Solidarity with Striking Puerto Rican University Students

The following was posted by Puerto Rican student leader on Facebook as a call to solidarity - solidarity messages can be sent to the following Facebook account:

Thay Moya added 2 new photos.

1 hr · 

For my English speakers here in Puerto Rico, in the U.S., and globally, here is a press release about whats going on here with our public education system and the government. Join us in solidarity!

SHARING is caring y'all so lets make this viral!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 23rd, 2017

A CALL TO ACTION FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO

On April 7th 2017, at approximately 2:00 AM, students at the University of Puerto Rico- Mayagüez Campus elected to join the systemic university wide strike by a landslide popular vote in response to the proposed budget cuts towards the UPR system. The University of Puerto Rico, established in

1903, is the only public university system in the country not only servicing a very diverse student body but also offering the largest and most diverse course offerings, research, and services to the community in the Caribbean. Under the oversight of the U.S. Fiscal Control Board and Governor Ricardo Rossello’s administration, the government has proposed a budget cut of $512M representing more than 60% of the actual budget which is already in deficit. A budget cut of such magnitude represents the potential collapse of our public university system, the cease of critical services to the Puerto Rican community, the elimination of crucial research utilized by the local and global community, and threatens the ability for Puerto Rican people to access public and affordable education necessary to strengthen our workforce and rectify our economic crisis.

In the face of overwhelming evidence pointing towards government corruption, students are using the systemic strike to pressure the current governing bodies to cease the

proposed budget cuts, provide economic transparency to the Puerto Rican people, and engage in effective dialogue with the students. Thus, students have declared the termination of the strike conditional upon the meeting of these five demands: (1) that the debt be audited, (2) students not be penalized for engaging or openly expressing viewpoints in favor of the strike, (3) zero cuts occur to the university budget, (4) a reform to the university system take place, (5) and lastly that tuition not be raised and tuition waivers remain intact. Behind university gates students are working on proposals to present to the government as alternatives to the proposed budget cuts to the UPR system as well as viable solutions to the island wide economic crisis.

The pressure generated by the strike to date has produced a meeting between Gov. Rossello and student council presidents of all 11 campuses which resulted in limited dialogue from Gov. Rossello and zero negotiation. Frequent communications have also been sent out by the acting President of the UPR system, Nivia A. Fernandez, favoring a cessation of the student strike even in the face of losing the public university system. Mass media outlets such as El Nuevo Día, Metro, and Lo Se Todo have also contributed to movements in opposition of the strike using fear tactics and misinformation.

This is an urgent call to the Puerto Rican diaspora, institutions of higher education in the U.S., the community of foreigners living on the island, and the global community to stand in solidarity with the University of Puerto Rico and its students. Many government and university officials are refusing to open necessary channels of dialogue with students. Voices outside of the island are necessary in the transmission of correct information and to increase pressure towards the Puerto Rican government and Fiscal Control Board. Without the University of Puerto Rico system, Puerto Rico collapses leaving approximately 3.5 million people in the middle of a financial crisis, with less educational opportunities, less services, and minimal tools to produce viable solutions for the country.

# # #

#huelga2017
#11Recintos1UPR
#pressrelease

WCC Closing a la Frederick Douglass: No Plow, No Thunder, No Lightning, No Roar of Mighty Waters and . . . No WCC in Fall 2018

Time for some Frederick Douglass reality check - WCC got 1 year left and instead of unifying to try to change that equation - I have come under scurrilous and baseless attack for the methods of struggle that I chose to embrace and that I have proposed and promoted - I think some are trying to tell themselves that something was won on March 28 but the AAUP statement responding to the decision is a far more sober assessment.

I have been vilified for saying as much and folks say they want to be positive and hopeful. That's all well and good - have at it - but come this time next year the wrecking ball from the meme my son made last year (when I participated in a quasi successful effort to save WCC yet to the detriment of faculty and the AAUP) will be casting a dark shadow.

This is the part of the famous quotation that relates to those that have participated in my smearing for my suggestions of a more active and sustained kind of protest than what students and alumni offered:

"If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation are men who want crops without plowing the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the roar of its mighty waters."

Here there has been disparaging of my agitation and we did NOT plow the ground. There has been no thunder and lighting and there has been no roar of mighty waters and come 2018 . . . as it seems . . . unless we heed the call of AAUP to continue the fight to demand that Westminster continue . . . there will be no Westminster.

https://herb.ashp.cuny.edu/items/show/1245

Open Letter to Alumni Council

Dear Leaders and Members of Westminster Choir College Alumni Council,

Apparently there is some confusion among your members and followers.  I hope this letter will provide clarification.

I wish you every success with your pending events around Westminster Choir College Alumni reunion.

I have come to the attention of some Facebook comments suggesting that I had intentions to attend and possibly even disrupt these events.  I did not see any corrective comments from your leadership in response though such correction could have been made after the information I have been provided was collected.  I assume that the leadership of your council did not initiate these innuendo and falsehoods about me.

Do you know where this idea began, that I was intending to attend and / or disrupt?  I have not been personally invited to your festivities.  I was vaguely aware of the event but it was not really on my radar at all.  Saving Westminster is only one of many issues that I am involved in.  Others include stopping Rider's attempt to destroy the AAUP, Rider’s anti-immigrant policies, I just coordinated a NJ statewide response to the US bombing of Syria, I am one of the statewide coordinators of Decarcerate the Garden State and am supporting the organization efforts of COSECHA around A Day Without Immigrants for May 1 2017.  Point being – I am very busy so I was not even thinking about your important event and I apologize for that.

Can you please dispel any rumors among your membership that I had any intention to disrupt your event?  I am not sure where they got that idea into their head but there was an awful excessive amount of discourse – one even suggesting the need to call security to invite my exit to stop my non-disruption during my non-attendance of the event.

A couple of other things.  One of the alumnus suggested she wanted to “steal” my banner (I have two actually).   If you want to borrow one or both for your events – all good.  It does not imply that you agree with my approach to fighting to save Westminster – it implies that you agree to the slogan on the banner: Save Westminster Choir College – Support Beloved Faculty.

Also if you want a stack of historical O Westminster papers to share with your members – even if you do not absolutely agree with the perspective – it is mostly about how the plight of Westminster Choir College is tied to the plight of Westminster (and Rider) faculty and the AAUP – I can share them.

http://riderstudentsunion.blogspot.com/2017/03/o-westminster-published-and-distributed.html 

If you want neither of these things that’s fine too – no worries.

While I am not intending to organize any kind of demonstration around your events – it would not be a bad idea for YOU to organize maybe a 1 hour evening twilight candle light vigil that you can all sing some hopeful songs of struggle to Save Westminster Choir College.

I have no idea how this ugly innuendo and rumor and demonization of my character occurred, to have several people worrying about me disrupting an event I had not even been invited to nor had any intention of attending let  alone disrupting.  It would not have been horrible to have actually been invited to the events – to have a table there with my information – or whatever – or even to break bread with your members.  After all we have been fighting for the same thing even if some of your members disagree with my perspective on how to struggle in a place like Rider University.  But given the attitudes of some of your members and their wild and vivid imaginations – I am not expecting such an invite right away and at this point to be honest it is I who would be a little nervous being around them!

Any way – you want to borrow the banners and / or you want some papers to share with the membership, contact me.

But most importantly please ask your members to stop creating stories and feeding innuendo and rumor about my intentions toward your events.

Of course I wish you every success with it.

Sincerely,

Bob Witanek

Call or Text 908-881-5275

Petirion Stop Princeton Public Schools From Acquiring Westminster Choir College Real Estate

Stop Princeton Public Schools From Acquiring Westminster Choir College Real Estate

https://www.change.org/p/princeton-public-school-board-stop-princeton-public-schools-from-acquiring-westminster-choir-college-real-estate

Princeton Mecca of Liberalism and Arts/Music Patronage - Swooping Down on Westminster!

Petittion Launched April 5 One Minute to Midnight:

https://www.change.org/p/princeton-public-school-board-stop-princeton-public-schools-from-acquiring-westminster-choir-college-real-estate

UPDATE APRIL 5:
TODAY I spoke with Princeton Township Planning Director Lee O. Solow,  PP, AICP - Planning Director and learned that tomorrow's Planning Board meeting is canceled.  He states that Princeton Public Schools did NOT send the request - per their recent resolution for Planning Board review and approval yet.  He did not like the idea of focusing a possible protest on the Planning Board and stated that we should focus on the Princeton Public Schools - I made clear that I have been making my position clear in this regard but that once the issue comes before the Planning Board that it would be protested there as well.

He was not overly pleased.  He stated that he would not respond to press stories on the issue but would confirm to me (assuming I follow up) once PPS sends the formal inquiry and request to Planning.

LETS BE CLEAR - SELLING THE LAND SEPARATELY = LIQUIDATION OF WESTMINSTER CHOIR COLLEGE - THEY MIGHT AS WELL MOVE THE PIANOS ON TO THE FRONT LAWN OF BRISTOL CHAPEL!


Rider has confirmed that it has NOT ruled out selling to PPS and the coordination of the 3/28 PPS resolution with the 3/28 Rider announcement demonstrated that the two entities are working in tandem!

COMMENTARY AND PROTEST PLANS:

Princeton, NJ, mecca of liberalism and arts and music patronage, home of McCarter Theatre and vibrant night life - and now .  . .

AN ENEMY OF THE SURVIVAL OF WESTMINSTER CHOIR COLLEGE!

On March 28 – after around 600 students, faculty, alumni and supporters surrounded North Hall on Rider Campus to protest the pending announcement of steps that will likely lead to the permanent closing of Westminster Choir College – barring a resurgence of resistance by the students and faculty – on that very same day in obvious coordination with Rider Administration, the Princeton Public School Board held its own meeting at which it passed a resolution to start the process of making a move to acquire the coveted Princeton real property that Westminster Choir Campus sits upon.

The resolution provides for the hiring of Spiezle Architecural Group to plan the sale and the planning of a referendum to raise funds for the purchase and the presentation of the plan to the Princeton Planning Board next meeting, which occurs Thursday, April 20, 7 pm at the Princeton Municipal Building on Witherspoon Street.

School board member Justin Doran stated, according to Planet Princeton, a local blog news service that the plan is for Princeton to be first in trying to make a move to buy the Westminster property.

The news flow created a stir of confusion with a report in 101.5’s news site suggesting that Rider was not too interested in the Princeton plan to acquire the property causing many uncareful readers to be relieved that the Princeton threat was not real.

However, Planet Princeton followed up and its editor possesses an e-mail from Rider stating that it has NOT ruled out the idea of liquidating (my word) Westminster by selling off the property to Princeton.

For my part - I have written both Princeton Regional Education unions, the teachers union and the support staff union and implored them to act in solidarity with their sisters and brothers in Rider AAUP by announcing opposition to the Princeton moves against Westminster Choir College.  So far I have not heard back from either body.

I believe that supporters should be at the Planning board meeting – inside the meeting or at least in the corridor – with our banners – supporting Westminster Choir College and telling Princeton to take a hike.

I have invited folks to join me – if I can get a crew of 4 or more – I say let’s do this.

From Facebook Event:

Who wants to carry the banner at the next Princeton Planning Board meeting where the plan to make a move to destroy WCC will be proceeding? Princeton Public Schools is trying to schedule their move against Wesminster Choir College on the agenda of that meeting.
To contact Princeton Planning Board: 
April 20 7:30 pm

Princeton Planning Board
Lee O. Solow, PP, AICP - Planning Director
Ilene Cutroneo, Planning Bd. Coordinator
400 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, NJ 08540
609-924-5366 - Fax: 609-688-2032 
send comments/questions
http://princetonnj.gov/PB/planning-office-contact.html

Call or text 908-881-5275 if interested.

Facebook event. https://www.facebook.com/events/409504999424114/

What say you!

My tweet to mayor: https://twitter.com/bwitanek/status/849068164629635072 

RT's Strongly encouraged!

Related: Interview: Dr. Joel Feldman, Associate Professor of Philosophy - Westminster Should Stay As Part of Rider

Interview: Dr. Joel Feldman, Associate Professor of Philosophy - Westminster Should Stay As Part of Rider

The following is an interview with Dr. Joel Feldman, Associate Professor in the Rider Philosophy Department.  It started as my posting in the Facebook group Keep Westminster Choir College In Princeton– Activist.  Joel’s insightful responses led to an interview conducted with him that brings out some unique points on the Rider University, Westminster Choir College situation.  The perspectives offered by Joel are his own and do not represent any organization, club or institution.  Read, enjoy and offer your feedback!

Posted by me to Keep Westminster– Activist:

If Rider can make $30 M profit off of selling to PPS but only $29 M profit from selling to Juilliard (for example) . . . which one do YOU think they will pick?

Dr. Joel Feldman:  Rider cannot make any money if another institution takes the school. That is why it is likely that they have no intention of actually finding an institution to take it. They are just delaying to divide the union and in the end they have every intention of selling the land and closing WCC. The truth is that the only hope for WCC is if we can stand together to keep WCC part of Rider. The sooner we all see that and get together to insist upon it, the better chance we have of succeeding.

Bob Witanek:  I'd like to see this angle expanded upon - especially the part about how Rider can not make anything from selling the school and property intact . . . do you believe that is because the institution itself is a liability (especially as it transitions to a new parent institution)? 

Dr. Joel Feldman: It is because in higher education it is simply not done that way. When Rider obtained WCC it did not pay for the land. It took on both the assets and the liabilities. WCC is not a liability even for Rider. Rider more or less breaks even on WCC. If another institution wants WCC, they will certainly not be willing to pay for the land. This is why the administration wants another bidder on the land: so they can demand money and undermine any possible deal. Giving WCC to another institution does not really help Rider at all, which is why it makes no sense. This is why it is implausible that they actually intend to do this. They are manipulating all of us.

Bob Witanek: I do believe the manipulation part - I did not thank Rider after the announcement. I did say it was the least offensive of the 3 to media but was not quoted - thankfully (that I was not quoted as such). I am writing a lengthy screed right now saying that it very well might not be any better than the other 2 - and that it is pretty equal with complete closing or a variation on it. 

Right now most of the students and many alums - perhaps even some faculty are believing that WCC was saved for now and they are hoping that something will be worked out with another institution. There also is a belief that Alumni will work some miracle in bringing money plus an institution to the rescue within the next year.

I have no experience nor skills in raising that kind of money and brokering deals with those kinds of institutions - maybe there is some alum out there that has that experience that does not mind utilizing their skill set for free for the next year in that regard - my practical part of my brain is pessimistic in that happening.

We need more insightful analysis than all this adulation for admin after it shoved a dagger into the heart of WCC !

Dr. Joel Feldman:  They have successfully divided us. The Lawrenceville students and faculty do not appreciate what we have in WCC and the WCC students and faculty feel betrayed by Rider. My view is that the only acceptable outcome is that we remain together.

Bob Witanek: That is a view that has not been heard or presented - and I believe it is a valid one that needs to be expanded upon. Is your key point that the transfer to another parent institution is a pipe dream that basically is not going to happen?

Dr. Joel Feldman: Yes. I do believe that. Maybe I am biased, because I do not want to lose WCC, but I think that as long as they pit us against each other, we are weakened. We need to build unity. Lawrenceville students and faculty need to see the value of what they would be losing. Hearing those voices last week was a start. But the WCC students and faculty must also stop seeing Rider as the enemy.

Bob Witanek: What are the first steps toward unity? Since the majors fiasco I have advocated forums with faculty and students on the state of the university - and the forums be on campus. I started organizing one this year but the coalition basically held it off campus and focused it just on WCC - and very few students and faculty attended. How do you believe the effort to promote student - faculty - cross campus unity should proceed?

Dr. Joel Feldman: I don't know, but I am heartbroken by the idea of losing WCC. My major was one of the ones eliminated in 2015 and I was one of the faculty laid off. If they pull us apart we are all weaker. I think that by dangling the prospect of WCC being saved by another institution has had the effect of dividing us, which is what they intended.

Bob Witanek: Closing for now - any final thoughts or ideas for going forward from here?

Dr. Joel Feldman: My big worry is that students and faculty from WCC have given up on fighting to stay part of Rider, and I believe staying together is still the best outcome.

Rider Faculty Needs Solidarity! Appeal to PREA and PRESSA

Dear  Princeton Regional Education Association President and Princeton Regional Education Support Staff Association,

I am writing you independently of any organization, including the Rider AAUP, to request you to take immediate steps in solidarity with your sisters and brothers in Rider AAUP.

As neighbors to Westminster Choir College and Rider University, in recent years you might have followed the turmoil of your sisters and brothers in Rider AAUP, with intransigent and underhanded tactics of the Rider Administration that even after a contract is negotiated, leverages threats to cut programs and AAUP staff positions in order to force mid-contract concessions.

In 2014 the administration threatened to force a strike but Rider AAUP stayed unified with widespread support from parents and students to maintain many protections in its contract.

But in 2015, administration threatened to cut the Piano Department and programs at Westminster and a dozen other majors on the Rider Lawrenceville campus.  Administration leveraged those threats to force a wage freeze and other major concessions which saved those vital programs but savaged the contract only one year in.

Now in 2016 through 2017 the administration used the threat to shut Westminster Choir College to leverage further pressures on the Rider AAUP membership body.  The administration is also applying underhanded tactics to try to undermine the Rider AAUP position in the negotiations of a new contract.  The current contract expires August 2017 and administration is threatening to refuse to bargain after August – an act that could lead to a lock out of your sister and brother AAUP members.  See RiderAAUP.net for more details.

Here are specifics on the underhanded moves of administration against Rider AAUP: 

http://www.rideraaup.net/response-to-dellomos-communication-21017.html 

For its part, Rider AAUP has steadfastly opposed the shuttering of this internationally proclaimed institution, unifying itself and working together with students, staff, faculty, families and alumni in a leadership capacity to oppose the closing of Westminster.

On March 28, Rider University announced its decision to delay the closing of Westminster Choir College for at least a year while it looks for another institution to buy the Choir College and take over its administration.  Also on March 28, in a move that was obviously closely coordinated with Rider Administration, Princeton Public School Board voted to fund an effort to purchase the land only of Westminster Choir College Campus – including a referendum – and if that transpires it could force the complete closure of Westminster Choir College.  If such a land transfer occurs, and Princeton Public Schools takes possession of the property, in the unlikely event that another university or entity purchases the institution portion of Westminster, without the real estate – it will force Westminster Choir College out of Princeton.

The principle demand of all of the forces trying to save Westminster, including the Rider AAUP, has been to save Westminster on the Princeton Campus.

This situation calls for immediate acts of solidarity by your organization, your leadership body and your membership.  You can play a pivotal role now in contributing to the efforts to save  Westminster Choir College IN PRINCETON.  You can do so by making it very clear that your organization will do everything it can TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY REFERENDUM ON PURCHASING THE WESTMINSTER CHOIR COLLEGE CAMPUS FAILS!

This could be the most important act of sisterly labor solidarity on the table for you right now.

As you know across the board teachers are under attack, public education is under attack as is higher education.  Westminster Choir Choir College produces many of the finest public music education professionals – your future sisters and brothers in unified struggle for improvements in public education and the survival of the public teaching profession. That is why I am asking you to act now – under the principles of unity, solidarity and mutual support – to help Save Westminster Choir College and the positions of AAUP members . . . as well as to support AAUP in its tough battle with Rider administration.

This letter is my own initiative – the Rider AAUP did not ask nor consult with me about this letter.

The following are the suggested steps:

1.       Contact Rider AAUP to get a full understanding as to the repercussions of the Westminster Choir College property being sold to Princeton Public Schools.

2.       Communicate to the school board opposition to the sale and the plan for a referendum.

3.    If it comes to it, campaign to defeat a referendum to raise funds to purchase the property of Westminster Choir College.  If you are amenable to it, I would be happy to meet with one or more officers to discuss this issue further.

Please call or text 908-881-5275 to discuss further.

Thank you for your attention. 

Offering Solidarity and Support in your Continuing Success of Protecting the Contract for your members!

Bob Witanek