TAKE ACTION!
This Wednesday Education Voters of Pennsylvania, along with other organizations across the state, will be hosting a Statewide “Call” to Action for Public Education. We support this initiative and understand that public education has been severely impacted overall by Governor Corbett. We ask APSCUF members to join in this effort and send a message to our elected officials to invest in public education.
On Tuesday, Feb. 7, Governor Corbett will deliver his 2012-13 budget address. Last year, the Governor called for a 54 percent cut in funding for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). This attack on public higher education caught many of us off guard. On Jan. 4, Governor Corbett requested an additional 5 percent freeze on PASSHE, which would bring the total loss in state appropriations to more than $112 million. The budget cuts have impacted our campuses with larger class sizes, department realignments/closures and faculty/staff freezes and retrenchment. These cuts also required a tuition increase of 7.5 percent ($436 dollar increase) for our students.
We are asking you to take a few minutes out of your day to make a call to the Governor’s office and to your local elected officials. With your help, we can continue to advocate for our students to receive a quality education at an affordable price.
Click HERE to plug in your zip code to find your legislator to call. You can contact the Governor’s office by calling 717-787-2500.
Want to know what to say? Here are some quick talking points to frame the conversation:
- With the 5 percent requested freeze, the total loss of state appropriations would total more than $112 million and would total a 23 percent cut for 2011-12. We are already bearing impacts of the 2011-12 budget cut in the form of… (Fill in the blank with your story.)
- Education is my top priority issue as a taxpayer and voter. We must invest in the Commonwealth. About 80 percent of PASSHE alumni reside in Pennsylvania after graduation, making an investment in PASSHE an investment in the Commonwealth’s economic engine.
- I am concerned (outraged, distressed) about rising class sizes, loss/realignment of programs, staff freezes/retrenchment… (Please continue to discuss your own experience.)
- The average State System graduate finishes school with more than $23,000 in student loan debt, yet tuition had to be increased 7.5 percent to make up for the loss of state funding… (Discuss the unique qualities of PASSHE students and why this tuition increase has brought hardship on them.)
- For every dollar invested in PASSHE by the Commonwealth via direct state appropriations, the universities return about $6 in total economic impact to the state. Investing in PASSHE is good for Pennsylvania because… (Fill in the blank with your story.)
Download a helpful guide for making your call here.
Please FORWARD this blog post to others and encourage them to advocate for public higher education.
Finally, don’t forget to email state APSCUF at tmarks@apscuf.org and note that you made the call to collect your Frontline Faculty points.
– Laura
