UA tuition petition needs 5000 names

As University administrators lobby for the restoration of state aid to the University, Undergraduate Assembly members are continuing their petition drive. UA members said they hope to collect 5000 signatures, or about half of the undergraduate student population, on the petition, which calls for the University to keep any possible tuition increase low and asks the state to return the $41.2 million in requested funding. "We're gunning for 5000 [signatures], and there's really no reason why we shouldn't get them," UA Chairperson Mitch Winston said yesterday. David Chun, the UA's Budget and Finance Committee chairperson, said yesterday that the UA has collected at least 3500 signatures so far. The petition, after being checked by the UA, will be sent to the administration, while just the signatures of Pennsylvania residents will be sent to Harrisburg. And UA members will meet with James Shada, the University's lobbyist, to coordinate the University's and UA's lobbying efforts. According to Winston, the UA originally decided to meet with Shada before the budget announcement but later decided that it would be better to meet after Gov. Robert Casey made his announcement to the State Assembly. "Now we are going to get together with him to give him our help," Winston said yesterday. Casey said in his address, which proposed cutting funding to public and private universities alike, that "our public universities and institutions must come first." UA members point to last year's funding battle with the state as an example of the pressure lobbying efforts can place on the state legislators. Last year Casey proposed cutting the University's funding by over $18 million, but the University's successful lobbying effort convinced state legislators to restore the entire budget of $37.6 million. Each UA member has been asked to collect "a couple hundred" signatures, Winston said. Winston said the UA will collect the lists of signatures from representatives at the next meeting, planned for March 1, and will check the lists for double counting and forgeries. But Winston said it would be nearly impossible for the group to examine all of the 5000 expected signatures. In the past, UA members in fraternities have had brothers and pledges collect signatures, which Winston said can run into difficulties. Winston said he does not think members should go out and collect signatures for the sake of collecting signatures, but should make sure students understand what they are signing. But Winston said "if they take it seriously," fraternities can significantly help the UA fulfill its signature goal. Winston said last year's effort earned the UA letters of thanks from University administrators and local legislators who lobbied for state funding for the University. Last year, the UA collected over 4000 signatures, compiled them, and sent the list to both the University and the state. The petition also calls for the University to keep any tuition increase low. Last year, the University Trustees, after listening to a plea from the UA to keep tuition low, lowered the proposed tuition increase from 6.9 percent to 6.7 percent, yielding about a $30 savings for each student. The UA will also begin a letter writing drive on March 1, during which UA members will hand out form letters to students who reside in Pennsylvania. Students will be asked to sign the form letter supplied by the University, address it to the appropriate state senator and write in how much state funding the University should receive, Chun said. The UA will continue the letter writing drive through the month of March, with a goal of having 500 letters sent. UA members are shooting for 5000 signatures on the petition, Chun said. The UA will present the petition to the Trustees during the board's spring meeting in March.

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