It's Time.

It's time to mobilize and stand up. Students, I said it time and time again, we owe it to ourselves to stand up for this university. Now is the time to be heard and show the State and the community the importance of our university and what it means to us.

A rally has been scheduled for Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at the State Capitol.



Facebook Event: http://bit.ly/1bn88h

Meet at Bachman lawn at NOON. Free shuttle buses will leave at 12:15 and will be leaving at staggered times throughout the next few hours of the rally.

Our purpose is to create a tipping off point to lobby for a reduction of State-imposed budget cuts to the University of Hawai‘i System. We are asking legislators, "How much higher education does Hawaii need?" and "How much can it afford?" At the same time, we are stressing the importance of UH to us, as well as to the State's workforce and economy.

The total amount of budget restrictions facing the University of Hawai‘i system is at least $154 million over a span of the next two years.

Without a reduction of these cuts, UH's function as a driving force for Hawai‘i's economy will continue to be undermined, and Hawai‘i's premiere institution for higher education will inevitably be crippled and diminish in its capacity to foster a competent workforce and future leadership for the State of Hawai‘i. Furthermore, within the next couple of months, this amount is likely to increase.

If you don't care to read through my past posts, students already feel the effects as core classes and even majors are being cut, thus making it increasingly difficult for students to earn their degrees. 150 lecturers have lost their jobs while 500 classes have already been cut. Of the classes that remain, many are over capacity.

For students about to graduate, the value of our degrees are on the line. This is unacceptable and we need to stand up and do something about it.



The State must show that it holds education as a priority. Along with a $50 million dollar allocation of funds to the public school system in order to offset furlough days, the University of Hawai‘i, as part of a p-20 public education system here in Hawai‘i, is in dire need of an alleviation of our budget restrictions as well.

Contact asuh@hawaii.edu, call 956-8422, or walk-in to the ASUH office at Campus Center 211A if you would like to know how you can get involved.

We are currently looking for students from all districts around Hawai‘i that will be able to speak with their respective State Senators about why they chose UH. We also welcome all faculty or community members that would like to get involved as well.

Students, you owe it to yourself to be heard and help save your University. Be there, and get involved today