Campus Kick Offs!
Campus Kick Offs!
The semester is in full swing and we’re set to hold exciting kick offs on campus across the state. Don’t miss this opportunity to start the semester off right and learn how you can get involved. Contact your campus organizer for more information.
UA: January 25 at 7 pm in the Catalina Room
Contact: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
ASU: January 31 from 6 - 8 PM in the Turquoise Room of the MU
Contact: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
NAU: January 26 at 7 pm in Havasupai A&B
Contact: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Governor Brewer’s budget proposal
Governor Brewer released her budget for the universities. This year’s budget includes $15 million for performance-based funding according to the new funding model. An additional $15.3 million is to be given to ASU and NAU to develop course redesign for retention and recruitment of students. It breaks down to $12 million for ASU and $3.3 million for NAU. Still, community colleges in Arizona get $10 million for scholarships.
Universities have been cut by more than $400 million since 2008, and this budget provides only $30 million. To read more click here and go to page 17.
Start of the Legislative Session
Governor Jan Brewer gave her State of the State address today to kick off the legislative session and Arizona’s 100th birthday.
The Governor’s speech focused on the best uses for the current budget surplus and her desire to pay down debts and buy back the leased government buildings. ASA applauds the Governor’s commitment to jolting job growth and paying down Arizona’s debts. Students see the budget surplus as an opportunity to pay the budget rollovers sustained by the universities and pay off some of that debt. Education drives economic growth. Eighty percent of the fastest growing jobs in America demand training above a high school level. Current estimates show America needs 22 million more degrees by 2018; however, we are on pace to be 3 million short because of high college costs.
We look forward to a productive session working with the Governor and the Legislature to move higher education forward.
Legislative Session starts next week!
The AZ Legislature is back in session next week and we’re gearing up for another great year. Here’s a video that focuses on the work we have done for students and families down at the capitol.
ASA Spring Internships
Are you looking for a great way to get involved next semester and work on the issues that matter to students? Well then, you’re in luck. ASA has campus-based internships that focus on advocacy, organizing and leadership development! We are looking for students interested in public outreach, professional development, and the chance to gain real experience in the political arena, all while earning course credit.
If you’re interested in getting involved on campus, e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) today!
Student leaders delivered 2,607 statements of support urging Sen. Kyl to Save Pell Wednesday!
Students from across the state delivered more than 2,500 statements of support to Sen. Kyl and the Super Committee in Washington calling on them to save the Pell Grant and federal student loans. To see pictures of the event click here. Along with the 2,607 statements of support, student leaders also delivered a letter of support signed by university and community college student body presidents urging Sen Kyl to stand strong for students and families and support the Pell Grant.
If these cuts are realized, students and families will lose out on thousands of dollars of Pell Grants and be burdened with more interest and shorter grace periods on federal loans. The price of tuition has already risen more than 90 percent – students and families can’t afford any more cuts.
But it’s not over yet. If you haven’t already signed the statement of support, do it now by clicking here.
And check out this video created by a talented ASA intern of our press conference at Sen. Kyl’s office http://bit.ly/tc9ukl
Thank you to everyone who gathered signatures and came to the event on Friday. The dedication shown by students on this issue is proof of how important this issue is.
Spring Internships
Communications Internship
ASA is seeking applicants for its spring semester communications internship. The ASA communications intern will work toward media relations, photo and video production and leadership development. Click here for more information and click here to view the application.
Are you sick of being ripped off by textbook publishers?
The Student Public Interest Research Groups, A D.C.-based advocacy organization, released a startling report on out-of-control textbook costs. The report found that seven out of ten undergraduates have not bought a textbook because the price was too high!
The report found that textbook prices increased 22 percent over the last four years, which is quadruple inflation. Students should expect to spend $1,137 annually on textbooks and other course materials, the report shows. The GAO estimates textbook costs are comparable to 26 percent of tuition at state universities and 72 percent at community colleges.
Are you sick of being ripped off by textbook publishers? If so, now is your opportunity to get involved and hold textbook accountable. ASA is planning actions all over the state that will help alleviate the burden of ridiculous textbook costs.
Contact your campus organizer and get involved on your campus:
NAU: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
ASU: Tempe: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
ASU West, Poly and Downtown: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
UA: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
ABOR August meeting recap
At the Arizona Board of Regents’ Meeting last week, the Regents discussed budget transparency, performance funding and the UA presidential search, among other things. Below is a brief recap of last week’s meeting.
Budget Transparency
• The universities will share their budget information with the Regents, instead of just sharing what were called “arbitrary forms” that don’t give an accurate picture of university budgets.
• This arose from the need to show the Legislature that ABOR and the universities are living up to their commitment to slash $100 million in funding and to increase budget transparency.
• Regent DuVal and ABOR staff will work on implementing a new reporting system for the universities’ budgets that accurately portrays how money is spent and where cuts were made. ABOR set a tentative work-study meeting for September 1, 2011 to workout the details. Regents were told that the university budgets are $3.761 billion, which is comprised of $1.75 billion from tuition and fees.
Performance Funding
• Regents are making progress on their plan to tie university funding to performance. ABOR will present the model to the Legislature in October. It was agreed that ABOR will present a plan to the legislature that proposes funding universities with a base amount and then add more funding based on performance.
• Projects are funded with student fees.
Presidential Search
• The Regents approved a search committee for the new president of the UA. The 23-member committee includes James Allen, Regent Holmes, Regent Bowyer, university stakeholders and community members. The first meeting of the committee will be in mid-August and the entire process is expected to last a year.
ABOR recap
Here is a brief recap of the top news from today’s Regents meeting. Regents voted today to extend the contract of ASU president Michael Crow until 2017. However, Crow won’t see a raise this year to his $475,000 annual salary. Crow was also set to receive a $600,000 bonus this year, but opted not to take the money from the ASU Foundation and have that commitment rolled into his new contract. Additionally, the regents voted to approve the contract extension of UA Men’s Basketball coach Sean Miller, whose base pay is now $2.1 million. Miller is now the highest paid state employee.
ABOR also voted to adopt a set of new metrics to gauge the success of the Arizona Universities as part of the Arizona Higher Education Enterprise and the 2020 Vision strategic plan. These metrics include increasing baccalaureate degrees by 50 percent, community college transfer graduates by 13,000 to 30 percent and masters degrees awarded by 24 percent.
The Regents approved new student service facilities at ASU Poly and ASU West Campuses today. Theses facilities include residence and dinning halls.