ASCSU considers protesting, striking against tuition increase

Affordable CSU, a group organized by members of ASCSU, brainstormed ways to galvanize student opinion against the Board of Governors’ planned tuition increase. Their ideas ranged from in-class presentations and tabling on the Lory Student Center Plaza to coordinated student protests and on-campus labor strikes.

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Collegian | Chloe Leline

Dylan Tusinski, Staff Reporter

The Associated Students of Colorado State University convened a group of about 15 students, senators and executive officers Thursday evening to organize a student response to the university’s proposed tuition increase.

Affordable CSU, a group organized by members of ASCSU, brainstormed ways to galvanize student opinion against the CSU System Board of Governors’ planned tuition increase. Their ideas ranged from in-class presentations and tabling on the Lory Student Center Plaza to coordinated student protests and on-campus labor strikes.

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“It’s important for them to hear us, especially if they decide to go forward with it,” said Nick DeSalvo, ASCSU speaker of the senate. “It’ll show that the only stakeholders they don’t listen to are students.”

While Affordable CSU has organized a petition with over 2,500 signatures, attendees were clear that they wanted to take more concrete action against the proposed increase. Group members primarily discussed plans to protest during CSU admissions events, Board of Governors meetings and various other campus events to publicize their message.

“Obviously, nobody wants to damage CSU and damage our student body. But if we let this go through, that’s what’s happening.” –Hunter Ogg, biochemistry and molecular biology student

It was Affordable CSU’s second meeting to discuss student action around the proposal; they previously met Feb. 10 to discuss preliminary student responses to the increase. Both meetings were attended by many prominent figures within ASCSU, including President Rob Long, Vice President Elijah Sandoval and a number of executive officers.

Students at the first meeting expressed their belief that the administration was not raising tuition to benefit its employees but to pay for the university’s outstanding debts from building the new CSU Spur campus and buying out the contracts of university presidents and football coaches.

“The really interesting thing about this is that the university is in the negative,” Sandoval said. “I think that’s why the Board of Governors is pushing so hard for a tuition increase.”

The Board of Governors’ proposal would raise students’ tuition by 3-5%, with much of the money being used to raise faculty pay. Affordable CSU members said they support paying teachers more but don’t think the money should come from an increase in students’ tuition.

“I’ve talked to a few faculty members, and as much as they want to get paid more, they don’t think that taking it out of students’ pockets is beneficial,” said Alex Silverhart, ASCSU director of health and wellness, in the Feb. 10 meeting.

Attendees noted that while 3-5% may not sound like a lot, it adds an unnecessary financial burden on students who are already navigating rising rents, food insecurity and a general cost of living crisis.

“A lot of our students really don’t want to pay more,” said Hunter Ogg, biochemistry and molecular biology student. “And a lot of them go to professional graduate schools. We have a lot of international students, and they just can’t afford more on top of everything else going on.”

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Grace Crangle, ASCSU director of marketing, said the group printed out over 700 posters and flyers to spread across campus. The group was clear that its discussions about protests and strikes were mostly exploratory, and they are focusing on getting more students to sign their petition.

Still, Affordable CSU members were clear that they are willing to use direct action as a last resort.

“Obviously, nobody wants to damage CSU and damage our student body,” Ogg said. “But if we let this go through, that’s what’s happening.”

Reach Dylan Tusinski at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @dylantusinski.