UC Santa Cruz students call off the occupation of Humanities building

Wednesday student protestors at UC Santa Cruz told NewsChannel 5 they are calling off the occupation of the Humanities and Social Sciences building on campus.

Protestors took over the building last Thursday after the UC Regents voted to increase tuition over a five year period by 25 percent.

Students released this blog post Wednesday about why they are leaving and that the university should expect them to be back: https://educationshouldbefree.wordpress.com/2014/11/26/we-are-everywhere-a-letter-of-arrival-from-humanities-2/

This letter was sent to UC alumni from Janet Napolitano on Wednesday:

Dear UC Advocate:

Earlier this month, I communicated with you about a Long-term Stability Plan for Tuition and Financial Aid. To those of you who took the time to share your thoughts with me, I thank you. Your opinions do matter, and I want you to know your input is valued.

Last week, the Board of Regents authorized the plan, which included an increase of tuition of up to 5 percent per year through 2019-20. This extra funding will help fill the gap left by continued disinvestment by the State and will help maintain UC’s academic excellence, expand access for California students, and maintain our robust return to aid program which allows more than 55 percent of students to pay no tuition to attend UC. The increased revenue will be matched by our continued efforts to reduce costs through our Working Smarter initiative, which have netted over $660 million in cost reductions over the past four years. More importantly, the plan includes a provision that will reduce or eliminate the proposed tuition increase if the Governor and the State provide additional funding for UC in the 2015-16 State Budget.

The vote to increase tuition by The Regents was not an easy decision; however, it was necessary given the fact that state funding per student at UC has dropped more than 50 percent since 2007-2008. The good news is that the tuition vote has spurred a very important conversation by State leaders about UC and its importance to the state. A recent editorial by the Los Angeles Times succinctly outlines the choice for Californians in this debate. As President of the University, I view it as my obligation to maintain UC’s standing as the top public research university in the world while increasing access and affordability for Californians. I will be working with the Legislature and the Governor in the coming months to remind them that increased investment in the UC may not only eliminate the need for a tuition increase but is also a good investment in the future of California.

November Elections Bring Changes to Sacramento’s Legislative Landscape

Earlier this month, voters elected 31 new members to the State Legislature.The new legislators will be sworn in on December 1 and will include 37 UC alumni. To assist you in finding your legislator, please click here. We look forward to welcoming new legislators and strengthening our relationship with returning members of the State Senate and Assembly.

Clearly, we will have many challenges facing us in Sacramento, but I believe that 2015 will present UC with many opportunities to advance our mission on behalf of students, faculty, staff and the residents of California. It won’t be easy, but I hope I can count on you to let your voice be heard by getting in touch with your legislators when the new session begins in January. I will be back in touch once we see what the Governor proposes in his 2015-16 budget and what lies ahead for UC in 2015. Thank you for your support for the University of California, and I extend my best wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving season.

Fiat Lux!
Janet Napolitano
President