NC NAACP president speaks at UNC against tuition increases

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, President of the North Carolina NAACP, spoke at UNC-Chapel Hill Wednesday against tuition increases at the state’s universities.

At a press conference outside of South Building, Barber insisted that the General Assembly must find other means to balance the budget without such deep cuts to education funding. In 2011, the legislature cut $414 million in state funding to the 17-institution University of North Carolina system.

Barber’s visit to the campus comes nine days before the UNC Board of Governors is expected to vote on tuition increase proposals from across the University of North Carolina system, including the following proposed increases at UNC-CH:

  • 15.6 percent, or $800 increase, for resident undergraduate students
  • 15.6 percent, or $1,057 increase, for resident graduate tuition
  • 6.5 percent, or $1,622 increase, for non-resident undergraduate tuition
  • 6.5 percent, or $1,555 increase, for non-resident graduate tuition

In October, schools across the 17-institution UNC system were notified that campuses would be allowed to implement a one-time unlimited tuition increase above the state required 6.5, which was put in place by the Board of Governors in 2006 to abet rapidly rising tuition.

The UNC-CH tuition proposal was passed by the University’s Board of Trustees in November when Student Body President Mary Cooper cast the lone vote against the proposal, which is meant to bridge the gap after a $100 million cut in state funding for the University.

The proposal has since met opposition from UNC system President Tom Ross, who has recommended an average 8.8 percent systemwide in-state tuition increase for 2012-2013 and capped the tuition hike at 10 percent, and from former Board of Governors members in the form of a petition against the increases.

The implementation of the tuition increases “will make these institutions inaccessible to many qualified young men and women and breach the moral and constitutional duties of our state to all of our citizens,” the petition said.

In the press conference at the Chapel Hill campus, Barber said he agreed.

The rally

At 5 p.m. Wednesday, students and Rev. Curtis E. Gatewood, Historic Thousands on Jones Street Coalition Coordinator for the N.C. NAACP, held a rally on the steps of South Building called “Protect Our Education: Voices Raised Against Tuition Increases.”

Students gather as Rev. Curtis E. Gatewood, Historic Thousands on Jones Street Coalition Coordinator for the N.C. NAACP, speaks out against tuition increases. (Alex Barinka/ reesenews)

Though the students on the steps outnumbered the audience, shouts of “Whose University? Our University?” rang across the lawn.

Gatewood, in a lyrical address to the audience, also spoke out against the legislature’s choices in allocating state dollars and the education funding cuts.

The $414 million in state dollars for the UNC system cut in 2011 was followed by program cuts at campuses across the system to cope with falling revenues. At UNC-CH, more than 500 courses were eliminated in fall 2011 after the $100 million in cuts, and the effects on the classroom may worsen.

The Chapel Hill campus was able to implement a budget reduction of about $80 million after a one-time $20 million transfer in funds from the UNC Health Care System. The proposed tuition increases would raise about $15 million in revenue next year as the school does not have other options for additional fund transfers.

As the Feb. 10 Board of Governors vote nears, the student protesters are planning to march against being charged as the source of additional revenue. Students plan to rally on the day of the meeting beginning at 8 a.m. in The Pit, and Gatewood said he would join them.

On Sat., Feb. 11, the N.C. NAACP and its partners will march on Raleigh at the 6th Annual Historic Thousands on Jones Street People’s Assembly to rally its 14-point agenda which includes equitable education.

Complete audio from Barber’s press conference:

By Brian Walker — Carolina Connection

Related:

UNC president recommends 8.8 percent tuition increase systemwide || reesenews

Uneducated and unqualified: Education cuts may leave NC workers without jobs || reesenews

UNC Board of Trustees passes 15.6 percent tuition increase || reesenews

Affiliate organizations:

Carolina Week

Carolina Connection

  1. > “Who’s University? Our University?”

    *Whose

    Comment by winklepicker on February 2, 2012 at 2:41 pm