Get up, stand up: Fight for education

On March 2, concerned UWG students packed TLC Room 1305 to the brim during the “Fight For Your Education” SGA-hosted meeting.

“This legislation of the budget cuts will define the intellectual landscape of our generation,” said SGA president Alan Webster. “This is directly the fault of our elected representatives.”

UWG president, Dr. Beheruz Sethna, was also in attendance, giving further insight into the proposed budget cuts as well as statistics of what it could mean for the university and the state of Georgia as a whole.

He explained that students first needed to understand the background of all past budget cuts.

According to Sethna, the previous year ended with approximately a 12 percent reduction in money from the state, or annual state appropriation. This 12 percent reduction roughly amounted to $6 million for UWG.

“We started that year $6 million richer than we ended it,” said Sethna. “This year is likely to end with an additional 10 percent reduction, or an additional $5 million down from last year.”

Sethna also mentioned the university’s fair handling of a significant reduction with minimal pain on students, aside from the institutional fee, in addition to the faculty and staff’s mandatory furlough days.

“You shared the pain,” Sethna said. “All of this together helped us handle an approximate $10 million cut.”

However, according to Sethna, the Georgia legislature informed the University System of Georgia that the cuts will transfer to next year, and in addition, they wanted the USG to take a $300 million cut.

The USG and university presidents were given about two days to come up with a budget cut plan. UWG’s share of that $300 million cut was $8.1 million.

“It is not easy to take or even conceive an $8 million cut, on top of very severe cuts that we’ve had already,” said Sethna.

Faculty, administrators and staff looked into what they could do within that 24 to 48 hour period and a plan was presented.

“That plan is imperfect,” said Sethna, “Nobody can come up with a great plan in about 24-48 hours for cutting $8 million. It can’t be done.”

As the focus shifted from UWG to the state-at-large, Sethna explained that the assignments that were given to the presidents and the institutions were based on a set of unrealistic assumptions.

He also informed students of how they can forcefully, but respectfully communicate their disapproval of the budget cuts.

“I can simply provide the data and suggest that if you want to express your concern, you’re armed with real information to do it,” said Sethna.

So why did UWG have to plan for an $8 million budget cut? The reason was because the USG was told to plan for a $300 million budget cut.

But why $300 million?

Before Sethna addressed the reason, he made it a point to inform students that this figure was coming from the legislature, not the governor’s, office.

Although the governor’s office intends to reduce its estimate within the next few days, the estimated reduction is still not going to be as horrific as the legislature estimate of $1 billion lower in revenue.

“The governor has his own office that makes predictions about revenue for next year,” said Sethna. “The governor’s estimate is far more optimistic than the legislature’s estimate.”

He explained that the legislature had a range of anywhere from $500 million to $1 billion of revenue shortfall expected for next fiscal year, which begins on July 1, 2010.

“That’s a huge range of estimate,” said Sethna.

He elaborated on the first assumption in that, the legislature didn’t choose the lower estimate of $500 million or a midpoint somewhere in between. They chose the higher estimate of $1 billion and worst-case scenario, which Sethna described as a possible self-fulfilling prophecy.

“That’s the first assumption we want to challenge or we want to respectfully suggest the legislature reconsider the billion-dollar assumption,” said Sethna.

The second assumption that Sethna addressed was of how the USG accounts for 12 percent of the state’s budget. Even with the worst-case scenario, the USG’s share would be $120 million.

But with the scenario of a $1 billion shortfall, the Georgia legislature made the assumption that instead of a 12 percent cut, the USG should take a 30 percent cut. 

“That is another assumption we hope they will reconsider,” said Sethna.

With the proposed budget cuts, 82 faculty positions and almost 60 staff positions could be eliminated.

The loss of these positions would have a direct impact on graduation, including fewer sections, larger sections, and fewer support systems like tutors, which in turn would have a direct impact on the number of graduates.

“That is the purpose of sharing this with you; so that you have ammunition when you talk to people,” said Sethna.

From a power point by the Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education, or ARCHE, Sethna explained what kind of effect could result from challenging the state legislators on the proposed budget cuts.

“The benefit of higher education is to the state of Georgia,” said Sethna.

By increasing the percentage of Georgians with a bachelor’s degree by only one percent, it could generate an increase of $32 million in the state’s coffers each year.

If these proposed budget cuts go through, then it would mean a decrease by several percentage points in the state’s coffers. Over a 40-year period, each one percent would add about $1.2 billion in tax revenues.

In his closing, Sethna urged UWG students to get involved in the political process.

“The legislators need to know where the votes are and that voters of the state speak for higher education,” said Sethna.

SGA President Alan Webster understood that plans must be made to make next year’s budget work and that the USG is taking a hit. He felt, however, that it is inexcusable to suddenly expect the University System to lean out such a large percentage of its budget.

“These budget cuts are horrendous; there is no reason to sugarcoat it at this point,” said Webster. “Students should forcefully, yet respectfully educate our state legislators that they are wrong.”

Webster had choice words for the Georgia legislators who don’t believe that the proposed legislation will detrimentally impact higher education in Georgia.

“I would like to have a conversation with the institutions that awarded them degrees in the past and have their credentials checked,” said Webster.

Further providing a snapshot of how the proposed legislation would negatively affect UWG, Webster looked to the possible cut of four full-time UWG police officers.

“Consider in the past week the two violent crimes that have occurred on our campus,” he said. “Our campus is already susceptible to violent crimes, what will happen when the criminals out populate the police by an even larger ratio?”

According to SGA senator, Sean Lindo, a compromise has been discussed at the State Capitol.

This compromise would avoid some of the dire cuts that UWG’s plan includes.

Some components of that plan consist of a 35 percent tuition increase, a $1000-per-student fee and an end to the guaranteed fixed-rate tuition plan that nearly half of all students participate in.

Other components included at least $500,000 in savings through consolidating services among the 35 institutions, a salary cut for all employees and a shorter semester schedule.

“To hell with that plan!” said Lindo. “The burden is still being put on students and employees, and they’re still basing this on a 30 percent budget cut. Forget about majors being cut, how many of you can afford to pay these pay increases and stay in school?”

So what’s next for UWG and the SGA in the fight against the proposed budget cuts?

The next event is an upcoming protest. The protest, which takes place along UWG’s Front Campus Drive, will be held on Thursday, March 11 at noon. It has been said that Atlanta news media will be present

Mass Communications major, David Bachman, hopes for a large turnout that will generate a great deal of interest and turn up the heat on legislators.

“[With these cuts] it puts us all back; nobody’s major is guaranteed,” said Bachman, “We have to do what we can to persuade Georgia legislators to invest in our education.”

Along with bringing as many friends as possible, Bachman hopes students will bring signs, noisemakers, and enthusiasm.

“I don’t want to see [any] majors or programs get cut,” said Bachman, “With this protest, I hope that once legislators see that they shouldn’t cut our education, they will change their minds.”

Also hoping for a large turnout is Webster.

“I believe it will be a great rallying point to getting students involved and ready for the culmination of our efforts—the march on the Capitol on Monday, March 15,” said Webster.