Source: unca.edu
After several months of investigation into our budgetary situation at UNCA, we met with Chancellor Anne Ponder to address students’ grievances against the administration. The statement, What We Want & What We Believe was presented by our delegation of students and community members on May 1, International Workers Day.
At the last Board of Trustees meeting on March 23, an SDSer attempted to sit in on one of the presentations, but was eyed suspiciously by attendees and blocked from entering a presentation. SDS then approached our student body president Cortland Mercer to address concerns on the budget and cut-backs. Mercer and SDS were able to talk to an administrative official for the disclosure of budgetary documents, but much of our progress was hampered by an unwillingness to fully disclose them.
It has been revealed that University of North Carolina system president Erskine Bowles has advocated that UNC schools tighten their belts, and even has admitted that some “vertical cuts” are to be made. This means that some programs, such as Leadership scholarships at UNCA, are completely cut. Another ploy by our administration is to cut days that benefit students out of the academic calender, such as reading day for exam preparation and moving day for first-year students.
During the last several weeks, our chapter drafted the statement to bring to the chancellor. We decided to take our list of demands on May 1 to begin direct talks with the head of UNCA.
At the meeting, Ponder found the statement “offensive,” and gave us advice on proposing concerns. But the delegation maintained that our approach was in good faith, and that we expect the right to demand accountability, transparency, student participation, and a university that serves the people.
“What we find offensive is a university that prides itself as a diverse campus, but only has 4% African American and 2.7% Latin@ of our student body,” said SDSer Doug Michel. “Ponder makes a quarter of a million dollars per year from taxpayers and our tuition but felt that our demands, including a tuition-freeze and pay cuts from top administrative officials, were unreasonable. We want to continue talks in good faith, but hope that the chancellor understands who she serves as a public university official.”
The chancellor and another delegation is set to meet next week to continue talks.
Amidst a deteriorating economy, a movement of students has swept across the U.S. to demand education rights — from the University of Vermont to southern California. Our fight back against the crisis at UNCA ensures that our education will not be cut back while bankers get bailed out. UNCA SDS stands in solidarity with the movement against home foreclosures and working peoples’ demands for job security and better pay.
