NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 20, 2005

Contact:

Steve Abbott, President, Columbus State Education Association

The Columbus State Education Association (CSEA), which represents the college's 260 full-time faculty, will conduct a march to the college's Board of Trustees meeting at 5:45 p.m. Thursday, September 22.

The march will begin at Nestor Hall and move to the 6 p.m. meeting at Franklin Hall.

CSEA expects several speakers to address the Board during the public comment portion of the meeting about a decline in student services. Issues include continuing problems with the college's computer system that have affected registration and enrollment, elimination of its Strategic Enrollment Management office, and the college's disproportionate ratio of students to full-time faculty.

Several students, including recipients of scholarships, are also expected to address the trustees.

Faculty have complained that problems with the computer system have hurt enrollment and retention. Enrollment at the college dropped nearly 10% in 2004 after implementation of the new system and has not recovered to 2003 levels. Students regularly complain about delays in online registration and increasing problems with financial aid processes. Faculty report that students who have paid fees are inexplicably dropped from computerized class rosters in the middle of a quarter.

According to CSEA, Columbus State's ratio is the worst in the nation among colleges of its size. The latter issue was cited as a major concern in the 2000 report of the North Central Association, Columbus State's accreditation association. Faculty say the situation has worsened since then.

The march will occur as faculty finish three days of voting on whether to accept or reject the Board's "last/best/final offer" on salary, benefits, and other issues unresolved after five months of negotiations on a second contract with CSEA.

The Board has set a September 23 deadline for CSEA to accept its terms. Implementation of new contract terms without the Association's agreement will set the stage for continued tension as Autumn Quarter begins.