Students Taking Action To Reclaim Our Education S.T.A.R.E. ‘em down Students Taking Action To Reclaim Our Education

PETITION: OVERVIEW AND CIRCULATION Welcome . . . 600 Strong PETITION: OVERVIEW AND CIRCULATION OPENING REMARKS

What is S.T.A.R.E.? MISSION STATEMENT Students Taking Action to Reclaim our Education (S.T.A.R.E.) is a University of Maryland coalition that seeks to hold all levels of the administration accountable to the campus community and assert our role in the decision- making process. We seek a University that is accessible to students of all backgrounds irrespective of class, race, gender, sexual identity, creed, or disability. We believe that students have more than an advisory role to play in University decisions and therefore demand a decisive student voice in all matters concerning our education. Because all student representatives should be accountable to the student body, we oppose non-elected or symbolic non-voting student representatives of any sort. We understand that a homogeneous learning environment is detrimental to the intellectual development of all students and therefore believe diversity on campus should reflect the rich diversity in the state of Maryland. We pledge ourselves to holding all levels of administration to the core purposes of the University: educating all students in an environment of inclusion and critical thought as well as fostering active and engaged citizens. 

What is S.T.A.R.E.? Goals and Objectives Reinstatement of Dr. Black as Associate Provost for Equity & Diversity Restoration of Associate Provost for Equity & Diversity to a full-time position Freezing (Moratoria): The firing, dismissal or reassignment of faculty members The merging of departments New construction contracts Transparency in administrative and financial decision making processes Plan for integrating students into decision making processes

The proof is in the numbers…

WTF Is Going On "..When Conway pressed him, Farvardin explained Dr. Black's removal was a “personnel decision” and that he had the right to create his own team."

How did we get here?

Cost Shifting @ UMD From '02 - '06, State cut $30 million in education funds At the same time, tuition and fees went up $1000 while amount spent on undergrad education went down $1000  "The primary cause of tuition increases in public institutions is not increased spending, but rather cost shifting to replace losses in state appropriations and other revenues. In public research institutions, 92 percent of revenues from tuition increases since 2002 have resulted from shifts in costs. In other public institutions, costs are declining even as prices are increasing."  - "Trends in College Spending"  Delta Cost Project

How is UMD handling these cuts? Furloughs/Layoffs/Buyouts Departmental Cuts More Tuition Increases Four Diamondback headlines: - Classics department could face merger - Diversity departments may face merger - Two major science colleges may merge - Education school undergoing complete overhaul 

From the Provost’s presentation to the deans:

What We Do Know Budget is 873 pages with no table of contents of index Lacks specifics

What do we know? Where does the $4.9 million go? The administration has more budget documents that we cannot access Students are being purposefully excluded from these decisions What can we do?

Student Power

Dates/Escalation Plan Where Do We Go From Here? Dates/Escalation Plan Thursday, 11/12/09, 3pm – Francis Scott Key, Walk out of Senate General Body Meeting  Admin steps Fellowship – 12pm-3pm study and eat on admin steps to maintain constant visual presence. (The goal is to cover the steps during that time frame everyday.)    Another Phone Bomb Dan Mote: 301 405 5803 Nariman Farvardin: 301 405 5252 Linda Clement: 301 314 8430 Ann Wylie: 301 405 1105

COMMITTEES Where Do We Go From Here? Outreach Direct Action Messaging Organizing Education