Take a Stand and Save a Sun Devil
The future of higher education in Arizona is grim. Due to several factors that have become exacerbated by the serious economic downturn of recent months, state legislators are proposing cuts to programs across the state. These proposals include a massive 40% cut to the operating budget of Arizona State University.
A small portion of an email sent this morning by ASU President, Dr. Michael Crow helps to dispel some of the myths that may be surrounding these proposed cuts:
The actual percentages are 35 percent of the 2009 state General Fund budget that is remaining for the year and when the proposed 2010 cuts are added, it totals 40 percent of the university's state General Fund appropriation in 2008 on a Full-time Equivalent (either a full-time student or its equivalent of two part-time students) basis.
The percentages quoted by some state legislators are based on a total budget that includes hundreds of millions of dollars in federal research funding as well as bookstore and meal plan purchases and even football ticket sales. ASU's research enterprise and its ancillary operations from the bookstore to the football team are -- and must be -- financially self-sufficient and in fact, these activities subsidize a substantial portion of the instructional budget.
If ASU were to close its dormitories and bookstore and stop doing federally funded research and stop playing football, the revenue associated with those activities would also end. So, it is a fiction that ASU has other revenue that could begin to replace the loss of state revenue.
State revenue and the tuition paid by students account for 79 percent of ASU's instructional budget. To make up the loss of state funding, tuition for in-state students would need to be almost doubled to $11,000 a year.
There is much more explained in the email, and a PDF copy of Dr. Crow's full email can be downloaded or viewed here.
Stand and Fight
As students and faculty, we cannot simply sit on the sidelines and allow this to happen. The future of higher education hangs in the balance with these proposals. Please take a stand for your education. Here is how you can help:
- The Polytechnic Campus Student Government, led by its President, Kelley Stewart, is participating in a rally at the State Capitol tomorrow.
- There will be a bus leaving from the Polytechnic Campus Student Union Building tomorrow at 9:30 am.
- There will be a press conference at the State Capitol at 11:00 am, and the ASA rally begins at 12:00 pm
Because we are students, this can obviously cause some scheduling conflicts with our classes. Kelley Stewart has drafted a letter to the professors of the Polytechnic Campus regarding this. A PDF copy of the letter can be downloaded or viewed here.
I would encourage you to email this letter to your professor and encourage them to let you attend the rally. If you are unsure how to ask, feel free to copy the text of the email I sent and use it as your own:
Hello,
In light of the recent legislative proposal to cut ASU's budgets by up to 40% over the next two years, I am concerned about the future of this Polytechnic campus.
I would love to attend the student protest/rally that is being organized by our Poly student government. Unfortunately it falls during your class. I have attached a letter that was drafted by our Student President that addresses the professors on this campus. While I can't tell anyone how to think, hopefully you can consider point #2 in this letter.
I take my class attendance very seriously, so I do not want to miss your class if it will cause problems with my grades.
Please let me know if I have your blessing to attend, otherwise I will see you in class tomorrow.
C'mon Sun Devils. Let's keep education strong in Arizona. If you need to put a little more pep in your protesting step, here is the ASU fight song. Hopefully this will turn your blood to Maroon and Gold:
Fight, Devils Down The Field
Fight With Your Might and Don't Ever Yield
Long May Our Colors Outshine All Others
Echo From The Buttes, Give 'Em Hell Devils!
Cheer, Cheer For A-S-U
Fight For The Old Maroon
For it's Hail, Hail, The Gang's All Here
And It's Onward to Victory!
