When Gov. Tom Corbett took office in 2011, one of his first orders of business was to propose a 50% cut in funding for the PA State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). By the time the budget was approved, legislators reduced the cut to “only” 20%. In his 2012, budget address Corbett sought new cuts, in the end legislators simply extended his cuts from the previous year – bringing the two-year total close to Corbett’s original mark.
This week, Millersville University, one of the 14 PASSHE universities, announced that it had chosen none other than Tom Corbett to be their commencement speaker. Students, alumni, faculty, parents, and community members flooded the university with phone calls and emails, prompting the university to post to a justification to its official blog. The administration’s response has only made matters worse for them.
On March 8th, Marinna Grasley launched a petition to urge the school to choose another commencement speaker. You can SIGN THE PETITION here.
A Facebook page, Millersville Students and Alumni Against Tom Corbett has been launched to organize against having Corbett give Millersville commencement address and Raging Chicken Press has launched a blog to gather stories of students, parents, alumni, faculty, and community members who see this move by the university as a slap in the face.
When someone tries to hurt you, inviting that person into your home as an honored guest is not an appropriate response. Stopping the abuse of public higher education in Pennsylvania starts with all of us.
Sign the petition, join the Facebook page, tell your stories, share your outrage. Do not be silent.
It is a disgrace and slap in the face of alum, facultly, and studens to have this lacky of the energy industry as a speaker at an institution that he has tried to cut funds so drastically that it can’t fulfill its mission.
If this is the kind of decision-making that the new president brings to campus, then I am deeply concerned. Have anti-public-education forces infiltrated the Millersville administration?
Since the new president has not taken office yet, I don’t see how it would be his decision. Sounds like questions should be directed at the outgoing president.
So it seems the only speakers qualified for graduations are those who upset nobody? Because we don’t want to force anyone to listen to views they don’t like? I guess things have changed since I went to college.
Having the sitting governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania speak at a graduation is not an instance to whine about the fact that you don’t agree with his policies because he is a pro business Republican. Relax. The left is all about everyone having freedom of expression but time and time again, especially on college campuses, the thought police come out when someone they disagree with wants to speak. Would you have a problem with Mumia Abu Jamal speaking?
once again…its nothing to do with politics. would i have a problem with Mumia Abu Jamal speaking? not particularly no…unless it was at a Fraternal Order of Police convention. sounds extreme but it is just as much an insult and in just as poor taste to have Corbett at a state system public university. its NOT political its right or wrong.
Fact: Mumia is a convicted murderer of a police officer. Opinion: Governor Corbett opposes teaching.
Your political opinion of Gov. Corbett is guiding your decision to opoose a graduation speech. A convicted cop killer speaking at an FOP event is not even close to a fair comparison to a Republican Governor speaking at a college in his state. This is where you show your bias. You are speaking for your school. It is a safe and logical assumption that a cop killer would not be invited to speak at a police event. However, a convicted cop killer has been invited to speak at colleges. You compare a budget hawk with a murderer who is articulate. I weep for the future if you are representitvie of our youth.
Seriously?
An exaggeration would be Hitler giving a speach at a Barmitzvah – however the principle is the same.
You don’t invite someone who directly contradicts your beliefs and principles to give a speech at your celebration.
Its not about freedom of expression – he directly opposes Millersville University’s founding ideas.
We were a Teaching School in 1928…
It is only your opinion that Governor Corbett doesn’t support higher education. You tell me the legislature cut education by 50% and closed half the state schools in PA but it will still be a political opinion. Your not saying why there were cuts or why funding increases have slowed. That would cause an argument with an entirely other side that people like you do not want to have. Suprression of conservative speech is acceptable in college and it is sickening. You want to question cuts? Why not compare what state university presidents make and compare Governor Corbett’s salary. The federal government caused college tuitions to skyrocket because they guaranteed the loans. Secondary education rises are comparable only to the Health Care industry which also skyrocketed following federal intervention in the sixties. Open your eyes. The government is not bad but it isn’t good either, particularly with profitting.