Michael, I don't see either the background statement nor sample letter that are mentioned as included. Paul
Quoting michael perelman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > Business forms a blue ribbon committee to decide how a college should > be run -- > > The AAUP chapter at UMKC is appealing for your help (if you are on > several > lists, apologies for multiple mailings). > > Since April a so-called "Blue Ribbon Task Force" has been at work > "evaluating" the University of Missouri at Kansas City, a public > institution > belonging to the four-campus University of Missouri system. > Commissioned by > business interests outside the university, the Task Force is chaired > by > Benno Schmidt, who has made a career and a personal fortune > privatizing > public education. The Task Force has strongly suggested in public > statements its intention to recommend removing UMKC from the > University of > Missouri system. Given Schmidt's track record, there is a high > likelihood > that the Task Force will also recommend partial or full > privatization. > Other Task Force members are on record in support of an autocratic > model of > university governance. The Task Force is an instrument of certain > local > businesses hoping to take control of UMKC and profit by > reorganization of > the university. > > Faculty and student organizations as well as administrators have > already > expressed public opposition to the possibility of a corporate > takeover. > Please join them by raising your voice against the dismemberment of > the > University of Missouri System, the isolation of UMKC, its downgrading > to an > underfunded, third rank institution, and the erection of financial > barriers > shutting out low income people and communities of color from higher > education. > > The future of UMKC and of public higher education in Missouri is > squarely on > the line, and the direction it takes will impact everyone: faculty, > students, staff, administrators, alumni, retirees, and the public at > large. > > We need as many voices as possible to counteract the powerful backers > of the > Task Force and the extensive public relations apparatus it has > mobilized to > sell its agenda to the public. The plans for a corporate takeover of > UMKC > are on fast track, and we must start to build a large response now. > The > first wave of letters must be sent before the Task Force delivers > its > "preliminary report" on June 24. > > Please do the following: > > 1) contact officials (see list below) > 2) if you live in the KC region, attend the Friday June 24 hearing > in > Kansas City of the Missouri State Government Review Commission. Be > there to > support testimony against the Blue Ribbon Task Force by UMKC > administration, > faculty, staff, students, and alumni. Time: 2PM. Place: Auditorium > of > Missouri Department of Conservation, Discovery Center, 4750 Troost > (west > side of Troost, driveway just south of fast food restaurant on > corner). > > Below you will find a sample letter and a list of people to write to. > If > you can, send an e-mail message to everyone on the list, but even > one > message to a single person is a valuable contribution. The voice of > the > public defending public higher education needs to be be heard. > > Please forward this appeal to everyone you know who supports public > higher > education. If you are on the faculty of UMKC or of other > institutions, > please contact your colleagues, professional organizations, students > and > former students, administrators, staff, and individuals and > organizations in > the community you work with. If you are in the community, please > contact > individuals and organizations in your networks. > > So that the AAUP chapter can tabulate public responses to this > appeal, > please send a message to the web manager of the AAUP site > ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) stating the number of people you have > contacted. > If it is everyone on the list, just write "ALL." > > For more information please see the BACKGROUND STATEMENT below, > which > includes links to more extensive sources with documentation. > > Thank you very much for your support. > > Sincerely, > > Patricia Brodsky > Professor of Foreign Languages > President, AAUP chapter at UMKC > > -- > > Michael Perelman > Economics Department > California State University > michael at ecst.csuchico.edu > Chico, CA 95929 > 530-898-5321 > fax 530-898-5901 > > >
