The University of California Student Association passed a vote of no confidence against UC President Janet Napolitano and the board of regents for their approval of a tuition increase.
The association asserted that they will withhold confidence until the tuition increases are repealed. Kevin Sabo, UC Student Association board chair, said that they will not “tolerate being relegated to the role of political pawn,” and asked that the University be transparent about its spending.
“If the UC is as confident they’ve reduced costs as they often claim they have, there should be no reservation in opening up the books for all to see,” Sabo said in an email.
Napolitano and the regents decision to up the tuition on Friday comes in the face of Gov. Jerry Brown’s preliminary budget offer for 2015-2016. The Daily Californian reported that the budget allocates a 4% increase in funding to the university system if there is no increase in tuition.
President Napolitano argued that the tuition increase is necessary, especially after Brown released his budget last week. “The university is receiving $460 million less in funding from the state than it did in 2007, even as it educates thousands more California students,” she asserted.
In a statement she explained that the university has endeavored to make considerable cuts and was hoping the state would provide more than the 4% increase in funds.
Caitlin Quinn, ASUC External Affairs Vice President, said that the student association has been “screwed over” by both Brown’s proposals and Napolitano’s tuition increase. “We don’t want to be besties with either of them,” she said.