occupy umass boston press release [1/23/2012]
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8/3/2019 Occupy UMass Boston Press Release [1/23/2012]
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*EMBARGOED RELEASE UNTIL: Monday, January 23th, 2012, 8:00 AM*
Contacts: OccupyUMB@gmail.com
Students Occupy the University of Massachusetts Boston in Solidarity with Occupy
Wall Street
*Monday, January 23rd, Students Occupy The Campus Center at The University of
Massachusetts Boston*
The movement that began on Wall Street on September 17 has continued for over 5
months to spread globally and brought people together to take part in direct democracy.
Occupy UMass Boston moves to bring this conversation to the campus this spring
semester. We seek to create an alternative to the prevailing corporate model of education
that excludes students, faculty, and staff from the decision making process.
Occupy UMass Boston liberated the first floor atrium at the UMass Boston Campus
Center in Boston, today Monday, January 23 at 7 a.m., to begin an ongoing protest to
provide a forum where students, staff, faculty, and members of the community can cometo a consensus on what concrete changes would provide quality, accessible education in
Boston that is available to everyone in the 99%.
Occupy UMass Boston seizes this space in solidarity with #OccupyWallStreet,
#OccupyBoston, Students Occupy Boston, as well as others across the globe, from Spain,
to Egypt, Tunisia, the UK, and elsewhere, who stand in resistance against the attacks by
the 1% on working people.
Occupy UMass Boston is the beginning of an ongoing discussion about the problems
with Americas public higher education system and how it has become less and less
accessible to communities of the poor and minorities while simultaneously increasing the
dichotomy between the haves and have-nots. We recognize that this divide is destructive
not just to our generation in this country but to the global community.
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8/3/2019 Occupy UMass Boston Press Release [1/23/2012]
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In UMass Bostons original statement of purpose, presented by Chancellor John F. Ryan
in 1966, it states As urban problems mount, many of the citys most able people flee to
the suburbs and leave the oppressed (...) to struggle alone. The urban university must
stand with the city, must serve and lead where the battle is.
The problems that burden our working class are even greater today. According to UMass
Bostons October 2010 Beginning College Survey, 45% of UMass Boston freshmen
respondents believe that Paying for College will be Very Difficult. And yet, tuition
and fees are ever rising: since 2006, UMass Boston in-state tuition and fees have
increased 38%, from $8,266 to $11,406, and the administration is proposing continued
increases by a rate of 8% annually. This is a result of both state and federal government
policies defunding public higher education and campus administration actions to convert
UMass Boston into a privatized university.
During this indefinite occupation at the only public four-year university in Boston,
Occupy UMass Boston will demand that our university runs on the principles of
transparency, democratic decision-making, accessible public higher education, and
protection for the rights of students, staff, and faculty.
Education is a right, not a privilege.
"Education for the 99%"
"UMass for the Working Class"
Official Website http://occupyumb.tumblr.com/
Twitter @OccupyUMB
Youtube YouTube.com/OccupyUMassBoston
Ustream Live Video - http://www.ustream.tv/user/OccupyUMB
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