR (Multi Purpose Room) where there was appetizing food ready for everyone to eat. Some of the food served at the event consisted of fried chicken, fried catfish, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, and for dessert peach cobbler. After the food was served the games began with dominos and spades and other games of course.
