On Thursday, more than 150 UC Davis professors plan to walk out in response to a ruling from the University of California Board of Regents.

The ruling is not allowing faculty to schedule some furlough days on instruction days. This decision, made Aug. 21 by the UC Office of the President, was one of many actions implemented in response to the statewide mandatory furloughs.

The University of California Students Association voted unanimously to support the walkout, said UC Davis physics professor Richard Scalettar.

“This (walkout) is very significant. UC students recognize that faculty, staff and students alike need to come together to defend higher education,” Scalettar said.

Interim Provost Lawrence Pitts stated that furloughs on teaching days would be too hard on students and would be perceived as using them “to make a political point in Sacramento.”

UC faculty and staff are required to take 11 to 26 furlough day a year depending on their pay range resulting in a 4 to 10 percent pay decrease.

“Instructional furloughs pressure the state to cease defunding the UC system, and they pressure the Office of the President to confront the fact that its overall approach to budget reform is unsustainable and unjust,” read a letter signed by 16 UC professors members sent out to the faculty on Aug. 31.

The term “furlough” is not accurate, said Neil Schore, professor and vice chair of UC Davis’ department of chemistry, the correct term is “increase in state income tax.”

Although the California State Legislature calls this an attempt to solve the state’s fiscal problem without raising taxes, Schore said his state income tax, as well as that of hundreds of UC faculty, will increase significantly come the end of December when the reduction will take effect.

Although the UC deficit cuts total $813 million and the CSU deficit cuts total $564 million, said CSU spokesperson Eric Fallis, the loss is greater to the CSU System because the proportion is much smaller.

The faculty walkout has now gained the support of the American Association of University Professors, a nonprofit organization that advocates for academics, the University Professional and Technical Employees Union, Solidarity Alliance at Berkeley and more than 820 signatures of supporters.

Gina Cruz can be reached at [email protected].