Higher Ed for All: How does this impact you?
2/21/2023
Dear Members,
We write with information on a campaign from MTA’s Higher Education for All and ask you to join us on Tuesday, February 28th at the State House to make legislators aware of the needs and our demands for public higher education.
Higher Ed for All Campaign
For the past year, MTA higher education members across the Commonwealth have been meeting to ask what can make public higher education better. The results illustrate the need for fully funded community colleges, state universities and UMass campuses in addition to eliminating the barriers that make earning a degree possible.
We are focusing on four priorities:
Promote the recruitment and retention of high quality and experienced faculty and staff by providing fair wages and working conditions.
Implement a debt-free college plan.
Expand existing programs that support student success and address staffing shortages.
Provide funding for green, healthy buildings on our public university and college campuses.
How will UMB be impacted?
Just imagine full state funding for our campus construction. We know we need a new academic building, yet the past governor pulled the funding. Imagine receiving full funding and how this frees up campus financials. Look no further than the West Garage and the construction bond. The bond payments including interest play a role in the cost of your parking.
Just imagine wages that reflect the true cost to living in Massachusetts. We will retain our young faculty rather than see them leave for higher wages. We will retain librarians who are paid less than area colleges.
Just imagine that college advisors have a manageable number of advisees. A CLA advisor with 400 advisees cannot truly advise a student let alone know the student. Just imagine our students, many first generation, being able to spend real time with an advisor or mentor.
Just imagine a campus where working conditions of all community members produce a fully engaged and learning campus.
What can you do?
Sign the Petition
We are asking one more time to please complete the petition. We know the Governor will be announcing the parameters shortly. We want her to know the past 2% increases are too low. We want to hand her a petition with thousands of signatures to show we are the backbone of public higher education, and we need raises that exceed the cost of living.
Attend!
Join us at the Public Higher Education Advocacy Day on Tuesday, February 28th from 10AM to 2PM at the Massachusetts State House. Hear speakers and then visit your legislators to make them aware of the needs to fully fund public higher education. Be there when we hand Governor Healey the petition (over 8000 signatures) demanding better wages.
This is public higher education’s time! The passage of the Fair Share amendment has the focus on public education funding. The Governor, Lt Gov and their staffs are working on next fiscal year's state budget. The budget will be presented to the State Legislature in early March. We want to make sure the needs of our students, our campuses and our wages are part of the discussion.
‘If you are not at the table, then you are on the menu.” Public higher education needs to be at the table. A large showing on Feb 28th sends a clear message that we intend to be at the table and helping lead our future.
If you can’t make the whole event, that is okay. If you can only join us for the morning portion, that would be great!
Ride the Bus!
A bus will take us to the State House and back. If you wish not to take the bus, no problem. You can meet us at the State House.
REGISTER……REGISTER……REGISTER
We need you to registrar (http://massteacher.org/about-the-mta/who-we-are/higher-education/he-advocacy-day) for both the event and for the bus. Lunch is provided.
Sincerely,
Caroline Coscia Jeff Melnick
FSU President FSU Vice President
Senior Lecturer II Professor
Political Science Department American Studies Department