He's got to be kidding.
Now the governor has public higher education in his crosshairs?
In addition to attacking teachers and K-12 public schools, Gov. Cuomo's mean-spirited budget continues the trend of disinvestment in New York's public colleges and universities through a number of risky schemes. They include millions of dollars in cuts to SUNY/CUNY's successful opportunity programs and the subsidy for SUNY's three teaching hospitals, as well as a new performance-based funding gimmick.
Simply put, the governor's budget fails to provide funding necessary to support the basic expenses of SUNY's and CUNY's state-operated campuses. These institutions have been subjected to deep cuts - hundreds of millions of dollars - since 2008. Years of underfunding SUNY/CUNY has caused program cuts and tuition increases — threatening the quality of public higher education.
Students face increased class sizes and delayed graduations because courses are not available. And student services have been cut, leaving students with reduced access to advisement and mentoring assistance.
Take action now at the NYSUT Member Action Center to ask lawmakers to support public higher education against the governor's reckless, mean-spirited schemes!
And that's just the beginning. The governor has targeted and attacked some of New York's most valued and most essential institutions, programs, and purveyors of public higher education.
Help us fight back.
In solidarity,
Andrew Pallotta
NYSUT Executive Vice President
P.S.: Don't forget it's Take Action Tuesday! Click here for several ways to fight back now!