Students Vow to Fight Budget Cuts

The ASG is sending state lawmakers a memo, urging them to find solutions to the state's budget woes other than slicing $125 million out of the UNC-system budget.

The Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on Education formally requested last week that UNC-system officials find a way to cut 7 percent from the University's recurring budget.

At UNC, the cut would result in a $25 million decrease in University funds.

Budget cuts could mean a slashing of 1,800 UNC-system jobs, including 700 faculty positions, ASG delegates said.

ASG President Andrew Payne also said legislators could increase tuition in order to compensate for the loss of funding.

In the memo, ASG delegates reminded legislators of their constitutional duty to "provide that the benefits of the University of North Carolina and other public institutions of higher education, as far as practicable, be extended to the people of the state free of expense."

Payne also suggested that student leaders consider a gathering at the General Assembly, similar to February's Students' Day at the Capitol, to lobby legislators on these issues.

Payne added that in this case, students would have much more support than they did during Students' Day at the Capitol, which focused mostly on student issues. "We have the faculty and staff on our side who have a lot more resources," Payne said. "We are prepared to join together."

Payne urged student leaders to e-mail their U.S. Congress representatives to push for protection of low tuition and adequate financial aid funding for UNC-system students.

Student leaders also met Friday with UNC-system President Molly Broad to discuss further lobbying efforts.

Broad once again emphasized the damaging impact the cuts would have on the UNC system.

"These cuts are in a magnitude that would do irreparable damage to the university," Broad said.

Broad said that for UNC-system officials to convince legislators of the damaging nature of these cuts, students will have to play an integral part in the lobbying process.

"There is no more effective advocate for the University than its student leaders," Broad said. "When it gets right down to it, legislators recognize that you are their children and they want you to have access to education."

At the meeting, Payne reassured both Broad and UNC-system administrators in attendance that students will make this issue their top lobbying priority and put the student BOG vote on the back burner.

"We will be in the front lines, we need to mobilize and be down at the General Assembly."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.