RALLY AND SPEAK OUT TO DEFEND PUBLIC EDUCATION!
WEDNESDAY APRIL 7TH
NOON
STUDENT UNION STEPS
On March 4th, tens of thousands of people around the country participated in actions to demand an immediate end to the budget cuts in higher education, and to show their support for the cause of Free Public Education for All.
Here at UMass Amherst, the March 4th Coalition organized a mass rally - attended by hundreds of students, university employees and community members - to protest the administration's skewed priorities, cuts in basic services, and planned fee hikes for the next academic year. We made our voices heard against an administration that has shown utter disregard for the interests of both students and faculty. They are building a 12.5 million dollar new police station, yet at the same time they cut the hours of University Health Services - leaving students without a place to go on campus at night in case of a health emergency or sexual assault. They are planning to increase student fees and freeze wages, yet Chancellor Holub just gave himself a big raise.
So, on March 4th, we marched to Whitmore and presented a list of demands to the administration (reproduced below). We gave them until March 31st to send us an answer. The deadline came and went, yet the administration did not even see fit to make a few vague, empty promises. They said nothing at all. That is their answer: as far as they're concerned, the students are a nuisance best ignored, in the hope that it will go away.
That is why we need to make it clear that we will not go away. The new UMass budget drops on April 6th. We should expect fee increases, deep cuts and layoffs this coming year. We are holding a speak-out the next day, April 7th, to show our disapproval and insist that the only place to cut from is the top - starting with the inflated salaries of the UMass top administrators.
Join us and let your voice be heard! This will be an open mic event, so please bring your stories, ideas and thoughts - and your friends!
Here at UMass Amherst, the March 4th Coalition organized a mass rally - attended by hundreds of students, university employees and community members - to protest the administration's skewed priorities, cuts in basic services, and planned fee hikes for the next academic year. We made our voices heard against an administration that has shown utter disregard for the interests of both students and faculty. They are building a 12.5 million dollar new police station, yet at the same time they cut the hours of University Health Services - leaving students without a place to go on campus at night in case of a health emergency or sexual assault. They are planning to increase student fees and freeze wages, yet Chancellor Holub just gave himself a big raise.
So, on March 4th, we marched to Whitmore and presented a list of demands to the administration (reproduced below). We gave them until March 31st to send us an answer. The deadline came and went, yet the administration did not even see fit to make a few vague, empty promises. They said nothing at all. That is their answer: as far as they're concerned, the students are a nuisance best ignored, in the hope that it will go away.
That is why we need to make it clear that we will not go away. The new UMass budget drops on April 6th. We should expect fee increases, deep cuts and layoffs this coming year. We are holding a speak-out the next day, April 7th, to show our disapproval and insist that the only place to cut from is the top - starting with the inflated salaries of the UMass top administrators.
Join us and let your voice be heard! This will be an open mic event, so please bring your stories, ideas and thoughts - and your friends!
No comments:
Post a Comment