#USMFuture: How One Small School Is Resisting 'Corporate War on Public Education

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https://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/03/26-1


Hundreds of students and university workers rally outside of the law building at the University of Southern Maine Portland campus on Monday, March 24. (Photo: Shaun Carland)

When University of Southern Maine administrators announced mass faculty firings and departmental cuts, students, faculty, and staff protested by taking over part of a university building last Friday. A few days—and sit-ins and walk-outs—later, their continued mobilization against the "national corporate war on public education" appears to be resonating with students and university workers across the country.

"We've been getting an outpouring of support around the country from different universities," said Meaghan LaSala, student at the University of Southern Maine and organizer of the student actions, in an interview with Common Dreams."We're organizing in the context of the national corporate war on public education."

Earlier this month, USM president Theo Kalikow and Provost Michael Stevenson announced a push to cut four academic programs—American and New England studies, geosciences, arts and humanities at the school’s Lewiston-Auburn College facility, and recreation and leisure studies—and up to 50 faculty and staff. The first round of lay-offs took place Friday when a dozen faculty members—including tenured professors—were handed "retrenchment" or layoff letters.

Over 100 students and faculty responded Friday by staging an occupation of the law building that houses the Provost's office—lining the hallway that faculty were forced to walk through to receive their layoff letters.

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1. K&R....

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2. Public schools should for education, not be driven by profit.