Subject: tuition remission-important info
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 10:11 EST
From: Gay_L_GULLICKSON@umail.umd.edu (gg17)
To: gradhist@umail.umd.edu, hist-all@umail.umd.edu

I have just come back to my office from a meeting with the President and members of the administration. The proposal to end tuition remission is VERY SERIOUS, i.e., it is likely to happen if we do not do something fast.

The proposal would end ALL tuition remission, including GRADUATE STUDENTS. I don't need to tell you that this would have a devastating effect on our graduate program. If all graduate students had to pay tuition, we would lose many of them and many others would decide not to come here. Faculty and staff who have children will also be seriously affected, not to mention faculty and staff who take courses.

The state thinks it can gain $9,000,000 a year from tuition. This will not be the case because we will lose student enrollment. Whatever the shortfall is, the university will be expected to make up the difference. In short, this is just another way of cutting the university's funds.

ADVICE: 1. go to the university's web page, click on the 3 hot topics listed at the upper right hand corner of the page. One of them will lead you easily to the name and address (and phone, I think) of your representatives in the state legislature. Write them, call them, email them.

2. go to Terrapin Pride Day in Annapolis. It is only one day. Buses are going from the campus. You must sign up in advance for the buses. The person in charge is Ross Stern (5-6637). You can get a list of talking points from him.

3. arrange to go to Annapolis and see your representatives in their offices. The more they hear from us, the better.

4. The point to make is NO MORE CUTS TO THE UNIVERSITY. Right now the university system is absorbing 1/3 of all of the budget cuts for the state. Expectations are that it will get worse unless we swing into action.

5. graduate students: talk to students in other departments.
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