The Sacramento State Faculty Senate met Thursday to discuss challenges in course scheduling.

Interim Provost Ming-Tung “Mike” Lee spoke on Feb. 11 about the struggles students go through to receive their education on a daily basis.

“You have experienced it, and our students have experienced it,” Lee said. “You come here early in the morning, and every single lane of traffic is jammed with cars – everybody trying to get to their class by eight, nine, or 10. Students trying to pick up that one parking spot left, to make that five-minute dash to the classroom so they won’t be late for class.”

Lee said one significant cause of the problem is one that dates back to the university’s founding.

“We have an antiquated scheduling system; it doesn’t match [students’ schedules],” Lee said.

Lee rounded out the discussion on scheduling challenges by soliciting help from faculty.

“We at the university need to have this conversation and discussion. If you have any suggestion of how to make the system work better, send me an email to tell me [what] an ideal scheduling system should look like,” Lee said.

The meeting also highlighted frustrations felt by faculty regarding the search for a new provost and the possible upcoming California Faculty Association strike in April.

“We need a provost that is invested in our campus,” said Ghazan Khan, an assistant professor of transportation engineering.

Kevin Wehr, president of the California Faculty Association’s Sacramento chapter and a sociology professor at Sac State, brought up another critical issue on the minds of faculty.

“This [strike] is historic…I am asking everybody to spread the word…to your colleagues…I encourage you all to speak to your students. I don’t want to strike, but I will if I have to. We have two months to deliver the message of solidarity that this is real,” Wehr said.

Wehr also said students will have the opportunity to have a voice in the strike.

“There will be three, one-hour sessions from 2 [p.m.] to 5 [p.m.] for students discussions, and the following week on the 24th is the two-hour session from noon to 2 [p.m.],” Wehr said.