On March 7, CCA joined hundreds of marchers and participated in the March in March event in Sacramento. A coalition of faculty, student unions and organizations marched to the Capitol to bring attention to issues facing public higher education in California. The march of just under one mile crossed the Tower Bridge and then traveled east to the west lawn of the Capitol where the rally took place.

We had a couple of dozen CCA members participate in the event. This march and rally is a revival of the annual March in March events held before the COVID-19 pandemic. The organizers of this event hope to bring it back as an annual event that focuses on higher education in California. CCA/CTA, the Student Senate of CCC, the Chancellor’s Office and AFT were among the groups sponsoring this event.

“You would think that a government interested in long-term prosperity would naturally believe in a high-quality higher education system that includes affordable student and workforce housing and attention to environmental and climate concerns. Unfortunately, we live in a state where students need to undertake political action in order to ensure adequate resources for transfer-level classes, student and workforce basic needs, and climate resilient school facilities.  The faculty of CCA are proud to stand in solidarity with our students and we share their desire to have a stronger, more equitable post-secondary environment,” said CCA President Eric Kaljumägi.

“I thought it was a fabulous way to support our students.  Anytime we can support one another with any of our issues I think is a valuable use of our time.”

– Josie Malik, San Joaquin Delta College Teachers Association

This year’s march focused on the challenges our students and faculty face as higher education has become increasingly expensive and out of reach of so many in our state. The theme of the march was Securing Students’ Futures and called for the following:

• Affordable and High-Quality Higher Education
  • Extend the College Promise Program to all students
  • Fully fund part-time students in new funding formula
  • Fight increase in CSU tuition
  • Fully implement Cal Grants reform
  • Accountability for equity and diversity measures
  • Ensure adequate resources for transfer level classes
  • Student loan forgiveness

• Affordable Student and Workforce Housing
  • Emergency measures to address student and workforce basic needs insecurity
  • Funding for operational costs of affordable housing
  • Living wage for all campus workers
  • Addressing the affordable housing crisis in California

• Environmental and Climate Justice
  • Divest Our Pensions from Fossil Fuels
  • Climate resilient school facilities
  • More support for environmental education across disciplines
  • Fund the development of climate curriculum for community colleges

“I wanted to join the march because it is important for our students to know that their educators stand with them. We support them, and we hear them. I really felt pride in our profession. This shows that if unions can come together, and colleges stand together, we can make things better for the next generation of our community college students.”

–Kristie Iwamoto, Napa Valley College Faculty Association President