Want a chance to see the provost in action?

Provost Meredith Hay will be at the GPSC meeting tonight (12/2) at 5pm (moved from 6:30 to accommodate her schedule) in Law 168.

It is open to the public, but the call to the audience will be limited to 5 people, 2 minutes each.

If you can't get there, or you don't make it onto the list to speak, contact your GPSC representative and ask him/her to present your concern for you later in the meeting!

We're back

It's not that nothing has been going on, but some of us are also supposed to be working on our degrees, and sometimes fighting the good fight gets too time-consuming. Besides, the way this institution and this state are going, we shouldn't be surprised when people want to keep their heads down, finish their degrees and get the heck out before it really hits the fan.

Just to get us rolling again, here's some recent news:

• The rec center wants even more money. They took a big state-budget cut and they do need to pay for their facilities maintenance, but we're having a hard time prioritizing this since we live in a city where it's pleasant to just go for a jog or lift weights in your own backyard during almost the whole school year.
• "Huge Revamp of Higher Ed Envisioned". This is your basic article on synergizing with the community colleges and pumping out more degrees. Instead of tying state funding to enrollment, it would tie it to number of degrees granted. (Did someone say 'factory'?) We don't have to tell you how problematic this could become, especially considering the already-rampant grade inflation we have at the state schools. Now it could turn into pay your fee, get your degree.
  
• California takes an outrageous tuition hike and Shelton suggests in the State of the University address that we might, too. The Wildcat encourages Shelton to be straight with us. UC students were so outraged by the exclusionary tuition hikes that they showed up en masse, stormed the administration building and got on the national news. The BIG question is: Will UA students just take the tuition hike we're almost guaranteed to take this year, or will they fight back?
  

Say What?

The results of the faculty poll are out and approximately 60% of the faculty that voted indicated that it had little or no confidence " in the ability of central administration to lead us through the tough challenges we face now and in the foreseeable future."

Check out the Wildcat article here: "Seven of the 10 poll questions asked faculty for their opinions on the upper administration’s faculty support, transparency and handling of the UA transformation. In all seven such questions, results showed faculty favoring the answers denouncing Shelton and Hay."

UA Defender also has some statistics and commentary.

President Shelton has already written a response to the campus community (we won't even discuss that the link again ends in "press comm", leading us to believe that it's not for the university community at all): "While we have attempted to be as transparent in this process as possible, it is apparent that we need to do more, both in sharing details of the monumental budget dilemma that we face, and in engaging our faculty in the search for solutions."

Well, yeah. It's about time. Although, isn't this the same rhetoric we heard last year in just about every press communication the administration sent out?
Feel free to read them for yourself. Here are a few highlights:

• June 27, 2008: "That process takes time and must be handled carefully with considered and timely input from faculty and staff, but it is a necessary component of the prioritization of our strategic objectives, which is what underpins our budget allocations."

• Sept. 3, 2008: "Change is never easy. At a university as complex as the UA, real change cannot occur without input and support from a wide range of groups, primarily our faculty and our staff. With that in mind, Provost Hay has appointed several committees that will address a range of important issues, from how we can restructure ourselves across our colleges and departments, to how we offer our curriculum and reward excellence in teaching, to how we make the right decisions on strategic research investments, to the structural changes that would both save money and make us stronger academically."

• Jan. 28, 2009: "While it may seem a bit cliché, it is nevertheless true that the faculty are the heart of our University. It is the strength of our faculty that establishes our reputation as a premier international institution. Our entire University community – students, staff, visitors, alumni, donors, and supporters across the state – collectively benefit from, and are inspired by, the work of our faculty. Regardless of the outcome of the budget deliberations, we are committed to maintain a world-class faculty and to strategically invest in those core areas of greatness that will propel the UA into the coming decades."

• February 2, 2009: "We deeply appreciate the commitment, determination and resilience demonstrated by faculty and staff on a daily basis. This is a difficult time, but the faculty and staff of The University of Arizona have shown that by being creative and innovative, by working harder and smarter, we can continue to set a standard for universities around the world to emulate."

Is the new press release a lot like the other empty promises we've become accustomed to hearing?

In Free Speech and Intimidation News:

Despite Evan Lisull and Jacob Miller's arrests, students continued to chalk across campus today.



According to the Wildcat and the AZ Star, the charges against the two free-speechers may be dropped: "Shelton has suggested students be referred to the Dean of Students Office as a possible code of conduct violation."











*These photos are from Monday afternoon. We do not know who marked on the vertical surfaces.

Although it is a relief that the criminal charges may be dismissed, a referral to the Dean of Students is still punishment for something that was not a violation of the rules. Lisull and Miller only admitted to chalking on the ground. Our reading of the code of conduct (Part F: Prohibited conduct) couldn't locate any violation involving the reasonable expression of free speech by marking on the ground in a non-permanent way. In fact, we couldn't find any prohibition of writing on walls, either.

From the Chalking Back blog: "If reflected upon for moment, one can see the same insidious tactic is at play: students will continue to be targeted for speech act violations. This is not over, and I implore all colleagues not to let up on this issue; as it stands now, our students will no longer have the same right to speech as faculty. "

If you'd like to get involved in the cause, Arizona for Education will be holding a meeting Tuesday at 7:30pm at the Bookend Cafe.

(Another) Chalk Protester Arrested

Another protester was arrested this morning while peacefully exercising his right to free speech: Evan Lisull of the Desert Lamp.

Evan Lisull was detained, cited, and released by the UAPD at the SE intersection of University and Park. The charge was criminal damage, and the arrest occurred at 644 AM today, Monday, Sept. 28.

So far from what we know, he was arrested for participating in today's reaction to the Jacob Miller arrest on Thursday. A group of students planned to write "Chalk is Speech" on ground surfaces (thereby abiding by the law as it is written) in an effort to exercise their right to free speech.

The Daily Wildcat has picked up the story. Read the details here: "Lisull said he wrote campus sidewalks, and not on any buildings or structures, “to address the issue of Mr. Miller’s charges.” “This is a very distinct civil liberties issue,” he said. “Regardless of how you think of the budget, you should be very concerned about this type of crackdown."

Also check out the Wildcat article on the backlash after the first arrest here.

Becky Pallack at the AZ Star is following today's arrest. Check out her online article here: “Chalk is speech,” Lisull said, noting his drawings are in reaction to the arrest Thursday of Jacob Miller, a 24-year-old graduate student, who was cited for criminal damage and interfering with an educational facility during a campus rally protesting cuts to public education."

Chalking Back: A blog to address the free speech issues of chalking and to provide an opportunity to express your disgust with the university's oppression of free speech has been launched by someone (or maybe several people) in the faculty:http://chalkisspeech.blogspot.com/


We have contacted Evan, but he is hesitant to comment on the incident any further, at least until he consults with an attorney. If convicted, he is facing six months in jail and a $2,500 fine.

Anyone who was out this morning may have seen UA employees riding around in carts, washing off chalk remnants from the sidewalks.

If this is not systematic intimidation and suppression of free speech, we're not sure what is.

The Tower

In case you've missed it, the UA community seems to be fighting back against "the tower," which is what some campus community members have become accustomed to calling the administration building.

• In response to rampant rumors that the UA administration was planning to cut GAT/ RA benefits, the GPSC called a meeting with President Shelton, in which some very outspoken members of the gradstudent community grilled the president on lack of technology in the classroom, the failure to protect graduate students from increased workloads, the opacity of the administration's communications to the campus community (seriously, they're press releases), the consistent undervaluing of graduate student workers and the failure to recognize the importance of protecting graduate student rights.

• The Arizona for Education blog and corresponding activism began, leading up to Jacob Miller's arrest for exercising his First Amendment right to free speech. You can read Renee Schafer Horton's account on her Tucson Citizen blog.

• The faculty senate conducted a poll, including questions that asked for faculty's level of confidence in the administration's ability to lead us through this economic crisis. The results will be out Monday or Tuesday morning and then we'll see where it goes. It seems that it's really ABOR's job to decide who should or should not be president or provost, but it would certainly be difficult for the Arizona Board of Regents to force someone on the faculty if they did, in fact, vote that they had no confidence in the person.

• All of this unrest led up to Provost Hay and President Shelton writing a guest opinion for the AZ Daily Star. Just for fun, try doing a "Control F" search through the article. You won't find the words "education," "Student" (except in reference to GPSC and ASUA in the list at the bottom), "teach," "class" (except in the context of 'world-class'), or "learn." See also the Desert Lamp's response as well as our previous post in response to Shelton and Hay, called "Well, shame on us." Also check out Andy Seaton's mailbag article in the Wildcat. Seaton very bravely calls Shelton out on his lack of transparency.
  

• For an excellent rundown of the whole budget story, see Becky Pallack's article in the Star.

• Now this begs the question: Are you participating, or waiting on the sidelines to see who the victor is? Are you content to gripe around the water cooler and just be content to have a job while others lose theirs?

What can you do?

1) Write to your elected representatives in Phoenix and tell them you select your candidates based on their support of education funding. A list of helpful links is always up on Sallygradstudent (to the left).
2) Show up to protests and bring your outrage.
3) Organize in your department. Talk to other graduate students. Go to ASUA and GPSC meetings and demand strong representation.
4) Write letters to the editor of the Wildcat and the Star.
5) Give us and other bloggers and journalists a heads-up when something important is happening. You can also submit your thoughts any time by commenting on the blog or e-mailing us at sallygradstudent@gmail.com.

Jacob Miller's attorney is asking for your help. Please read her request here.

Read a letter of support for Jacob Miller drafted by concerned faculty members. Print it out, sign it and send it in to administration:
Robert N. Shelton, President
Administration Building, Room 712
1401 East University Boulevard
P.O. Box 210066
Tucson, Arizona 85721-0066
Or just cut and paste it and e-mail it in: robert.shelton@arizona.edu

Criminal?

Jacob Miller's arrest is all over the news, turning a peaceful protest into a vortex of media attention. Tucson Citizen's Renee Schafer Horton is trying to get an interview with the UAPD, KGUN9 and KVOA4 both reported on it last night (with interviews from Jacob Miller), the Daily Wildcat filled up most of the front page with a photo from the story. The Desert Lamp has done a great job listing several other chalking incidents on campus.

Not only is the arrest of a peaceful protester disgusting, it also does not seem to us to follow the letter of the law.

Consider the definitions:
"A. A person commits interference with or disruption of an educational institution by doing any of the following:
1. Intentionally, knowingly or recklessly interfering with or disrupting the normal operations of an educational institution by either:
(a) Threatening to cause physical injury to any employee or student of an educational institution or any person on the property of an educational institution.
(b) Threatening to cause damage to any educational institution, the property of any educational institution or the property of any employee or student of an educational institution.
2. Intentionally or knowingly entering or remaining on the property of any educational institution for the purpose of interfering with the lawful use of the property or in any manner as to deny or interfere with the lawful use of the property by others.
3. Intentionally or knowingly refusing to obey a lawful order given pursuant to subsection C of this section.

A. A person commits criminal damage by recklessly:
1. Defacing or damaging property of another person; or
2. Tampering with property of another person so as substantially to impair its function or value; or
3. Tampering with the property of a utility.
4. Parking any vehicle in such a manner as to deprive livestock of access to the only reasonably available water.
5. Drawing or inscribing a message, slogan, sign or symbol that is made on any public or private building, structure or surface, except the ground, and that is made without permission of the owner."

Any short walk around campus will reveal numerous chalk drawings, usually made by the sororities. And yet, the police do not interfere with their right to free speech.

This is a serious matter. If Jacob Miller is convicted of these alledged "crimes", he stands to have a criminal record for the rest of his life, as well as fines and possible jail time. The university could then be in a position to suspend or expel him. His court date is October 14th, and if the charges haven't been dropped by then, we should take our peaceful protest to the courthouse.

Check out http://www.arizonaforeducation.com/ for more updates on the case.

Renee Schafer Horton of the TC online raises some important questions about the cost estimate for removing the chalk, and thanks to a quick-thinking graduate student with a camera, we have some answers for her. No power washing was done; the chalk was removed (as we watched) in less than 20 minutes by a group of 3 janitors.

According to UAPD, they may be looking for evidence of even more chalking so that they can hand out new citations. This is from Renee Schafer Horton's blog: Sgt. Juan Alvarez of UAPD said "There were other people that help Mr. Miller, but we couldn’t identify them. If we are able to identify them, we could pursue charges."

Is it just us, or does this come off as "Watch your backs, protesters"?

We will not be intimidated.

Double shame on us

If you have a 3 year old niece who likes writing on the sidewalk with chalk, be sure to keep her away from the U of A.

Apparently, writing on the sidewalk with chalk during a legal and peaceful protest is a criminal offense...a double offense.

Jacob Miller, a Geography graduate student (his name was released elsewhere, or we would not be identifying him here) was cited for criminal damage and disturbing an educational institution shortly after the rally ended today. Miller told the arizonaforeducation group that the arresting officer indicated that "the order to arrest him came from higher up." The citation is particularly outrageous considering that the sidewalk chalk was promptly removed by a group of janitors right after the crowd disbursed, meaning that no permanent damage of any kind was made.

Is the administration trying to quash protests? This is highly disturbing, considering that the rally was targeted at the state of education in Arizona in general and was meant to show solidarity with the UC walkouts. Although the transformation process was criticized, this was certainly not the only focus of the group.

Well, whoever ordered the arrest just turned what looked to us like a pretty medium-sized, uneventful, peaceful gathering into a major hotbed. Just another example of how attempts to intimidate protesters will only result in drawing more attention to their cause.

Congratulations, whoever you are. You just turned this story into front page news. The AZ Daily Star has posted a web report already! Keep an eye out for the Daily Wildcat to report on the incident tomorrow. More details on the event can also be found at http://www.arizonaforeducation.com/

***Update: The protest and resulting arrest were covered on KGUN9 and KVOA4 news tonight.

From the KGUN9 report: "Steve Sherick, a criminal defense attorney in Tucson said, "It seems to me that the arrest and prosecution is pretty ridiculous." Sherick also believes the charges should be dropped, in violation of first amendment rights. "If you look at the cases under the first amendment, the public sidewalk is where people have the highest level of protection and free expression... let him draw his picture on the sidewalk. Let them have their demonstration, and as long as they're peaceful and not disruptive, forget about it. Let it go."

Sallygradstudent would also like to congratulate Jacob Miller on his very articulate interviews.

Well, Shame on Us

Pres. Shelton and Provost Hay published a guest opinion in the Daily Star today in defense of their cuts across campus. Could this be a pre-emptive response to the protest planned for today? Shelton and Hay outline their priorities for the transformation process:

***

• First, which units have the greatest capacity to generate new external revenue into the university above and beyond tuition dollars?
• Second, which units have the greatest outreach and impact on the citizens of our state? Our mission to serve the entire state and support its citizens is of the utmost importance during the financial crisis.
• And third, which units will most likely have a positive economic impact on the state, with an emphasis on job creation and growth?

***

It's pretty insulting that there is no mention of students in the entire list; no mention of teaching at all, as a matter of fact! The word EDUCATION does not even appear in the list. It reads more like a business growth plan than a mission statement for improving a university.

While that is unfortunate, even more upsetting is the dig Shelton and Hay take at "the dark corners of anonymous blogs". Well, shame on us.

If you've followed Sallygradstudent since the beginning (about a year ago), you know the reason the blog was founded. You know why we're anonymous. But just in case you forgot, here's a reminder.

From one of our first posts: "Due to the recent changes being made to the University of Arizona budget and the threatening language used by those in administration, we feel that it is time to stand up for ourselves. At the same time, the administration has admonished us, send intimidating e-mails and discouraged us from having our voices heard; this is why we must stay anonymous."

In response to graduate student efforts to distribute information about the transformation process, the administration reacted with intimidation.

Now ask yourself why we're anonymous.

For an overview of the transformation process and some words on today's rally, check out Becky Pallack's article in the Daily Star.

You can also read the UA Defender's response to Shelton and Hay's column for more of a faculty perspective.

Renee Schafer Horton's thorough reporting on the faculty poll is also very thorough and full of the details you've been looking for.

See you at 12:15 on the Mall.

Thursday's Rally: More details

Campus organizers in a variety of departments have come together to organize this rally for Thursday. Big numbers will show that the graduate and undergraduate student body is worth listening to. Small numbers might imply the opposite. Show up and be counted.

This comes from the organizers' website:

*** Arizona for Education Rally, Thursday 24th, 12.15pm, UA Mall ***

Arizona for Education is a worker-centered, collaborative initiative built of graduate assistants, student workers, faculty and staff - from many parts of Uof A. We would like to invite you to participate, whether as a committee member, asource of information (confidential or not), or as a participant in our rally this Thursday. Arizona for Education is united around building common cause, voicing concerns, getting the word out, and responding.

* Common cause: We are strengthening our ties and contacts across theUniversity. Everyone is affected when cuts affect vital areas.

* Voicing concerns: Many voices, especially those of vulnerable staff and TA's whose departments don't support organizing, are being silenced. We wish to make these voices heard without fear. Please let us know if you have a story that you want us to tell for you.

* Getting the word out: Our education, PR and demonstration committees are working hard to make sure the desk of the President is no longer the only source of information around here. We are publicizing here on campus via teach-ins, rallies and email campaigns. We are publicizing off-campus to Arizona media and on the Internet, and seek to target particular legislativedistricts for publicity in the future. Your participation is most welcome.

* Responding: We cannot prevent all cuts, but we can, if we unite, address ourresponse to their source in legislative districts. We can further address the devastating effects of the present administrative methods of instituting cuts.When cuts are mismanaged, we respond. When the full reality is distorted or simplified, we respond. When eliminated jobs, hemorrhaged faculty positions, disingenuous fees, disappearing funding sources and unfair workloads are swept under the carpet, we air them. We are content to be divided and voiceless no longer. Our first major responseis this Thursday, the 24th, at 12:15pm on the Mall.

Please attend. If you can't, please ask us how we can help address your concerns. We are also encouraging a teach-in this week and have attached a power point to help faculty and GTAs inform their classes about the budget cuts and what we can all do to speak out against them(http://arizonaforeducation.com/2009/09/ppt-for-undergrad-education/) http://www.arizonaforeducation.com/

There are also a couple of facebook groups you can join to show support.

GPSC meeting with Shelton

Better late than never: there will be a graduate student forum with Shelton today at 4pm in the Regents' room in the Admin building. Bring your outrage.

Poll of No Confidence?

• A faculty poll sent out on Friday afternoon may be attempting to take a vote of no confidence.

An anonymous comment to the theUA Defender blog said: "If you have looked at the online poll, one question specifically asks if you have confidence in the current administration's ability to lead this university forward. Vote No Confidence."

Other comments draw the process into question, asking whether the poll actually has any official power, how much of a percentage has to vote for no confidence in order to pass it, etc. At this time, it looks like the Faculty Senate is just putting out the feelers to see what the atmosphere really is. A few vocal members can always seem to be leading a charge that, in fact, has little backing. This way each individual gets one and only one response to the question.

The faculty can also go the route of providing a list of priorities or requests to the administration, such as they have on the site, i.e. no firings while the transition takes place (to avoid vengeful dismissals). From what we can tell, the Senate has not yet done this, at least in an official capacity. As powerful as blogs are, the administration can't be expected to respond to questions that have never been submitted directly to them.

• Renee Schafer Horton of the Tucson Citizen online wonders whether the central issue is really Provost Hay's personality and attitude toward the cuts she makes.

A lack of empathy on Hay's part is disappointing (keep in mind that as far as we know, no upper-administrator has taken any kind of pay cut in all this time). At the same time, we probably wouldn't care much about her personality if she weren't firing so many people. We know times are tough, but firing someone you can't afford to pay and firing someone who disagrees with your way of doing things are certainly not the same thing.

• The Wildcat reports on the Solidarity meeting that took place at Old Main on Friday.

Organizers have complained that the Wildcat's coverage was selective, choosing to focus on graduate students, when a variety of students, faculty and other university community members were present. Also, the Wildcat continues to spread the impression that graduate students are planning to walk out next week, when in fact, they are not (at least according to GPSC and the organizers of Friday's event.) If anyone has more info or would like a forum to post their statements, Sallygradstudent is always happy to oblige. You can put your name on it or post anonymously: sallygradstudent@gmail.com

Underfunded, Underpaid, Underground.

What next?

Domestic partner benefits are cut by the State Legislature: http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/309409 The 'savings' from cutting out people's family members from coverage will not even be a drop in the bucket: "It costs the state $3 million to cover domestic partners and $625 million for other employees and their dependents, Ecker said. "

Just another reason for excellent researchers to flee to other states that are less discriminatory.

Someone (we can't figure out who is the organizer) is calling for a solidarity gathering at Old Main at 2pm on Friday the 18th. See the complete info in the prior post.

A discussion on possible recourse in the face of imminent cuts to graduate salaries and benefits is sensationalized by the Wildcat, which claims that graduate students are organizing a walk-out or strike, although neither is likely in the short term, and contrary to what the Wildcat says, was not supported by the council: http://wildcat.arizona.edu/news/grads-may-stage-walkout-to-protest-cuts-1.477661

Solidarity Meeting

This was forwarded to us from a graduate student at U of A. We don't have time to edit it, so please ignore the question marks that always end up in the middle of e-mails for some reason or another:

"At the University of Arizona we are facing the most dramatic budget cuts andrestructuring in a generation. These cuts will affect everyaspect of the University system ? from the quality of education available tostudents, to the conditions of our labor as researchers, teachers, administrators and staff.

The administration is pursuing a strategy designed to weaken our capacity forcollective action, our ability to protect our interests and participate in thebudget and restructuring process.
In some departments, Graduate Teaching Assistants, already working for povertywages, have seen their salaries slashed. In others, course loads have beenexpanded overnight, with little explanation and no accountability. Facultyhave been furloughed in a way that minimizes disruption to teaching, andmaximizes the possibility that they will continue working without pay. Hiringfreezes and layoffs are undermining the integrity and functioning ofdepartments and spreading work around to already over-burdened faculty andstaff. And the decisions about whose budget is cut, by how much and why havebeen anything but transparent and accountable, let alone "participatory". All of this while new fees and "tuition surcharges" reduce access to andaffordability of higher education, redistributing the burden of budgetshortfalls onto the backs of students.

The UA budget has been cut as much as possible under the current stimulus?package. If it is cut any more, we will lose our stimulus funding. The 2011state budget will not include any stimulus money, and state? revenues arealready coming in under projection. We will have no protection from furtherdramatic cuts after this fiscal year.

By subjecting the budgetary restructuring to an arbitrary and subjective processwhose impact is felt differentially, we remain divided and pitted against eachother, rather than capable of uniting around our common interests. As long aswe remain separated in our individual colleges and departments we will have nopower or voice as our colleagues lose their jobs, as the conditions of ourlabor and the quality of our institution deteriorates, and as the legislatureand administration continue to pull the rug out from under our feet.

For these reasons, we invite graduate assistants, faculty and staff to a meetingon Friday September 18 at 2pm on the fountain in front of Old Main organize anaction in solidarity with the faculty, staff and students of the UC system."

It's been a busy week

• The Daily Wildcat announced that a faculty-run blog (UA Defender) is speaking out against the transformation process,
  
• Pres. Shelton sent out a memo a few days later that could be interpreted as some kind of response to the criticism in said blog,
  
• the state budget finally got at least partially figured out (meaning that UA employees will not have to be furloughed this year),
  
• ASUA and GPSC began the process of 'bridgefication,'
  
• ASUA finally voted to put their budget online (here's hoping they'll do the same with their meeting minutes),
  
• and Regents Professor Oscar Martinez wrote in the AZ Star that 'poor leadership and funding are bringing down the UA.'

Sallygradstudent has now talked to several undergraduates that are taking the Mega-classes, many of whom did not feel that they had a choice since they were the only classes with open seats. The general consensus is that awesome as the teachers may be, Mega-classes suck. Please feel free to view our previous posting from this summer on the specifics of why they suck. Evan Lisull of the Desert Lamp defends the move to put more classes online, but we still have our doubts, and it's not because we're squares and don't want to deal with technology. While you can have a good experience in an online class, we think they're certainly not for everyone, or for every subject. The risks also abound. Consider the discovery that local magnet school K12 was found to be outsourcing its grading to India. One thing is certain: if more online courses are offered, they should be by the design of educators, not administrators.

While Pres. Shelton's memo from Sept. 9 seems like a partial response to the concerns of the UA Defender blog (although, of course, he doesn't make any reference to the blog in the memo), it again fails to address real issues raised by concerned faculty. As Prof. Martinez stated in the AZ Star, Shelton again positions Sciences and Humanities (and SBS and whatever falls into that category) as somehow opposed to each other. Shelton claims that COS (Sciences) has sustained heavy losses of faculty in the last year. Martinez refutes this with the number of faculty lost in the Humanities. It all comes down to a major difference in perspective: Shelton and Hay seem to value science more than other fields. It has to be protected because it brings in research dollars (but don't ask Shelton how much it costs the university to maintain those grants because we actually lose money on a lot of them.)

So it comes down to this: Yeah, classes like Agricultural Sciences teach students skills and do research that benefit the state as a whole...and English teaches them to read and write analytically so that they can actually be of use in the workplace! It's time to stop considering science and engineering as the only valuable colleges on this campus and start insisting that our "World-class" university actually include the world we live in.

Also, Sallygradstudent has decided that the only way for the transformation process to gain any credibility in our eyes is for the upper administration to take a voluntary pay cut. Sometimes the tough choices have to be made in one's own glass house.

Special thanks to the Desert Lamp blog for giving a shout-out to Sallygradstudent: "PS: Readers interested in the UA Defender should also check out Sally Gradstudent, who has done similar work for almost a year now from a graduate student’s perspective." We may not always agree with the Lamp, but that's half the fun of blogging, and if they weren't out there it would be a lot harder to keep track of the ASUA. And also thanks to the UA Defender for calling Sally Gradstudent "ferocious."

Let the Circus Begin

The Desert Lamp criticizes the Daily Wildcat's reporting on the UA Defender blog, claiming that it is just a printing of the rumor and innuendo on the blog itself:
www.desertlamp.com

While this is partially true, the Wildcat article is not intended to support the blog, and if few sources are cited, it may be for the same reasons Renee Schaffer Horton lists on her blog: people are not willing to be quoted criticizing the administration.

Meanwhile, someone claiming to be Sallygradstudent has been posting comments to the UA Defender blog. While we support your right to post your opinions anonymously, we do not support your using our blog's name to lend you credibility. When actual Sallygradstudent authors post on UA Defender, the blogger emblem appears next to the name in orange. And, as always, feel free to e-mail us anything at all: sallygradstudent@gmail.com

Back in Business

A sleepy summer couldn't kill off common sense or the outrage felt by some who have been subjected to the "transformation" process. For those of us still nervous about the AZ legislature's possible cuts (they are still trying to get their act together), the added perceived threat that any dissent could be punished by our own administration has maintained the culture of fear addressed last year in the Wildcat.

Following in the footsteps of Sallygradstudent (for, although we did not invent blogging, we did take this fight underground), UA professors have taken up the online fight. Apparently even tenure can't protect you from the steam-rolling that they allege has become common practice.

http://wildcat.arizona.edu/news/faculty-written-blog-calls-for-vote-of-no-confidence-in-president-shelton-provost-hay-1.350109#5

After criticizing the provost's decision-making on the 1,200 mega class, VP for Instruction, Juan Garcia, was demoted. He was the only professor to go on record about the blog and Sallygradstudent congratulates him on his bravery. Someone has to lead the charge! Now we will have to wait and watch if the administration attempts any censure. If so, it will be clear that the "culture of fear" is alive and well.

Read the blog here: http://uadefender.blogspot.com/

Even Tucson Citizen Blog reporter Renee Schaffer Horton has picked up the story: http://tucsoncitizen.com/godblogging/2009/09/02/university-of-arizona-revolt-covert-blog-started/

UA Defender allows anonymous postings, and so do we. To post on Sallygradstudent, you can open a random gmail account without using your real name and send it to sallygradstudent@gmail.com. We will never reveal any personal information. We will not be intimidated.

Daily Wildcat Rips Up ASUA

Just another reason why Shain Bergan is one of our favorite writers:
http://wildcat.arizona.edu/news/concert-losses-lead-to-drastic-cuts-1.307071

Budget Backdoor

The Arizona State Legislature has managed to pass a budget, albeit not the one anyone in academia would like to see. Missing their midnight deadline by three hours, Republican lawmakers managed to bully through a budget that drastically cut money for public services. Gov. Brewer's proposed state-wide vote on a small tax increase to pay for basic services was cast aside.
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/299275.php

The attitude of certain elected officials is extremely disappointing:
"Meanwhile, Sen. Al Melvin, R-Tucson, said he was pleased with the outcome of the budget. He said Brewer has “no grounds to veto it.”
“If she vetos it, it’s only because she’s in a huff because she didn’t get her sales tax increase,” Melvin said."

You can bet your ass (pardon my language, but I'm ticked off) that Sen. Melvin would never have referred to a male lawmaker as 'in a huff'.

Check out this AZ Star cartoon:

(http://www.azstarnet.com/)

Keep in mind that several back-door policies are being flung around the legislature, tacked on to other bills or hiding behind misleading titles: concealed weapons on campus, for example.

Are you sufficiently indignant? Have you written a very angry e-mail to your lawmakers lately?

See the column to the left for contact information. Remind your representatives that you are ticked off and that you vote for people who really care about the future of Arizona.

Cattle-call classes

The Daily Wildcat Summer Edition recently released an opinion (that actually doesn't offer much opinion for or against the proposal) stating that large classes have the potential to give students more access to the really 'good' instructors and allow students into popular classes that usually fill up quick.

http://media.wildcat.arizona.edu/media/storage/paper997/news/2009/06/24/Opinions/Potential.Pitfalls.Of.super.Courses-3748950.shtml

Now that Centennial Hall has been designated a classroom (holding up to 1,200 students) and U of A is going the way of so many other schools, Sallygradstudent would like to offer a little insight: Large classes suck.

That's right, Sallygradstudent used to go to another school, where she took Psychology 101 in a classroom/theater with 1,000 students...and math, natural science, two culture classes and a social science course. She also had philosophy and one literature class with 250 students, and it sucked. Why do larger classes suck?

1) Almost zero access to your instructor/professor. No matter how out-going you are (Sally gradstudent is pretty out-going), your instructor does not have time for you. If you do gain access, you will be promptly forgotten.

2) You can't ask a question when it's pertinent like you can in a small classroom, so you write it down, bring it to your GAT and try to explain when and how you had the question so s/he can answer it two days later, totally out of context.

3) It makes the classroom into a zoo. There is very little control of classroom behavior, so the idiot talking on his cell phone or the couple making out right next to you goes totally unchecked. It's like paying to watch a movie and having everyone talk through the whole thing, and then there's the catch: you're going to be tested on the movie afterwards.

4) It's even more like watching a movie than anything else. In Sally's experience, there were lots of fancy cameras and screens and powerpoints and videos. While the technology sometimes improved understanding, it often hampered it. Instead of just teaching, the professors often spent up to ten minutes loading their presentations, dealing with technical problems and fixing their microphones. If the technology failed, there was no solution: class dismissed.

5) If you, as a student, have a major problem, such as a mistake in your grade, a family emergency, a special need for adaptation, you are less likely to get the help you really need.

6) In terms of learning, you can't be expected to put out as much work as in other classes and you can't be graded as thoroughly and with as much feedback. If you're just in it for the piece of paper (diploma) at the end, you might not mind. On the other hand, you might want to learn or develop a skill or genuinely be interested in the class material. Your GATs and professors simply can't grade everything they would like to, so they design things that are easy to grade, not things that help you learn. Multiple choice, fill in the blank and true false questions are the worst ways to test knowledge, but the easiest to grade. If you're not a a good test-taker (brilliant as you may be) you're pretty screwed with the new system.

Keep these problems in mind when you sign up for a cattle-call class, and if you don't want to be in that kind of class, call the provost's office and let her know how you and your parents feel about the new U of A.

Budget

Throw another fiasco on the pile: in an effort to keep Gov. Brewer from vetoing a budget proposed by Republican lawmakers, the budget writers have been holding on to it, hoping to turn it in at the last minute in order to make Brewer look like the one at fault for not having a budget passed.

Check out this commentary in the Tucson Citizen Blog on how lawmakers are "playing chicken" while state services crumble before them:
http://tucsoncitizen.com/mark-evans/archives/32

Famous for failure?

When I was a little kid and I did something stupid in order to get people to like me, my mom would say, "There are two kinds of attention: positive attention, and negative attention."

U of A administration, you should take a page out of my mom's book.

The AZ Star announced today that the U of A will now be holding some of the largest classes in the nation (up to 1,200 students at a time) in a year with record high tuition for this institution. Well, who is surprised, considering that we're among the very bottom of the pile for university spending and absolute last (that's 51 in the nation, including Washington D.C.) in K-12. Instead of investing in education, UA will dump $300,000 into retrofiting their theater with projectors and wi-fi.

Ever wonder why your students can't complete a simple sentence in writing? Do you ask yourself why so many undergraduates enter the university without the basic math and science skills they need? Now they're even more likely to leave the university, still without the basic skills they need.

http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/295823.php

U of A is on the road to becoming famous for failure when it comes to undergraduate education.

School's out for summer?

With the distractions of the Swine Flu and ASUA $1 million concert disaster, as well as finals week and the mass exodus that follows, it would be easy to forget what is still on the table. Despite all the backroom and closed door meetings certain members of the AZ legislature have held, they still have not arrived at a consensus on the budget.

Fortunately, some TUSD employees - who had previously been given pre-pink slips in anticipation of budget shortfalls- are now going to be allowed to keep their jobs: http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/292005.php

Although there was some collective relief at Gov. Brewer's indication that she planned to accept stimulus money (a condition of which is maintaining current funding levels for higher ed), it seems like certain legislators are strongly resisting one part of her 5 part economic plan: tax increases. Meanwhile, plans are being made to 'sweep' university funds back to the state government: http://www.externalrelations.arizona.edu/government_state_update.cfm

Once finals are over, take a moment to register yourself to vote in AZ if you haven't already done it. Then write a letter to your elected officials and demand that they represent your interests. Don't let the lazy days of summer turn into complacency.

Nationally Infamous

Everyone from the Desert Lamp to Perez Hilton is blogging on this one:
http://perezhilton.com/2009-05-06-jay-z-bombs-big-time-in-arizona

The Desert Lamp's take on the letter from administrators in support of Tommy Bruce in Wednesday's Wildcat:
http://desertlamp.com/2009/05/06/unpacking-the-cult-of-the-presidency/
http://desertlamp.com/2009/05/04/students-to-asua-wtf-wheres-the-funding/
http://desertlamp.com/2009/05/04/asua-as-chili-palmer/

ASUA called a meeting last night (with very little notice) and alledgedly didn't even bring up the concert during the whole meeting. Not talking about it won't make it go away, people!

This is not going to blow over

Did we go through all this to let ASUA's bad decision ruin our reputation? No!



Summer may be rolling in, but we can't let the heat erase the memory of what a fiasco has been committed by the ASUA. The $900,000+ loss is all over the news:










The Tucson Citizen reports that the ASUA vows more concerts will be held, despite this colossal failure:
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/115859.php

The Wildcat examines the result of this disaster on Tommy Bruce's legacy:
http://media.wildcat.arizona.edu/media/storage/paper997/news/2009/05/06/News/Outgoing.Pres.Feels.Heat-3737237.shtml

A letter to the Wildcat in support of Bruce, and signed by President Shelton and various other campus leaders, actually gets its facts wrong:
http://media.wildcat.arizona.edu/media/storage/paper997/news/2009/05/06/Opinions/Mailbag-3737254.shtml

"President Bruce singlehandedly fundraised money to organize and rally over 2,500 students at the state Capitol in protest of devastating budget cuts. "

In fact, the GPSC provided half of the bus funding and was not even afforded the courtesy of being allowed to speak at the rally, nor were they given any credit by ASUA.

And the Wildcat calls it like it is, describing the concert venture as vainglorious and arrogant:
http://media.wildcat.arizona.edu/media/storage/paper997/news/2009/05/06/Opinions/Editorial.Asua.Vainglorious.Venture.The.Result.Of.Arrogance-3737249.shtml

Do you have something to say? You can anonymously e-mail Sally at sallygradstudent@gmail.com . We never reveal the names of our commentators.

$1.4 million disaster

Offensively known as the "Last Bash Platinum Smash", the ASUA's going away party has lost more money than any other student government endeavour at the U of A, as far as we know.

By now you may have read the AZ Star and Daily Wildcat articles on the $1.4 million concert that only brought in about $500,000:

http://media.wildcat.arizona.edu/media/storage/paper997/news/2009/05/05/News/Concert.Loses.Almost.1.Million-3736602.shtml

http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/291508.php

Here are the highlights:

"All told, ASUA sold 6,100 tickets to the Bash and gave away about 4,400 tickets as part of marketing deals with local radio stations and newspapers [...] Roughly 1,000 tickets were given away to students who demonstrated the ability to sing a Kelly Clarkson song, or passed other tests administered on the UA Mall on the day of the show" (Daily Star).

"Nobody predicted the economy would be the way it is now last May," Bruce said. "The economy was getting worse, but we had already committed to doing a show" (Wildcat).

Keep in mind that the fee for Jay-Z was $750,000, and that this does not include the ammenities requested in his contract. Although Tommy Bruce blames the "economy" for the problem, the contract with Jay-Z was signed in March, long after the budget crisis was in full swing. Excuses, excuses. Bruce poses that this was all a learning experience. We here at Sallygradstudent learned that you can request to be exempted from ASA fees by applying at the ASA office in the Student Union so you can prevent more of your money from going to these schemes.

How is the university supposed to convince the state government that we need funding when our elected representatives to ASUA blow almost a million dollars in one night? This is a PR nightmare and while Tommy Bruce and many other ASUA members will be graduating and leaving next week, the rest of us are left to pick up the tab.

Some have suggested that the ASUA members be required to pay the money back before leaving, just like you can't graduate if you haven't paid your library fees. Others think that the advisors of the group (real grown-ups) should be held accountable for allowing such financially risky behavior in an economic crisis. Think someone should be called out to answer for this? Contact Pres. Shelton: robert.shelton@arizona.edu or better yet, call the ASUA office and give them a piece of your mind: PH: (520) 621-ASUA (2782), or an e-mail will do: asua@web.asua.arizona.edu.

When you're done with that, join this facebook group:

Boycott ASUA -- $1 Million Lost

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=80160991066&ref=ts

(the picture on the right is from the facebook cite)

Why you won't see Sally at the Jay-Z concert

While Tommy Bruce and the rest of the ASUA throw themselves a $1 million going-away party, Sallygradstudent will be at home, studying, which is what she came to graduate school to do. If you haven't already read Heather Price-Wright's criticism of the timing and context of ASUA's concert, check it out here:

http://media.wildcat.arizona.edu/media/storage/paper997/news/2009/04/20/Opinions/Concert.Coach.Hard.To.Reconcile.In.Uas.Dire.Times-3717163.shtml

Since Price-Wright's article was published on April 20th, she had no way of knowing how few tickets were actually sold as of this morningWe'll have to wait until tomorrow to see if the ASUA's lofty expectations of actually making money on this deal will come true, but as of this morning, it wasn't looking like the project would even break even: http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/290738.php

Just for your reference: the $750,000 that is being paid to Jay-Z (one of the concert performers) could have paid the projected $1,100 tuition surcharge for 681 undergraduate students. Alternatively, it could have paid into a fund to assist struggling students to pay their tuition and fees in these tough economic times. It is just shocking how much ASUA gets away with. Check out this article about alledged elections fraud in the ASUA:

http://media.wildcat.arizona.edu/media/storage/paper997/news/2009/03/24/Opinions/Editorial.Asua.Undermined.Its.Own.Legitimacy-3680447.shtml

In other news, the ABOR will be meeting tomorrow and Friday to determine if proposed cuts will be finalized, to possibly approve tuitions increases and to solidify restructuring plans. The details on the meetings appear in the article. Several programs are up for elimination and several "administrative" positions, too.

http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/290723.php

The question is whether eliminating certain positions such as adjuncts and secretaries will really save money in the end. Adjuncts are relatively cheap labor and can sometimes put more time into teaching than other professors are able to do. Secretaries who really know what they are doing save time and energy for everyone: (ever had a message lost by a student worker?). Sometimes what looks cost-efficient is actually going to cost money in the long run.

A World Gone Mad

Lawmakers look to raid the reserve cash of the already suffering Arizona school districts to backfill the state budget shortfall:

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/local/115213.php
"Officials of several school groups expressed strong concerns about the proposal. "

Since when are schools supposed to be funding the state? Isn't it the other way around. 600+ pink slips that went out in Tucson (TUSD) this semester. Those former employees will want to collect unemployment and won't be paying as many taxes as before, making the cycle worse, not better, and the school districts need some resources! How are they supposed to teach?

Rep. Carl Seel proposed this idea. Don't forget to send him an e-mail and tell him if you're opposed to it: cseel@azleg.gov, or call (602) 926-3018

Gov. Brewer's 100th day in office and still no budget:
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/local/115214.php

"As Republicans panned the tax increase idea and started considering borrowing and other alternatives previously on the no-go list, Democrats tried to change the subject.
They called on Brewer to spell out a plan for solving a crisis that has led to state employees layoffs, funding cuts for safety-net programs and thousands of school teachers put on notice they may lose their jobs. "

This AP article somehow fails to mention the closed-door meeting and some Democrats' claims that the bulk of the legislature has been entirely excluded from these budget negotiations.

Yes, it's been a while

In the latest news:
Paltry turnout for the ABOR meeting on tuition: Some say it's apathy, but Sallygradstudent thinks it's weariness. How many meetings have we attended and been ignored?
http://media.wildcat.arizona.edu/media/storage/paper997/news/2009/04/21/News/Forum.Turnout.Paltry-3719166.shtml

The Tucson Citizen does a huge article on Provost Meredith Hay's first year at U of A:
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/frontpage/114790.php

Here's what we can't figure out: "The changes are already being launched, and by the fall, UA will look markedly different. There will be new schools and departments created by mergers and consolidations, and - courtesy of those massive state cuts - larger class sizes and more graduate assistants filling in for unfunded faculty lines."

We've heard that graduate student positions are being cut and class sizes increased.

What have you heard?

$1,100 surcharge

According to the Tucson Citizen and a campus-wide memo sent by Pres. Shelton, a $1,100 surcharge may be added to next year's tuition (which, as you will recall, was already significantly increased by the Regents): http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/local/114121.php
In the Wildcat: http://media.wildcat.arizona.edu/media/storage/paper997/news/2009/04/10/News/Ua.To.Add.Tuition.Surcharge-3706328.shtml

One colleague of Sallygradstudent commented that two of her undergraduate students stated that they will not be able to afford to go to UA next semester because they already could barely afford the tuition increase, much less the surcharge.

What is most insulting is that the administration is calling this an 'economic recovery' surcharge, giving the false impression that this is somehow a plan to help students recover from the bad economy, not a way for the administration to 'recover' the funds lost from the state cuts. (Just read the comments after the Tucson Citizen article.)

In other news: "Class sizes worry GPSC". GATs and GPSC's President Bieda explain the inevitable snowball effect of cutting GATs. Fewer GATs= bigger classes, more time grading and less quality education for students and teachers alike:
http://media.wildcat.arizona.edu/media/storage/paper997/news/2009/04/10/News/Class.Sizes.Worry.Gpsc-3706344.shtml

Where to begin?

Pres. Shelton took some hard questions from the GPSC and members of the audience last night. More details to come (we were totally there), but for now, here's Shain Bergan's well-written article in the Wildcat:

http://media.wildcat.arizona.edu/media/storage/paper997/news/2009/04/09/News/Grads.Grill.Shelton-3704352.shtml

By the way, our absolute favorite speaker of the night was Hope Jones, who explained that there are two President Sheltons, one who sticks up for us grads and one who is a politician.

In the Daily Star today Aaron Mackey reports on the $1,000 tuition surcharge proposed by Pres. Shelton: http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/288069.php
As several graduate students explained last night at the GPSC meeting, what the money is called is almost as important as how much money is charged. Tuition waivers and fellowships would cover all or part of "tuition" surcharges, while they would not cover additional "fees". The semantics are almost as important as the economics.

Also, the audience received a copy of the proposed fee increases last night, including a utilities fee. As Sallygradstudent has said time and time again, there needs to be an immediate campus-wide utilities conservation program enacted. ASUA needs to pick this one up and get students to stop turning the air down to 55 degrees in classrooms, get the lights turned off at night, etc.
Get on the ball, ASUA!

SHELTON AT GPSC TODAY

Don't miss it!
Pres. Shelton will be at the GPSC meeting tonight, 6-8pm in Law 168!

*There will certainly be members of the press and other administrators at the meeting, so bring your outrage, but keep it professional.

In the news today:

TUSD hands out 600 pink slips: http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/287908.php
For those of us who've always thought to ourselves, "If I get sick of this graduate school stuff, I could always teach high school", this is disappointing. More seriously, though, it means that the state of our public schools is in crisis. Students who don't have the education they deserve at the elementary and secondary levels are at high risk of either not making it to college, or not performing to their full potential in college, making everyone's jobs harder and further excluding valuable and inteligent students from academia.

TUSD blames this situation on the legislature's failure to act on the budget. Have you e-mailed, called or written to your legislators lately?

Pima Community College may raise tuition slightly: http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/287879.php

Saturday Night Live: "ASU, yes. U of A, no."

In case you missed it, SNL did an Obama stimulus parody this weekend and mentioned U of A.

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/presidential-address/1081312/

(Go to about 1 minute 10 seconds left and you'll hear the reference).

It's funny, but in all seriousness, it should serve as a little reminder that the Arizona state legislature has the power to exclude us from benefiting from the stimulus package. When was the last time you e-mailed your represntative? (Links to appropriations committee members and to the azleg website are on the left-side column of this blog.) It takes about 30 seconds to give them a little piece of your mind and it feels pretty good to tell them about the importance of quality public education in our state.

News, News, News

GPSC elections results are in. You can read about outgoing president Bieda's statement and other exciting tidbits in the Daily Wildcat. Shain Bergan's reporting is sharp and accurate. He might be one of our new favorite journalists:

"It was not quite the drama voters have come to expect of student government - no one cried, unlike ASUA elections - but the Graduate and Professional Student Council elections last night yielded over 600 total votes, double the turnout of last year."

http://media.wildcat.arizona.edu/media/storage/paper997/news/2009/04/07/News/Graduate.Elections.BudgetFocused-3700216.shtml

The faculty senate has voted to accept the majority of the proposed organizational changes to the university. A list is available in the article, although we think it reads about as easily as stereo instructions:

http://media.wildcat.arizona.edu/media/storage/paper997/news/2009/04/07/News/Faculty.Alters.Colleges-3700215.shtml

The local news for primary and secondary schools:

TUSD may lay off up to 600 people:
http://www.azstarnet.com/business/287654.php
TUSD teachers plan an protest:
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/local/113782.php

Arizona state lawmakers complain (and rightfully so) that they are being excluded from budget meetings and that a handfull of legislators is making the decisions for everyone. At the same time, no bills are being debated and passed, meaning that many of our elected officials are sitting around, waiting for something to do:

"A few people in leadership at the top are sitting in rooms, with the door closed, deciding the future of Arizona," said Rep David Schapira, D-Tempe. "The rest of us are just down here for show."

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/business/113820.php

"Education Chief Says Don't Over do it on Cuts"

When you read the title of this Daily Star article, it seems like you're going to hear about the education chief telling the legislature not to over do it. Actually, it's the education chief telling the schools not to panic and accidentally cut too much. Teachers who have been given pink slips are, understandably, upset (for themselves and their students).

Rather than criticize the legislature for failing to take action, failing to re-organize their priorities, or Gov. Brewer for instructing schools to do exactly what they just did (behave as if they could receive up to a 60% cut), Tom Horne tells the schools not to panic.

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/287577.php

Perhaps our legislature should re-prioritize and not be surprised when schools panic under the threat of up to 60% cuts. We need guidance, not cut-and-wait attitudes.

Bad News, Good News

TUSD sends notices to over 500 teachers that they may not be re-hired next school year due to budget cuts from the state legislature:
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/breakingnews/113587.php

8th graders don't let their age stop them from protesting the budget cuts effecting their schools. They use language arts class as an opportunity to learn about civic duty and persuasive writing while telling Gov. Brewer what they think of the budget cuts:
http://www.azstarnet.com/business/287361.php

A message from the President

After so much silence from the administration, and resulting confusion in the campus community, Pres. Shelton released a statement today regarding the funding situation and the possible results of the stimulus bill. He reminds us that this bill will consist of temporary funding, not permanant funding (the kind that results in full-time jobs, etc).

Shelton says: "In closing, I come back to our "mantra" of quality. The UA is one of the premier research universities in the world. The people of Arizona deserve access to the educational opportunities we provide, the quality of life enhancements that result from our research and community outreach, and the economic gains that our federal research funding fuels."

Read the complete memo here: http://www.president.arizona.edu/prescomm_more.cfm?f_ID=102

Pres. Shelton is scheduled to attend the GPSC meeting Wednesday, April 8th, 6-8pm in Law 168. We suggest that you pressure him to give a clear answer about what exactly "quality" means.

If you want to speak at the meeting, e-mail: bmbarker@email.arizona.edu. If you just want to attend, no reservation is necessary; it's free and open to the public, standing room only.

Tuition cap debate

While the tuition taskforce in ABOR was able to squeak out a 6-5 vote recommending that tuition be uncapped (as the upper end of the lower 1/3 of its peer institutions), it may be that tuition stays capped.

ABOR set up an e-mail address to hear your opinions: universitybudgetcuts@gmail.com

Apparently Tommy Bruce (ASUA president) is pretty upset about the vote. Maybe that million dollar concert he proposed wasn't actually the best idea... Want to tell him that? tbruce@email.arizona.edu

http://media.wildcat.arizona.edu/media/storage/paper997/news/2009/04/02/News/Students.Await.Board.Vote-3693986.shtml

Want to hear it from the top?

President Shelton will be attending the GPSC meeting April 8th to answer questions from graduate students. See the GPSC press release for more details:

President Shelton Visit Press Release 3.31.09

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Academic Work student meeting

GPSC elections are going on until April 3rd.
Vote now or don't complain later:
www.gpsc.arizona.edu

...in a handbasket

According to an e-mail from Stephen Bieda III, Graduate and Professional Student Council (GPSC) president, Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) has just voted to suspend the "top of the bottom 1/3 policy". This policy mandates the Arizona state universities not price their tuition any higher than the lower 1/3 of peer universities. Considering the importance of this policy in maintaining reasonable tuition and fee increases in the past, this is a bad sign for those of us who are paying for school.

http://media.wildcat.arizona.edu/media/storage/paper997/news/2009/03/31/News/Abor-May.Waive.Tuition.Limits-3690380.shtml

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/local/113336.php

Unfortunately, ABOR doesn't update its website often enough to get a good read on what this means for next year's tuition prices: http://www.abor.asu.edu/

Got a problem with the new decision? You can e-mail the regents at: universitybudgetcuts@gmail.com

Tuition "Taskforce"

The Tucson Citizen reports that U of A is looking into sharply increasing fees:

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/local/113233.php

Our favorite part is how the GPSC provided them with the numbers that probably any other part of the school would keep secret. Why won't our school be straight with us? All these hidden fees remind us of shopping for cars.

Tuition Surcharge

The Arizona Board of Regents is looking into a tuition surcharge for the coming year in order to offset budget shortfalls:

“Everything’s on the table,” said Fred Boice, president of the Arizona Board of Regents.

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/286596.php

The article quotes NAU President John Haeger, saying that the increase could be about $200-$300. If you work a minimum wage job, that amounts to about 28 - 42 hours of work at a minimum wage ($7.25/hour) job, or about 2-3 extra hours of work per week over the course of the semester. If you're a student already working 20+ hours a week, this means a significant increase, if you are able to find work at all. Consider the fact that the U of A plans to lay off student workers in order to save money.

Just for fun: the definition of surcharge can be: "an additional charge, tax or cost" OR "an excessive sum or price charged; an additional or excessive load or burden" (Dictionary.com)