A Message From Susan Herbst, Who Announces the Apocalypse.
A special message from UConn President Susan Herbst
Dear UConn Alumni,
As you may have seen, the Connecticut General Assembly recently approved a budget that would cut more than $300 million in funding from the University of Connecticut over the next two years. We write to urge you to contact your State Senator xxxxxx to voice your opposition to balancing the budget on the backs of UConn students.
UConn has managed reductions to our state support for several years and we always expect to absorb cuts as the state works to address its budget challenges. However, $300 million is triple the size of the cut we expected. A reduction of that magnitude is unprecedented and would be devastating for UConn.
As I told the university community, such a loss of funding would send UConn’s academic quality plummeting, drive excellent students away from the university and out of Connecticut, make a UConn education unaffordable for many students and families, drive down graduation rates, increase class sizes, and gut vital student services, among other terrible impacts.
In addition, we know UConn is helping to lead the way in Connecticut’s much needed economic recovery. The ability to offer a high-quality education while maintaining our strong commitment to funding student financial aid is why so many of Connecticut’s best students choose to come to UConn. And employers rely on UConn to shape these students into highly skilled, well-educated graduates prepared to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
Governor Dannel P. Malloy has indicated that he will veto this measure. A new budget will be negotiated by the legislature and the governor. We expect that will largely happen over the course of the next several days.
Many parents, students, employees and alumni have called and written to ask what they can do to help. The single most important thing you can do as a Connecticut resident and parent of a UConn student is to express your views to your State Senator TODAY by clicking here.
Thank you for your support in this difficult time.
Sincerely,
Susan Herbst
President
University of Connecticut