Please read this important message from the Higher Education Partnership
The Alabama Senate has an opportunity to provide an additional $25 million to the public universities. With the legislators in the break between the 29th and 30th legislative days; university faculty, staff, students and alumni MUST take advantage of this opportunity to “make sure their voice is heard.” It is critical that legislators hear from the vast army of people that are university supporters. Send this message to friends and peers. Have them call the Senators. Legislators need to hear from every individual that understands that K-12 and universities are both critical to the success of the state.
The state’s Senators must be reminded that the outcome of this $165 million budget cut will be lost faculty positions, a greater student exodus, and lost economic development opportunities. Senators must understand that other states are not cutting universities in a disproportionate manner. Instead, other states are protecting their university product because they know the university output is the key to solving their economic challenges.
University leaders must call the Senators because the K-12 voice is being heard. K-12 voices are being told that “the university request for $25 million more than the House appropriated” is a dangerous request.
“Over the last two weeks, AEA has sent out several call-to-action emails asking members to contact their legislators about key issues concerning the education budget. The response from AEA members was tremendous! Legislators were flooded with e-mails and the effort was successful. HB 350 and the education budget were both passed by the House” (Quote from www.myaea.com)