Gpsc President Report[1]

Memorandum Graduate & Professional Student Council To:

Graduate & Professional Student Council Representatives & Officers

From:

Stephen Bieda III, GPSC President

Date:

January 16, 2009

RE:

President’s Report

Below is a summary of the issues that have been raised over recent weeks, primarily focusing on the Arizona State Legislature’s proposed budget cuts and ramifications to the University budget: 1. Arizona State Legislature Budget Cut Proposal The legislative leadership put forward figures on possible cuts to higher education in the State of Arizona. The main committees making this decision were the Arizona State Senate, chaired by Sen. Russell Pierce (R), and the Arizona State House. Under their proposal, mid-year cuts to the university system would total $243 million or approximately one-quarter of the entire budget. This proposal also puts forward additional reductions to the University system of $388 million for fiscal year 2010. Given this scenario, the University of Arizona would need to absorb mid-year cuts totaling $103 million and an additional $164 million for fiscal year 2010. In effect, these cuts would be equal to 25% and 35% respectively, which would be absolutely devastating to most any business let alone a University. The damage to our University and to the causes to which the Graduate and Professional Student Council has championed would be far reaching, irreparable and debilitating. The results would include closure of colleges, radical increases in tuition and numerous layoffs of faculty, staff and even graduate associates and assistants. Suffice it to say, these proposals presents a crisis far exceeding any to which the GPSC has ever faced in it’s short history. I would even go so far as to say that radical measures must be considered by the full Council to address an obviously irresponsible act that these elected officials wish to perpetuate to the higher education system. With that said, the Student Body Presidents of all three Universities are planning actions that are immediate and attention grabbing. They will be summarized below. 2. Student Government President’s Action Plan The Student Body Presidents, Undergraduate and Graduate, at ASU, NAU and the University of Arizona have plotted a course of action following an emergency meeting earlier tonight. The actions that will be taken include: a) Campus Protests – Tuesday, January 20 For the University of Arizona, this will take place on the UA Mall in front of the Memorial Student Union. Bring your posters expressing your opinions, wear black shirts to signify the death of higher education and bring as many of your

friends as you can. The greater the numbers, the stronger the message. Media members have been invited and will be present to record this event. b) Arizona Board of Regents Meeting – Thursday, January 22 The Arizona Board of Regents needs to know that the students here at the University of Arizona support drastic measures. Their meeting is due to take place at 1 pm in the Catalina/North Ballroom. Governor-in-waiting Jan Brewer and/or her designee is expected to attend this meeting, and this will demonstrate to her the importance of the issue to our campus. c) State Capital Protest – Wednesday, January 28 The University of Arizona Student Body Presidents, in coordination with ASU and NAU Student Body Presidents, are organizing busses to travel to the State Capital to loudly demonstrate against the proposal laid forth by the State Legislature Leadership. The more students that are present, the stronger our message will be. d) Letter Writing Campaign – Friday, January 30 The Arizona Governor’s Office and the State Legislative Leadership are being targeted a writing campaign: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Senate/House Education Chairs Senate/House Appropriation Chairs Senate/House Leadership The Governor’s Office The Arizona Board of Regents

When writing elective officials, the tone must be respectful no matter how much we disagree with them. In combination with this effort, GPSC Vice President Boris Glebov is gathering business leaders across the community to support our cause. Drastic measures are needed for drastic proposals. The State Legislative Appropriations Committees will put this measure to a vote by month’s end. 3. Faculty Senate Executive Committee This meeting took place on Monday, January 12. At the time, Jacqueline Moc (the President’s Chief of Staff) informed the committee that the Administration was preparing for a 20% budget cut scenario. Extreme measures under consideration included seizing Auxiliary Units money normally reserved for maintenance or other important necessities. Faculty benefits would be cut, including health care, retirement benefits, and qualified tuition reduction. The benefits that Graduate Assistants and Associates are so used to holding would be in jeopardy. Tuition hikes of under heard of numbers would be proposed to simply keep the University operational. Last of all, as Robert Jacobi handed out to the full Council before, ABOR’s minimum degree requirements would be strictly enforced. Those units and/or degree tracks who do not meet the minimum requirements would be subject to immediate closure, effective July 1, 2009. 4. GPSC Budget Audit Due to the potential of massive and drastic budget cuts facing our University, I have requested that the GPSC Appropriations Committee perform an audit of any and all expenditures. This audit is to be chaired by GPSC Treasurer Sanket Unhale, with the results being shared to the full Council by February 4 and the UA Administration

in meetings immediately subsequent to that. It is intended that through this audit, the GPSC is able to demonstrate full accountability to all expenditures performed for the benefit of Graduate and Professional Students.