UH students protest proposed budget cuts

A march, rally and sit-in were held at University of Hawaii’s Manoa campus Monday to protest proposed budget cuts rumored to target teaching assistants and other areas that affect graduate students.

In response, acting UH-Manoa Chancellor Reed Dasenbrock issued a statement declaring that no teaching assistant positions in the College of Natural Sciences would be cut in the spring.

"Students should rest assured that the courses they need to graduate will be available, and there should be no negative budget-related impact on classes and degree pathways to graduation," he said. "To that end, all core courses will be offered in spring 2015."

Graduate student Christie Wilcox, one of the rally’s organizers, called the statement "a great start," adding, "We’re glad the administration is listening to us. But ultimately it’s just a Band-Aid."

Wilcox, a Ph.D. candidate in cellular and molecular biology, said there are many more uncertainties in the budget, including $2.5 million in proposed cuts.

"Ultimately we want budget reform, not just a Band-Aid," she said.

Officials have said that over the past several years, schools and colleges on the Manoa campus have spent more tuition revenue than they bring in, and are expending reserves to make up the difference.

"This practice has resulted in the current fiscal situation in which Chancellor (Robert) Bley-Vroman has mandated that all units stay within their annual budget allocations," Dasenbrock said. "At this time, all schools in Manoa are evaluating their programs to make prudent financial decisions that responsibly balance program requirements with available resources."

Bley-Vroman previously indicated that Manoa’s tuition fund balance dropped to $13 million at the end of 2013-2014 from $99 million in 2010-11, and the campus is projected to overspend regular tuition revenues this school year by roughly $31 million.

Dasenbrock added that Manoa graduated a record number of students in May and that he’s confident the trend will continue.

Dozens of students started the rally on the campus streets and made their way to the Campus Center courtyard, where the sit-in was expected to continue through the night.