It’s been two months since student protesters rallied in the quad at Cal State Fullerton to protest a soon-to-be-enacted nine percent tuition increase for the California State University system. The protesters then followed that up by “occupying” an area behind the Pollak Library for three days and nights.

The nine percent tuition increase passed and it is expected to be enacted in the Fall 2012 semester. The campus closed for fall recess and the short-lived makeshift “occupy” encampment was broken up just three days after it began. The fall semester ended shortly thereafter.

David Inga, one of the organizers of the November protest and occupation, said they are not planning on giving up the fight any time soon.

Inga, a member of the student-organized group Students for Quality Education (SQE), said SQE plans to try to work with the incoming CSUF president, Mildred Garcia, about the budget issues that are affecting students, but he doesn’t foresee things going the way of the student body.

“We’re going to try to open up the lines of dialogue with the new president and the administration on our campus, but for the most part if it comes down to nothing, which is what we’re expecting, then we’re probably going to see some sort of action in March,” said Inga.

Inga was present Wednesday at the CSU Board of Trustees meeting in Long Beach despite the absence of student protesters.

“If anything positive came from the meeting it was basically (California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s) response to the board of trustees and the fact that they’re not holding the interest of the university and the public,” Inga said.

With a state budget that seems doomed in the short-run, future additional fee hikes for public education are likely and more student-held protests and demonstrations on California campuses can be expected.

At CSUF, the November protest and occupation was mostly peaceful. Besides a drunken student who was not involved in the protest tearing down a banner that the demonstrators had hung and a heated clash between protesters and Titan Radio, the demonstration went over rather smoothly. Titan Radio had originally reserved space in the Quad for a student bone marrow donation to help leukemia patients. (See “Quad Conflicts” by Ian Wheeler in the Nov. 16, 2011 issue of the Daily Titan.)

“I think (the protest) was handled very well,” said CSUF Police Lieutenant John Brockie. “There was a lot of cooperation by both sides, both the university’s administration and the protesters. It was peaceful; that’s the biggest thing.”

Student-held protests were widespread across CSU campuses that week, and at some universities conduct wasn’t as orderly as it was at Fullerton.

At the CSU chancellor’s office in Long Beach last November, a glass door was shattered as protesters became unruly during the meeting that voted in the nine percent tuition hike.

At CSUF, the administration has been attempting to work with the student protesters.

CSUF Dean of Students, Lea Jarnagin, said that she was working closely with Inga and another member of SQE throughout the protests and the occupation last fall, and the administration plans to continue to do so.

As for the issue of protesting and occupying the campus, Jarnagin said no policies have been changed.

“I think every time one of these situations arises we have to look at the impact on the community,” said Jarnagin. “We have to look at what is the intent of the group, what is the stated purpose, do we believe that it is possible for that goal to be achieved without materially disrupting the educational environment. So that’s really the guideline that we use when making a decision about whether a group can remain at a location or not.”

One thing is for sure, with the state of public education, these issues aren’t going away any time soon.