[Antiracism] Fwd: [WMAPage] Support UMass students!

Mon Apr 18 21:01:05 EDT 2005

Hey all you current students and social justice seekers and supporters of our children and their generation's courageous efforts to bring about important social change--

My daughter is currently working in solidarity with other students on strike at the University of Puerto Rico in a multi-campus struggle against unfair tuition hikes.  Of course such issues, along with the ones listed below, can be found at the intersection of classism and racism on campuses everywhere -- students understand this very well.  Let's support their efforts locally at UMass and on every campus -- for a better tomorrow.

-Amy 
____________________________________________ 
-----Original Message-----
From: Nick Camerota <wmassiac at hotmail.com>
To: AriseAction at yahoogroups.com; WMAPage at yahoogroups.com
Sent: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 14:29:40 -0400
Subject: [WMAPage] Support UMass students!

From: "Bryan P" <bgp at iacboston.org>
Subject: URGENT! Support UMass students!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY!   

April 17, 2005

An Open letter from progressive UMass-Amherst student-workers: Yes to 
independent Student-Worker Power at UMass!  No to administration plans to 
"restructure" student organizations!    

Dear sisters and brothers,

WE NEED YOUR URGENT SUPPORT! Please read the following and then contact the 
University of Massachusetts administration officials at the end of this 
statement.    

Last fall our campus-UMass-Amherst-witnessed a series of very public racist 
incidents involving several outgoing leaders of Student Government. The 
events were indicative of a racial climate on campus so hostile that the 
campus administration was forced to assemble an outside panel of experts to 
advise it on how to address the problem.
(Go to http://boston.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/28901)    

The Commission on Campus Diversity spent five months meeting with students, 
parents, faculty and community members to find ways to address and improve 
the situation here at the university, releasing their recommendations in 
early February.
(See http://www.umass.edu/campusdiversity/pdfs/final_report.pdf)

On the first day of Spring Break, Chancellor John Lombardi released a 
proposed "action plan" in response to the Commission's recommendations. 
Although he claims his plan will improve diversity and inclusion at UMass, 
it unfortunately has little to do with these issues and completely ignores 
most of the Commission's recommendations.
(Open 
http://www.masslive.com/chicopeeholyoke/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1110703622274281.xml)

Instead, Lombardi has proposed the most sweeping reorganization of student 
affairs in over three decades, and the creation of a new centralized 
bureaucracy unaccountable to students or other members of the campus 
community. If Lombardi's proposal is implemented, all student organizations 
will be consolidated under this new centralized bureaucracy, stripping them 
of their independence and limiting their programmatic control.
(See http://boston.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/34733 and also visit  
http://www.takebackumass.com)

For women, students of color, and LGBT students, the Chancellor's proposals 
are shocking and unwarranted. Contrary to the Commission's recommendations, 
the chancellor's proposal will mean the end of the support services run by 
and for these students, ending a thirty year tradition of student 
self-activity and outreach.    

If Lombardi's plan is carried out, the first student groups to lose 
facilities and funding will be progressive and left-wing student 
organizations which will also reduce the power of campus unions and other 
progressive sectors on campus to fight back. It is also possible that under 
a consolidation such as a "Center for Student Development" many campus union 
members who staff some of the current student organization offices or 
process paperwork, etc. will possibly lose their jobs through downsizing, 
attrition and forced retirement.    

It's also vital to note that the administration's attacks on student 
independence and power are happening at the same time of increasing police 
militarization of campus and administration consolidation of financial, 
banking, and military interests most boldly represented through the UMass 
Foundation. (Visit http://foundation.umass.edu and read this background item 
at 
http://www.dailycollegian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/02/23/421bea85d8936?in_archive=1)

Outgoing SGA president Eddie Bustamante, says Lombardi's proposal, "reveals 
a longstanding plan by a high ranking UMass official to usurp the autonomy 
of the SGA and silence the voice of dissenting students. This plan has been 
in the works since long before the Commission on Campus Diversity was 
formed. If allowed to proceed, it will take control of the following SGA 
functions: the school newspaper, television station, radio station, legal 
services office, commuter services center, and office of minority advocacy 
and education." Added Bustamante, "If this plan is implemented it will form 
an umbrella with one purpose: to ensure that the University speaks with one 
voice. It will finalize many years of planning to control any voices that 
may possibly dissent from the campus' message."   

The fight for the rights to public education for poor and working-class 
students, true diversity and ultimately student-worker power is a historical 
and immediate responsibility of this generation, stresses Bustamante.       

This proposed dismantling of independent student power on campus, if 
successful, will also have national implications. Private and public 
universities will take UMass-Amherst's lead to neutralize, render 
ineffective or quash dissent precisely at a time when student 
resistance-undergraduate and graduate-is on the rise from the anti-war 
movement, protests against draconian tuition and fee increases and graduate 
student union struggles.
(Visit: http://www.geouaw.org, http://www.yaleunions.org/geso and 
http://www.2110uaw.org/gseu)

As students who care deeply about diversity and social justice, we think 
this is simply unacceptable and that OUR University can do better. We also 
believe the first place to start is with the Commission on Campus 
Diversity's original recommendations.

Fortunately two of the commission members have drafted an alternative to the 
Chancellor's plan, the UMass Community Action Plan. This plan implements all 
of the Commission's recommendations, and most importantly leaves the 
programming and organization of student groups where they are most likely to 
succeed with students.

The UMass Community Action plan has been endorsed by a wide array of 
faculty, students, staff and community members because it strengthens rather 
than attacks student organizations and services for underrepresented 
students on our campus. To review the Commission's original set of 
recommendations, the UMass Community Action Plan and Chancellor Lombardi's 
plan, visit http://www.umass.edu/campusdiversity. For newspaper articles and 
further coverage on these plans, visit http://www.takebackumass.com

Now is the time to preserve independent student-worker autonomy at UMass! 
Time is of the essence.

The comment period on Lombardi's plan ends Friday, April 22. After this date 
no public comments regarding the "restructuring" will be accepted.        
-------------------------
Please take a moment to contact Lombardi and the following individuals. 
Please cc letters to:  contact at takebackumass.com and UMass System President 
Jack Wilson: jwilson at umassonline.net. If you're a member of an organization 
please ask your fellow members to make calls to these administration 
officials throughout this week: April 17-22. 

Tell Chancellor Lombardi to throw out his proposed reorganization of student 
affairs and demand: Hands off student-worker organization's now! Voice your 
support for the democratic and progressive UMass Community Action Plan 
instead of the Chancellor's "restructuring" plan.
**********
John V. Lombardi, Chancellor
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA 01003
(413) 545-2211
lombardi at umass.edu    

Jack Wilson
UMass System President 
One Beacon St. 26th Floor
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 287 7050
jwilson at umassonline.net
http://www.jackmwilson.com

James J. Karam
UMass System Board of Trustees-Chair
180 Horizon Way
Fall River, MA 02720
(508) 676-6268
-------------------------
*Resources:  PDF brochure "Chancellor Lombardi's Action Plan and "'Student 
Control'" at UMass"  
http://www.takebackumass.com/documents/lombardi-brochure2.pdf       -- END 
--
Union labor donated.
_______________________________________________
FORWARDED IN SOLIDARITY BY
Western Massachusetts
INTERNATIONAL ACTION CENTER
wmassiac at hotmail.com
wmass at nodraftnoway.org
http://www.iacenter.org
http://www.troopsoutnow.org
----------------------
Founded in 1992 by former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, the 
INTERNATIONAL ACTION CENTER was an initiator of the ANSWER Coalition and 
helped organize the newly formed TROOPS OUT NOW! Coalition. For regular 
local updates on our activities, join our low-volume listserv by clicking 
wmassanswer-subscribe at yahoogroups.com, send the pop-up email to yahoogroups, 
and reply to their verification notice.
_______________________________________________

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