Dear everyone pining after dramatic unifying campus protests: It’s happening, just not here. The students in the University system of Puerto Rico endured police sieges, food and water shortages, and fights for months in a struggle against huge budget shortfalls. And they just won!
From StudentActivism.net:
The university’s board of trustees approved a settlement agreement a little before 10 pm last night.
The agreement reportedly extends tuition waivers, cancels a major new fee, and abandons a list of university privatization initiatives.
Not sure what they’ve won yet – but some sort of easing of fee and tuition hikes (and the planned privatization of the University System) will likely be part of it.
The students probably had good organization, but they also had a compelling cause they were willing to put their academics and bodies on the line for. For those who want similar mass movements on this and other campuses, for those who want a new Ford Hall occupation – is your cause strong enough? Are you organized?
Privatization? What does a university do that the municipality provides?