While things are bad in California, they are worse elsewhere. From the AAUP we hear the following news about “The Death of Public Higher Education” in Tennessee
A funeral for public higher education was held Monday in Tennessee after the chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents proposed drastic cuts, including requiring all students to take specified numbers of credits online, having advanced students teach beginners, raising tuition, and giving discounts to students willing to work online “with no direct support from a faculty member” except for grading. He also proposed eliminating many programs.
AAUP chapters and the state conference in Tennessee helped organize the event along with the Coalition to Save Our Schools, a student group. The Tennessee AAUP conference urged the state board of regents to involve all constituents in deliberations, make cuts that have the least adverse impact on students, and reduce redundant administrative functions across the state systems before considering more drastic steps such as large tuition increases and removing full-time faculty from direct contact with students in the classroom.
See http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/newsroom/Highlights/funeral.htm