GPSC President Report[1]

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Memorandum

Graduate & Professional Student Council

To: Graduate & Professional Student Council Representatives & OfficersFrom: Stephen Bieda III, GPSC PresidentDate: January 16, 2009

RE: President’s Report

Below is a summary of the issues that have been raised over recent weeks, primarilyfocusing on the Arizona State Legislature’s proposed budget cuts and ramifications tothe University budget:

1. Arizona State Legislature Budget Cut Proposal

The legislative leadership put forward figures on possible cuts to higher education inthe State of Arizona. The main committees making this decision were the ArizonaState Senate, chaired by Sen. Russell Pierce (R), and the Arizona State House.Under their proposal, mid-year cuts to the university system would total $243 millionor approximately one-quarter of the entire budget. This proposal also puts forwardadditional reductions to the University system of $388 million for fiscal year 2010.Given this scenario, the University of Arizona would need to absorb mid-year cutstotaling $103 million and an additional $164 million for fiscal year 2010. In effect,these cuts would be equal to 25% and 35% respectively, which would be absolutelydevastating to most any business let alone a University. The damage to our University and to the causes to which the Graduate and Professional StudentCouncil has championed would be far reaching, irreparable and debilitating. Theresults would include closure of colleges, radical increases in tuition and numerouslayoffs of faculty, staff and even graduate associates and assistants.Suffice it to say, these proposals presents a crisis far exceeding any to which theGPSC has ever faced in it’s short history. I would even go so far as to say thatradical measures must be considered by the full Council to address an obviouslyirresponsible act that these elected officials wish to perpetuate to the higher education system. With that said, the Student Body Presidents of all threeUniversities are planning actions that are immediate and attention grabbing. Theywill be summarized below.

2. Student Government President’s Action Plan

The Student Body Presidents, Undergraduate and Graduate, at ASU, NAU and theUniversity of Arizona have plotted a course of action following an emergencymeeting earlier tonight. The actions that will be taken include:a) Campus Protests – Tuesday, January 20For the University of Arizona, this will take place on the UA Mall in front of theMemorial Student Union. Bring your posters expressing your opinions, wear black shirts to signify the death of higher education and bring as many of your

friends as you can. The greater the numbers, the stronger the message.Media members have been invited and will be present to record this event.b) Arizona Board of Regents Meeting – Thursday, January 22The Arizona Board of Regents needs to know that the students here at theUniversity of Arizona support drastic measures. Their meeting is due to takeplace at 1 pm in the Catalina/North Ballroom. Governor-in-waiting Jan Brewer and/or her designee is expected to attend this meeting, and this willdemonstrate to her the importance of the issue to our campus.c) State Capital Protest – Wednesday, January 28The University of Arizona Student Body Presidents, in coordination with ASUand NAU Student Body Presidents, are organizing busses to travel to theState Capital to loudly demonstrate against the proposal laid forth by theState Legislature Leadership. The more students that are present, thestronger our message will be.d) Letter Writing Campaign – Friday, January 30The Arizona Governor’s Office and the State Legislative Leadership are beingtargeted a writing campaign:

1.

Senate/House Education Chairs

2.

Senate/House Appropriation Chairs

3.

Senate/House Leadership

4.

The Governor’s Office

5.

The Arizona Board of Regents

When writing elective officials, the tone must be respectful no matter howmuch we disagree with them. In combination with this effort, GPSC VicePresident Boris Glebov is gathering business leaders across the communityto support our cause.Drastic measures are needed for drastic proposals. The State LegislativeAppropriations Committees will put this measure to a vote by month’s end.

3. Faculty Senate Executive Committee

This meeting took place on Monday, January 12. At the time, Jacqueline Moc (thePresident’s Chief of Staff) informed the committee that the Administration waspreparing for a 20% budget cut scenario. Extreme measures under considerationincluded seizing Auxiliary Units money normally reserved for maintenance or other important necessities. Faculty benefits would be cut, including health care,retirement benefits, and qualified tuition reduction. The benefits that GraduateAssistants and Associates are so used to holding would be in jeopardy. Tuition hikesof under heard of numbers would be proposed to simply keep the Universityoperational. Last of all, as Robert Jacobi handed out to the full Council before,ABOR’s minimum degree requirements would be strictly enforced. Those unitsand/or degree tracks who do not meet the minimum requirements would be subjectto immediate closure, effective July 1, 2009.

4. GPSC Budget Audit

Due to the potential of massive and drastic budget cuts facing our University, I haverequested that the GPSC Appropriations Committee perform an audit of any and allexpenditures. This audit is to be chaired by GPSC Treasurer Sanket Unhale, withthe results being shared to the full Council by February 4 and the UA Administration

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