The Sacramento State faculty senate conducted a general faculty meeting on Wednesday so that faculty could outline policy recommendations for the faculty senate to take.

According to the faculty senate constitution, a general faculty meeting can serve only as an open forum for discussion, no official policy can be adopted and no vote can be taken.

Wednesday’s meeting was the first in more than 30 years, according to an e-mail sent by faculty senate chair Michael Fitzgerald.

More than 200 students and faculty attended the meeting. Many of those attending took the opportunity to voice their displeasure with Sac State President Alexander Gonzalez as well as California State University Chancellor Charles Reed.

Juanita Barrena, the director of the biological science department, took the opportunity to suggest that the faculty senate “test the waters” for a vote of no confidence in the president.

Scott Farrand, a mathematics professor, served on the Budget Task Force. He said that the university missing projected enrollment has not had the effect on the budget that Gonzalez would like everyone to think.

“Academic Affairs is under siege,” Farrand said. “We got into a deficit because Gonzalez has increased funding in University Advancement and other departments.”

Kevin Wehr, a junior faculty member in the sociology department, called the meeting a historic event and believes that all the faculty and students that attended show how restless people at Sac State are getting.

During the two-hour meeting, participants cheered and applauded loudly for the speakers who discussed how difficult it is to teach classes that keep getting bigger.

Silvia Fox, a journalism professor, said that students are suffering because of the cutbacks and increasing class sizes.

“The university is not supporting me,” Fox said. “I am not doing a good job teaching right now.”

Chris Witko is an assistant professor of government who will be leaving Sac State at the end of this semester. He calls the president’s policies, “appalling, disgraceful and disgusting.”

The majority of the speakers at the meeting support a vote of no confidence in President Gonzalez, as well as the creation of a budgetary task force that will have more of a say in the university budget.

Fitzgerald said that the faculty senate would discuss the ideas presented today over Spring Break and that no specific action will be taken before that.

Jordan Guinn can be reached at [email protected]