Initially, it looked like a coup – the Governor of California accepting an invitation to make the commencement address at one of the state’s community colleges.
But not everyone is pleased. In fact, on Monday night, a coalition of Santa Monica College faculty, employees, and students, as well as some residents, appeared at the SMC Board of Trustees meeting on campus to demand that the invitation to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to make the commencement address be withdrawn.
According to them, the Governor’s policies have made the state’s community colleges less accessible to students.
They allege that 150,000 students – more than the total student enrollment of the entire UC system – were “priced out” when fees were increased 30 percent.
In place of Schwarzenegger, the coalition wants to hear from “a champion of community colleges” on graduation day.Schwarzenegger, a longtime Westside resident, attended SMC some years ago.
