Graduate Assistants United 
eNewsletter Vol. 1, No. 6, June 20, 2002

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IN THIS ISSUE:
Community Forum on the Crisis in Florida Education
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COMMUNITY FORUM ON THE CRISIS IN FLORIDA EDUCATION
MONDAY, JUNE 24, 7:00 PM AT THE UNIVERSITY AUDITORIUM

A Community Forum on the crisis in higher education will be 
held in the Friends of Music Room at the University Auditorium 
on the University of Florida campus at 7:00 PM on Monday, June 24.  
Representatives McGriff and Jennings will be among politicians 
attending.

It is a disgrace that Florida is last in the nation in per 
capita spending for higher education this fiscal year. Yet 
every politician who generated that result is running as a 
"pro-education" candidate in the fall election.    
 
United Faculty of Florida is holding a Community Forum so 
that faculty and graduate assistants will have a chance to 
present to the public an assessment of the damage done by 
politicians who block every effort to provide the funds 
necessary for comprehensive  academic programs at Florida's 
universities. This irresponsible behavior has now resulted 
in plans to dismantle both long standing and newly-developed 
academic programs on every university campus in order to cope 
with the budget crisis. This leaves Florida's citizens with 
a patchwork of "high-quality"  programs amidst gaping holes 
in the university curriculum.  This destroys commitments that 
have been made to build authentic academic programs and denies 
the next generation a real university education.
 
Faculty will present to the public a summary of the destruction 
that is occurring and invite citizens to join them in holding 
politicians accountable for what they have done. We will also 
recognize and thank area legislators who were leaders of the 
resistance during the past two years. We will strategize with 
members of the community about what all of us can do to stop 
the destruction and restore the dream of authentic comprehensive 
universities available to all of Florida's citizens.

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