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Show THE SIGNPOST Friday, February 11, 2000 Page 2 Support The rally also attracted the attention of many within the Capitol. Senators and representatives came out, both briefly and extendly, to hear from the speakers and the individual students. Attorney General .Jan Graham listened to speakers and expressed her support for the students and the faculty. Sen. Paula Julander, D-Sall Lake, whose husband is a political science professor at WSU, also attended the rally. "The rally was wonderful," she said. "Because what this showed was the students support their' faculty, the students support an enhanced education."Sen. Robert Montgomery, R-WeberMorgan, also attended Wednesday's rally. Montgomery, the co-chairman of the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee, said the demonstration will have a definite impact on legislators."It really does have an affect, a beneficial affect, a helpful affect to those of us who are trying to get more money into higher education," Montgomery said. " He added that past rallies for increased higher education funding have Disappointed Foxley said to the committee after the announcement, "Higher education felt like we were the stepchildren." Addressing the significant difference between public education's $30 million allocation. "It was really a shock to higher education," said committee member, Sen. Paula Julander, D-Salt Lake. "It's an unfair way of funding." The threat of public education staff striking was largely attributed for the gaping difference in money. In response, Foxley told the subcommittee, "I reassured them the Executive Committee): our faculty don't strike. Our faculty leave one by one. Our best leave first because they are treated unfairly." The initial shock wore off to decisions of what to do with the meager money, accounting for the $2 million in one-time funds and the $10 million in ongoing funds. Salary equity, the money that would be used to try to bring higher education faculty and staff up to speed with their contemporaries in other states, continued to be the main concern for the committee. Rep. Richard Siddoway, R-Davis. proposed a motion for the money, giving salary equity $2.3 million. This was countered by a proposal by fellow republican. Sen. Leonard Blackham. R-Southern Utah, which would allocate $2,798 to what he called salary adjustment. With this, these funds would be used to increase the salaries of those making less than $50,000. 'This will help every insti continued from front "Qm (tlitu e '.ducation auals r Quality education equals quality democracy" -Senator Scott 7-totveff vv- - - . ' - i " 5 j.-- ' s - . m f 1 ' is Sen. Scott Howell gives a thumbs-up to the also made a lasting impression."Their presence and their enthusiasm does sway votes and does help us when the votes are very close," Montgomery said. Rep. Afton Bradshaw, R-Salt Lake, is the second co-chairwoman for the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee. Bradshaw asked the nearly 500 students in attendance to make a promise. She asked them to write a note to their legislators before continued from front tution," Blackham said. "It won't help the top end, but we haven't the money to help the top end." This idea was strongly opposed by many in the committee, stressing the need for flexibility with the money and the likely discontent of those making more than the cap $50,000. "If we do this, we are not improving, we may be adding problems," said Rep. Mary Carlson, D-Salt Lake. "Let us empower the institutions to make good decisions." s "We don't know where the money will go," said Rep. Patrice Arent, D-Salt Lake. "They the presidents know their needs, where the hot spots are." Due to the overwhelming concern and overall lack of support for such a restrictive cap, the substitute motion failed and a final proposal was passed, combining ideas from Siddoway, Blackham and committee co-Chairwoman Rep. Afton Bradshaw, R-Salt Lake allocating the $12 million see graph. "Everyone is sorely disappointed," WSU Dean of Continuing Education Jeff Livingston said. There's going to be an angry reaction from higher ed and it would have been worse had Blackham's gone through." The committee then went on to construct a "building blocks" list, or a wish list, for the chairs to submit to the Executive Committee. This list, near-ing $12 million in addition to the allocation, addressed items that were not accommodated sufficiently or at all by theallocation. Qua ifihjjobs. leaving the Capitol, expressing their concerns about higher education in Utah. "This rally was effective if the students follow through and take a message to their representative and their senator saying 'help us,'" Bradshaw said. In return for the students' promise, Bradshaw made one of her own. "I'll work as hard as I can to get the situation improved," she said. "It isn't good right now. Higher education has kind of been , - t educatioKm ' XXl ) J -I ' -J, ' Students rallied for to SiUuenz leaders ana legislature sfjtsan. iruin uic v-oji iui jtca ACTUAL ALLOCATION WISH LIST TOTAL: $10 MILLION TOTAL: $10 MILLION Salary Equity $2.3 mil Salary Equity $3.7 mil Z Enrollment Growth $6.7 mil Ed Tech Initiative $1 mil g Operations & Mang. $1 mil ATCSR's $.5 mil O Quality Base $2 mil ? Financial Aid $.25 mil Voc Rehab $.25 mil Performance-based fund $.9 mil Master Planning $.5 mil TOTAL: $2 MILLION TOTAL: $2 MILLION UJ 5j Operations &Mang. $1.5 mil Library Funding $1 mil H Financial Aid $.25 mil UCOPE $.5 mil uj Amer wDisabilities $.25 mil ATE $.3 mil q Internet Advising $.2 mil TOTAL: $12 MILLION TOTAL: $12 MILLION Higher Education breakdown and tentative wish list to present to the Executive Committee tor more tunas. " nil, m -'J cheering crowd. the stepchild when it comes to funding and I resent that and I don't like it and I'm working hard to improve it." In order for the situation to improve, Bradshaw said it's imperative that students stay committed to the cause. She encouraged students to attend their party caucus meetings on March 27 at 7 p.m., to express their support of higher education funding. "Stay politically active in your party, whatever your 7 h .. Si X lit ' niilTiM 1 continued 'quality education' as they listened Appropriations Subcommittee allocations party is," she said. "Let your party hear your concerns about higher education."She said that public education has done a good job of getting the message out about funding; higher education has not. "This is a very powerful lobby," Bradshaw said. There are 120,000 college students in the state. If they politically got together and worked for a cause, they would have tremendous clout." Both Bradshaw and Montgomery expressed their support for higher education and for the sal ary increase. "Higher education is the wheel that turns the eco nomics of the state. Bradshaw said. "It is so important to the state that people need to hear that message.". Sen. Scott Howell, D-Salt Lake, spoke to the excited crowd and encouraged them. Howell said the rally is an example of quality democracy. "I think that this speaks reams and reams of qual ity democracy," he said. "This is democracy at its finest." He sent out a message for the legislature to either "fund the future or live in the past." n inliiiiiwl . l;TAH ST-I)KXT ASMH ft fl IP hub Cj i r i in a No show for WSU By Angie Welling editor in chief-Vie Signpost Of the nearly 500 participants at Wednesday's student rally at the Capitol, Weber State University contributed a grand total of seven. WSU Student Association President Dee Hansen, Science Student Senator Matt Ashton and student Jeremy Kjar traveled to the Capitol in a borrowed WSU van. The other four were members of the student press. Hansen said he was dis appointed in WSU's lack of representation at the rally. You always want more students to show up," he said, acknowledging that students could have had classes or work that prevented their presence. However, compared to the other eight colleges or universities in Utah, WSU's attendance was poor. Snow College, in Eohraim, Utah, sent three full buses, carrying almost ' 130, to Salt Lake. Utah Valley State Col lege, in Orem, Utah, had approximately 55 students and 60 faculty and staff members show up. Around 30 participants traveled from the College of Eastern Utah in Price. Mike Chertudi, WSUSA's academic vice president, said he didn't attend the rallv because he had classes at the same time. However, he added that he did not consider the rally an effective way to lobby for funds. 'To me, that wasn't the most important means of accomplishing our goals," Chertudi said. "I think we can be more effective by talking to the actual rep resentatives and senators." Chertudi-also said the rally was;.ric(J.' promoted enough tcf encourage stu dent support. Hansen asked Chertudi to announce the rally in the student senate meeting last week, which Chertudi contends was too short of notice. "We just found out about it the week betore, Chertudi said. "We can't make anything mandatory when they've got classes to attend." At Wednesday's rally, University of Utah student body president Ben McAdams asked students to cheer as he called out the name of their school. Desnite their best inten tions, Hansen, Ashton and Kjar could not make enoueh noise to compete with the others. The men's cheering resulted in laughter from the crowd. Hansen admits it was embarrassing, but said he isn't too concerned with the poor showing. Chertudi is instead supporting a letter-writing and telephone campaign w lobby for the proposed 4.5 percent salary increase for professors. He has resell Room 137 of the Student Service Center from 8 a.m. in 1 n.m. so students can phone their senators or rep resentatives. |