Dear Colleagues,
The State Senate and House of Representatives have both released their proposed budgets and both would be devastating to Western and higher education generally. The cuts, even with federal stimulus money and tuition increases, will be between 11% and 15%. Thousands of students will be turned away and hundreds of jobs will be lost.
WE MUST MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD NOW, OR HIGHER EDUCATION IN WASHINGTON WILL BE DEVASTATED FOR DECADES.
Go NOW to WEA's cyberlobby Web site and write the governor and your legislators:
https://secure3.convio.net/wea/site/Advocacy?id=161&pagename=homepage
You can send the prepared message or write one of your own. In writing your message, you might want to emphasize the following:
1. The cuts planned in Washington are the highest in the country, and two to three times higher than those in the Global Challenge States.
2. The cuts will cost at least 2500 jobs in 4 year higher education.
3. The cuts will cost 10,000 students the opportunity to attend college.
4. The cuts will send the best students and the best faculty to states that respect education.
Go to the link and do this now. Remember to use your home email and your home computer. Feel free to send this link to family and friends who support Western and higher education.
Sincerely,
Bill Lyne
President, United Faculty of Western Washington