MTA Public Higher Education Advocacy Day March 21, 2019

Dear Colleague,
 
Funding for public higher education in Massachusetts has been cut by 31% since 2001, when inflation and student enrollment are taken into account. I am certain that you feel the effects of this  chronic underfunding every day, as you are constantly asked to provide students with high quality education using fewer resources. This year, we have a once-in-a-generation chance to fix how public colleges and universities are funded in Massachusetts by lobbying the Legislature to pass the Cherish Act. The Cherish Act (Senate Bill 741 and House Bill 1214) would implement the core finding of the 2014 Higher Education Finance Commission, resulting in an additional $500 million in funding for public higher education.
 
To help make this possible, please attend Public Higher Education Advocacy Day at the State House on March 21. Hundreds of faculty, staff and students will be joining together to ask legislators to pass the Cherish Act. To attend, take a day off or see if your college or university president has approved, or will approve, release time for faculty and staff to come to the state house to lobby for more funding for public higher education. The MTA is also organizing an abbreviated lobby day, allowing you to participate over the course of a long lunch-time  break. 
 
Here are the two different tracks you can attend:
 
The MTA  Lobby and Lunch track from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sign up here:  https://actionnetwork.org/events/faculty-staff-lunch-and-lobby-higher-ed-advocacy-day?clear_id=true

 
The Phenom all day track from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sign up here:  https://actionnetwork.org/events/public-higher-ed-advocacy-day-2019
 
Lunch will be provided for both tracks.
 
Bus transportation will be provided from UMass Boston to the State House and may also be provided from other colleges/universities.
 
I hope you can join us at the State House on March 21^st. Together we can win the funding we need for public higher education.
 
Signed,
 
 
 
Katie Durso
Field Representative – Higher Education Division
Massachusetts Teachers Association