Dr. James David Ballard delivered a special presentation at the Associated Students Senate meeting at the University Student Union’s Grand Salon on Tuesday asking for the students’ support in the faculty’s fight for fair wages. Ballard, a sociology professor at CSUN, is head of the university’s chapter of the California Faculty Association. Concerned students also showed up to the meeting in support of the CFA.

“In the past few years the tuition for students has doubled, yet none of that money has gone to your faculty,” Ballard told the Senate.

Ballard then unveiled the faculty’s plans to strike in seven weeks if their contract needs are not met. Their goal, according to Ballard, is to strike without affecting the outcome of students’ academic semester. The CFA’s new slogan is, “I don’t want to strike but I will.”

“We will hold rolling strikes, which are two-day strikes. This means that no student will miss more than one class by any given professor,” he said.

The CFA’s carefully crafted striking strategy is designed to insure a minimal impact on students and their education.

“We don’t want to affect graduation, we are dedicated to the students,” Ballard said.

Ballard’s presentation came a week after University Provost Harry Hellenbrand spoke to the Senate. Hellenbrand spoke out on the topic but represented the university and the CSU rather than the CFA.

“It is a matter of priority when faculty are actually losing money,” Ballard said, before adding that “there comes a point where love just won’t work. We’re at that point.”

During the open forum, Lucia Laguna, a political science and Chicano/a studies major, expressed support for the stalled contract negotiations.

“(The professors) have been so good to me and this is my chance to stand up for them,” she said. “When it comes (time) to vote, vote for the faculty and for the students. They are my heroes. They are the most amazing people I have ever met. They have been here for the students and for what? Peanuts?”

Citing inefficiencies on the administration level at CSUN, Ballard called on students to demand better treatment.

“You are the ones that are suffering because there are not enough classes or faculty, so stand up for yourselves and vote,” Ballard said.

One senator asked what would happen if the faculty got their intended raise and student fees were subsequently raised. Ballard said that the CFA would publicly oppose student fee raises in that case.

After Ballard’s presentation, the meeting shifted to the agenda’s 10 finance actions.

At the request of Gregory Stewart from the psychology department, the A.S. looked into raising their original fund of $250 to $350 for each of the 55 students who were looking to attend the WPA Convention in Vancouver, Canada.

“Because it is an international trip we already raised the fund from the $200 that it was last year to $250 this year,” said Director of Finance Adam Haverstock.

Sen. Chante Felix also opposed the action.

“If this passes, then almost $20,000 is going to this one group, but there are many other clubs which will need the money in the future,” she said.

Sen. Igor Kagan showed support to move this action because the psychology department is one of the largest on campus and therefore needs extra funding.

“My concern is that by allocating this much money we are reducing the Academically Related Reserve Account by almost half in the third week of school,” said Vice President Sarah Jackson.

“What we have experienced is that when we allocate money for trips, not every student goes,” said General Manager David Crandall.

Their final decision was to grant the group $275 for each person attending, which is a total of $15,180 for the group as a whole.

The Pan African Studies department asked to have $1,500 from the Unallocated Reserves Account for their event “Hip-Hop’s Tribute to Black Women.”

Jackson motioned for an allocation of $2,000 and Kagan suggested an allocation of $2,200 instead. Kagan’s motion was passed.

University Counseling Services requested $1,700 from the Unallocated Reserves Account for the U Matter-Dor Fair. Sen. Joseph Yomtoubian moved to allocate $1,900, which would allow an extra $200 for the purpose of advertising the event. The motion was passed.

The Senate also voted to allocate $1,200 to the Southwestern Social Sciences Annual Meeting; $1,600 to the geography department for the AAG annual meeting; $800 to the Experimental Biology Annual Meeting; $500 to the Regional Basketball Club for their NIRSA Regional Basketball Tournament; $1,300 to Deaf CSUNians for Just Ask; and $500 to the Deaf Studies Association for participant accident insurance for the 58 students who will attend the Silent Weekend event.

President Adam Salgado also reported that in a meeting of the Student Fee Advisory Committee – on which he is a representative – the add/drop fees for classes were eliminated, a decision that will be effective starting this summer. Salgado explained after the Senate meeting that as most students who end up dropping do so due to financial aid problems they encounter, it was determined in the committee meeting that these students should not be held responsible for financial problems they could not control.