2008 Woodie Awards
Vote Absentee
Campus braces for student strike
Will McGuinness, Collegian Staff
Issue date: 11/14/07 Section: News
The Student Government Association (SGA) in conjunction with the Graduate Student Senate (GSS) is calling on students to participate in an all-student strike scheduled for Thursday and Friday of this week.
Students' refusal to attend classes is hoped to attract media attention that will bring the governing bodies' demands into state-wide public consciousness.
Organizers of the strike said a rollback in student fees, accountability for diversity funds, student control over student space and police presence in dormitories have warranted the move to hold informational meetings in lieu of scheduled classes at the end of the week. The issue has largely polarized the student body with many in agreement and a seemingly equal number in opposition.
Opinion may be split, but few students can disagree with smaller bills, an action that SGA vice-President Ruth Thompson said is both possible and deserved. Governor Patrick's Capital Plan is expected to bring $1 billion in revenue to the University of Massachusetts system and approximately $500,000,000 to the system's flagship Amherst campus. Due to the added revenue, strike organizers have said on their Facebook.com group that Patrick's plan shows the state's commitment to better funding public higher education and thus warrants a rollback in student fees.
University spokesman Ed Blaguszewski explained the University's stance saying that the Board of Trustees [BOT] has worked to raise fees at a modest pace. Organizers cite fees having gone up 200 percent over the past 20 years; however, Blaguszewski said that in recent history the BOT has worked to raise fees at a level that is either under or equal to inflation as defined by the Consumer Price Index. Last March, the BOT voted to raise fees for this year by 3.4 percent, which is under the reported inflation rate of 3.6 percent.
Blaguszewski said budget cuts in the past have necessitated a package of action to reduce University spending while maximizing revenue. He said the increase in student fees was not done in isolation but was instead part of this program that included a large number of layoffs and forced retirement among other things.
Students' refusal to attend classes is hoped to attract media attention that will bring the governing bodies' demands into state-wide public consciousness.
Organizers of the strike said a rollback in student fees, accountability for diversity funds, student control over student space and police presence in dormitories have warranted the move to hold informational meetings in lieu of scheduled classes at the end of the week. The issue has largely polarized the student body with many in agreement and a seemingly equal number in opposition.
Opinion may be split, but few students can disagree with smaller bills, an action that SGA vice-President Ruth Thompson said is both possible and deserved. Governor Patrick's Capital Plan is expected to bring $1 billion in revenue to the University of Massachusetts system and approximately $500,000,000 to the system's flagship Amherst campus. Due to the added revenue, strike organizers have said on their Facebook.com group that Patrick's plan shows the state's commitment to better funding public higher education and thus warrants a rollback in student fees.
University spokesman Ed Blaguszewski explained the University's stance saying that the Board of Trustees [BOT] has worked to raise fees at a modest pace. Organizers cite fees having gone up 200 percent over the past 20 years; however, Blaguszewski said that in recent history the BOT has worked to raise fees at a level that is either under or equal to inflation as defined by the Consumer Price Index. Last March, the BOT voted to raise fees for this year by 3.4 percent, which is under the reported inflation rate of 3.6 percent.
Blaguszewski said budget cuts in the past have necessitated a package of action to reduce University spending while maximizing revenue. He said the increase in student fees was not done in isolation but was instead part of this program that included a large number of layoffs and forced retirement among other things.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
thefreak
posted 11/14/07 @ 2:48 PM EST
If you're striking, are you planning events, or just skipping class?
http://www.newsfreak.com/articles/2405-umass-students-set-to-strike-for-rights-and-by-strike-we-mean-sit-on-their-asses-and-eat-funions
Sarah Morgan
posted 11/16/07 @ 4:28 PM EST
Actually, we had three different teach-ins scheduled every hour of both days, to allow students to teach each other about a variety of topics. We had a rally and a march and a social. (Continued…)
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