Fast Facts:
alex.coleman@wreg.com
(Memphis, TN 02/26/09) Using song and prayer, peaceful demonstrators like Tonya Brown gathered outside the University of Tennessee Student Alumni Center on Madison Avenue.
Brown is staff member at the University of Tennessee. "We are praying for them to give us a piece of life instead of no life at all. Pay cuts, not job cuts," Brown said.
The protestors wanted to send a message to UT Trustees meeting inside the student center that they oppose possible cuts on UT campuses, including Memphis. Labor activists with the Mid-South Interfaith Network lined the sidewalk to protest.
Rev. Rebekah Jordan says the trustees should not make any quick decision. "We are praying that they will be deliberate and slow in making those decisions because so many factors haven't been decided yet and it's terrible in our economy to laying people off," Jordan said.
Hundreds of jobs could be targeted on the Memphis campus. For example, the Nursing School and other programs could face the budget axe and the Master's Degree program in Social Work cut be cut.
Jonathan Cole is a Class of 2003 graduate from the School of Social Work. Cole said, "The Memphis campus is predominately African American. It's the only campus of the College of Social Work that has a majority African American population and I feel it's unfair to single out one particular disadvantaged group."
The Board of Trustees says everyone will be affected equally and that it's being forced to look at dramatic cuts because of the recession. Jim Murphy is Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
"We are in a very tough time. Our goal is to try to be strategic in the cutting process so it won't be devastating to any campus," Murphy said.
The Trustees say the federal economic stimulus package may give some programs a lifeline.
"What we're looking to do now is look at the process of the worse case scenario if the stimulus money comes in we would have an ability to restore programs, but at this point we can't say which ones will be restored," Murphy said.
Until then demonstrators hope their message will be heard and prayers answered to avoid job cuts in Memphis.
- University of Tennessee Board of Regents meet in Memphis
- Protestors gather to oppose possible job cuts and program cuts
- Regents hope Federal Economic Stimulus Package will be a lifeline
alex.coleman@wreg.com
(Memphis, TN 02/26/09) Using song and prayer, peaceful demonstrators like Tonya Brown gathered outside the University of Tennessee Student Alumni Center on Madison Avenue.
Brown is staff member at the University of Tennessee. "We are praying for them to give us a piece of life instead of no life at all. Pay cuts, not job cuts," Brown said.
The protestors wanted to send a message to UT Trustees meeting inside the student center that they oppose possible cuts on UT campuses, including Memphis. Labor activists with the Mid-South Interfaith Network lined the sidewalk to protest.
Rev. Rebekah Jordan says the trustees should not make any quick decision. "We are praying that they will be deliberate and slow in making those decisions because so many factors haven't been decided yet and it's terrible in our economy to laying people off," Jordan said.
Hundreds of jobs could be targeted on the Memphis campus. For example, the Nursing School and other programs could face the budget axe and the Master's Degree program in Social Work cut be cut.
Jonathan Cole is a Class of 2003 graduate from the School of Social Work. Cole said, "The Memphis campus is predominately African American. It's the only campus of the College of Social Work that has a majority African American population and I feel it's unfair to single out one particular disadvantaged group."
The Board of Trustees says everyone will be affected equally and that it's being forced to look at dramatic cuts because of the recession. Jim Murphy is Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
"We are in a very tough time. Our goal is to try to be strategic in the cutting process so it won't be devastating to any campus," Murphy said.
The Trustees say the federal economic stimulus package may give some programs a lifeline.
"What we're looking to do now is look at the process of the worse case scenario if the stimulus money comes in we would have an ability to restore programs, but at this point we can't say which ones will be restored," Murphy said.
Until then demonstrators hope their message will be heard and prayers answered to avoid job cuts in Memphis.
