December 2, 2006

Dear Dear State College Faculty and Librarians:

I am pleased to report that I participated in a higher education summit meeting with Governor-elect Deval Patrick sponsored by a coalition of UMass faculty, staff and students at UMass-Amherst on Friday, December 1, 2006. This meeting, attended by a small group of individuals involved in public higher education throughout the state, was the first major step in a process to advance public higher education in Massachusetts under the new administration.

Five general principles were discussed: funding, affordability, access, the need for more faculty and researchers, and democracy/governance issues, which included the collective bargaining process. The report that formed the basis for the discussion is posted on the website for the Massachusetts Society of Professors www.umass.edu/msp. I would be interested in your feedback about it.

Governor-elect Patrick was impressive in his willingness both to engage the participants and to listen to them. The shape of his priorities in this area began to emerge and we hope to keep communicating and working together as the new administration developes.

At the same time, the first public open forum of the governor-elect's working group on higher education was held in an adjoining auditorium, attended by over 500 people. A brief article about the hearing appeared in Saturday's Boston Globe.

The next open forum of this group has been announced as follows. I urge as many of you as possible to attend this forum, sign up to testify (two minute presentations are allowed in order to maximize the number of participants who can be heard) and present the case for the state colleges. I look forward to seeing you there or at a open forum in your area.

My husband and I send you and your families our best wishes for the holiday season. 2007 promises to be bright.

Patricia Markunas
MSCA President

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