I agree.  I'm doing postbaccalaureate work there and I think the situation is ridiculous.  I have quit parking on campus altogether until they make purchasing parking permits more convenient. 

CSUB, one travesty after another.  Either the professors get it or the students, and sometimes both. 

If you can't put the college into the mall, put the mall into the college.

I was teaching there when they had the student vote about the Rec Center/Health Club. I digressed in my lecture to point out that classrooms needed repair, the library needed books, the students needed access to more classes. The little darlings looked at me like I had told them Santa Claus died. I was shouted down. So, the next test was so hard no one could pass it.

The Rec Center was voted in unanimously. The school is now in Division 1 for sports, they can play BASEBALL! Someday Horace envisions a football team. Oh happy day. Of course, more than 70% of incoming freshmen need some kind of remedial work in English or Math or both, but hell, they can work it off in the rec center.

While we're on it,  whoever designed the "Classroom Building" with wall to wall south facing windows was disconnected from reality.  I wish that architect had to spend a quarter in one of those rooms during the summer!

"The school is now in Division 1 for sports" Seems sports is all CSUB is about, heck they get a wrestler charged with Contributing to the deliquency of a minor & they still keep their ranking, Their wrestlers kill a man 3 or 4 on 1 & the DA won't even try them, seems the DA should help pay for some of that school since justice isn't served there. CSUB Wrestlers = CRIP = Cowards Run In Packs, they can't fight their own battles, they need their buddies to help them out.

none of you are complaining about anything new.  CSUB regularly sells 2-3 times as many permits as they have parking spots.  why do you think neighbors in the communities to the east complain about students parking cars near their houses?

Bakersfield has it easy compared to other schools like Cal Poly, UCSB, and other severely impacted colleges up and down CA.  its 10 times worse at UCLA..

This is actually a life lesson...so pay attention and remember, because this crap happens in life ALL THE TIME

bakobornnraised, I completely agree with you. Believe it or not, I had the same kind of problems in the early 1980's (except we didn't have email back then).

I'm self educated with three degrees and well employed. I'm also quite the Conservative. HOWEVER, I think that Universities should be more financially/easily available to those who genuinely want to be there to get an education.

I think what's going on is terribly wrong. 

pikebishop, I noticed the past tense in your post. Did you voluntarily leave CSUB or were you one of the victims of the budget cuts? (Or was it a time-related past tense and you still work there?)

Here's some ideas to help you out:

• Start a facebook group for CSUB students wanting to sell/trade/buy books.  It might not be the email system you're used to, but it's better than a sharp stick in the eye..
• See if you can carpool with someone for the time being until the lines go down at the parking office
• Try and stay positive - you're enrolled at a major University - not many around the world can say the same

Honestly, no University system is perfect - they all have their flaws.  I don't think what's happening is just or right, but sometimes we all just need to go with the flow and make the best of things! 

Pike - it doesn't surprise me that students would prefer a new Rec center to allocating funds for repair & maintenance.  While I was at Florida State, one of my friends was the call center supervisor for Facilities Maintenance, and it was amazing at how little the students respected the facilities.  As an example, virtually every weekend, students would suds the main fountain, and every Monday, it would cost the University quite a bit in man hours and money itself.  When looking at these issues from a logical business perspective, it's easy to see where a lot of tuition money winds up being spent.

A bit off topic but I hope bakobornandraised will indulge me. CSUB Students: Please USE THE CROSSWALK if you choose to park on the north side of Stockdale Highway, which I assume is free parking. I drive east in front of the university every morning and I am constantly braking and dodging idiots who step out into 50+ MPH traffic. 

And, you idiot jaywalkers on a high speed three lane roadway may see me and think you're so incredibly invincible that you will walk into two lanes, inching up to my vehicle until I pass you at legal speeds. Sorry, stupid kids, when I'm going 50 in my car and you step into the roadway, even if you're slowing and yielding for me to pass, I'm stopping. You tripping on your shoelaces and falling under my passing vehicle is not something I want to deal with.

USE THE DAMN CROSSWALK.

It's my first time at CSUB and perhaps have a couple hints about parking.  I bought my parking pas  the week before classes began.  If you've got an hour lunch break or what have you, a week before classes the campus is open, run on down to the cashier's office (I parked in the metered parking right by it) and get in line.  There were literally only 3 people in line and it took me a total of 10 minutes to complete the entire ordeal.  As for parking spots, there seems to always be one in the lot by the on-campus housing, which is on the Stockdale Hwy side as opposed to the Marketplace side.  I showed up around 9 am and noticed most people didn't even bother looking for a spot in the closer lots and just parked there.  It's a short walk on flat ground, which was a pleasant change compared to my old university that was located on basically a small mountain.

The budget cuts and fee hikes are a hassle for sure, but I've noticed that many of the professor's are definitely taking this into consideration and are trying to be as flexible as they can.  Be sure to visit the CFA booth which can be found in Dorothy Donahue Hall or the CFA office (DDH A-105).  They have some resources that will help students, faculty, etc to voice how much these cuts effect our educational institutions.

pikebishop:

"I was teaching there when they had the student vote about the Rec Center/Health Club. I digressed in my lecture to point out that classrooms needed repair, the library needed books, the students needed access to more classes. The little darlings looked at me like I had told them Santa Claus died. I was shouted down.  So, the next test was so hard no one could pass it."

As stupid of a decision as I think it was for any non-athletic students to support the Rec Center (and D1), I am more offended by the fact that you would intentionally flunk a class full of paying college students because they did not agree with you on an decision which was, for all intents and purposes, theirs to make.  Ethics, anyone?

"The Rec Center was voted in unanimously."

No, it wasn't.  I worked in the Student Union at the time and was told by ASi members that the margin was so close they were considering a recount.  Half the voters actually agreed with you.  Hope you didn't flunk any of THEM. 

This would be a good time for you guys to write to your state representatives and protest the funding cuts the CSU has suffered. You might also try writing the administration at CSUB and the CSU chancellor's office as well. The more voices they hear in dissent, the more likely they are to change their ways next year. On the flip side, if they DON'T hear much dissent, next year might end up being worse.

You're able to go into your GOLD account at CSUB's website and change your primary e-mail address.  That way your professors will always have your e-mail address in case they need to send out announcements.

As for buying textbooks, check out Amazon.com used textbooks for sale.  I usually save at least 100 dollars in buying used text books every quarter.  But you'll need to do your research on finding the right textbooks to purchase in advance so they'll arrive on time when class starts (and hope your class doesn't get canceled due to the budget crisis).

If you can, trying squeezing an extra course to your usual course workload.  If I hadn't done that since last summer of 2008, I would have spent another year paying these ridiculous high tuition fees.  Hang in there, you only have 3 more quarters to go.

Books are pretty affordable on half.com, too.