These are only rough notes taken so far. There will be a meeting tonight at 8:30 in the Highsmith Student Organization Suite to discuss our summation and plans to move forward. – Doug
There were nearly 100 students today who came out to protest against the administration cutting days out of the 2009-2010 academic calendar that benefit students. With banners such as “Transparency Now!” and chanting “Let the Students Have Our Say, Give Us Back Our Reading Day!”, students rallied for accountability, transparency, and more student participation in decisions that affect us and the university community.
After the rally on the Quad, we marched to Phillips Hall, the administration building, and staged a “study-in.” Students reclaimed Phillips as our space and sat in and outside the building under banners to study for finals and to discuss problems at UNCA.
The provost and a representative of the Faculty Senate then requested a meeting with leaders of the protest and any other concerned students. We were able to talk in a constructive manner about various problems at UNCA, possible solutions, and our demands.
From the students, we demanded:
- Transparency. The major problem with the restructuring of the calender was the lack of open communication between the administration and student government (along with the student body at large).
- We want disclosure of all pertinent budget documents to be informed of the things that affect us as students and community members. We will set up a meeting with the Vice Chancellor of Finance to address this aspect.
- We want a structure or some way to improve communication between the administration, faculty, and student body.
- We want to develop a better understanding of tuition costs and where they are going. We may possibly meet with the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs to clarify this issue and make it more accessible to students. So far, there is a student-administration forum held every semester that addresses this.
- We want our student reading day back.
On the provost side:
- She apologizes and takes responsibility for the lack of democracy and accountability regarding the restructuring of the academic calender. Her intentions are to minimize the affect of the economic crisis on students, and not permanently affect our benefits in the future.
- She has promised that a committee will be formed in the Fall semester that will include staff, faculty, and students to decide on issues around the calendar and other issues. The committee will establish its own “democratic process” and function as an organization. This addresses part of our demand on transparency.
- She will talk to the Vice Chancellor of Finance on our request to disclose budget documents.
- The elimination of the student reading day cannot be undone for the 2009-2010 academic calendar. The students plan on discussing the future of reading day and other days that benefit students at a later meeting.
- She commits to a building a more open and better relationship with student government and the student body.
On the faculty side:
- The faculty senate agreed with the administration to cut three days which benefit students after they both considered different options.
- After student government raised the fact that their members sit in on faculty senate meetings, the faculty senate representative agreed to have one of their members sit in on student government meetings.
- The representative raised the point that no document can be passed the day it is on the floor of the senate. Usually, the public may take up to one month to look at the document on the faculty senate website.
Overall, all agreed that the meeting was beneficial. The Coalition for Education Rights will decide where to go from here. If you would like to join the Coalition in a movement to increase student participation in university affairs, please join our Google Group.
They say Cut Back, We say Fight Back!
Power Where There’s People!
