Video by Gitzel Puente | SDTV
“Don’t abandon education; don’t abandon us,” a crowd of about 100 students, faculty and staff chanted outside the Tempe campus Memorial Union at noon on Tuesday.
The protesters carried signs and spoke out against budget proposals by the Arizona Legislature that University officials say would cut state funding to universities by up to $243 million this year, and up to $388 million, about 40 percent, next year.
“What the state Legislature is doing is absolutely unacceptable,” said Mark Appleton, president of the Undergraduate Student Government. “We’re not going to take a cut that threatens the functioning of our University.”
Appleton said legislators should leave education alone and find money somewhere else.
“Don’t throw students under the bus,” he said. “You’ve been doing it for years.”
The budget cuts would eliminate thousands of jobs statewide in administration, faculty and staff, which would lead to poorer quality education for students, Appleton said.
The protest, organized by the Arizona Students’ Association, took place at noon at all three Arizona universities. Students, staff and faculty signed petitions and recorded videos to send to legislators.
ASA members said they collected about 400 signatures at ASU.
David Wright, research professor in the School of Materials, said Arizona universities are too good and too important for the Legislature to propose such a large cut.
“The current proposal demonstrates a lack of awareness,” Wright said. “Education is being asked to take a hit that is disproportionate. It is also taking a hit that is unwise.”
Wright, who said he has been at ASU as a student and professor for more than 50 semesters, said the university system would no longer be nationally competitive if the proposals were to succeed. He added it would be difficult for the state to recover from the losses.
Lindsay Bayuk, former board chair of ASA, said Arizona needs to invest in its students and universities if it wants to recover from economic problems.
“Arizona universities have historically been underfunded,” she said. “In drastic times, to cut even deeper into the already underfunded university system is even more devastating.”
Bayuk said education is the key to Arizona’s economy, and the Legislature’s proposals work to cripple the foundation of the state’s and students’ futures.
Graduate research associate Jodi Swanson said she signed the petition Tuesday because the proposals threaten her research and its funding.
“My whole livelihood comes from Arizona State [University],” she said. “If these cuts go into place, my whole job is at stake.”
Christina Rocks, ASA apprentice, said students must stand up and tell the Legislature to value education in Arizona.
“We need to stimulate our economy through the education system,” Rocks said. “We want our state legislature to support higher education. We’re going to fight these budget cuts.”
Reach the reporter at adam.sneed@asu.edu.
