To: The United States House of Representatives and The United States Senate
Save the University of Puerto Rico
Stop the proposed cuts to the University of Puerto Rico and restructure its federal funding process.
Why is this important?
The University of Puerto Rico (UPR) is the main public system of higher education on the island. It consists of 11 campuses, more than 58,000 students, 5,300 faculty members, and approximately 14,000 administrative staff. It is a government-owned corporation with a board of trustees—consisting of private citizens—that is supposed to represent public interests. However, the board is highly politicized and its structure changes as often as the governor. This game of musical chairs makes the university a tool for the government in power instead of a resource for the people, and it changes the UPR’s vision, strategy, and plans every 4 to 8 years according to the political party in power.
For the past 5 years, the UPR has suffered a reduction in funding of more than 150 million dollars. Therefore, wages were reduced, and job vacancies have not been filled. Currently, the Fiscal Control Board and governor of Puerto Rico are making huge cuts to the UPR’s already reduced budget. This translates to potentially the closing of 8 of the 11 campuses and firing more staff members.
The UPR faces becoming a tragic casualty of the island’s fiscal crisis. Because of government corruption and mismanagement, its students are at risk of losing their only source of higher education and its employees are at risk of losing their jobs and the pension they’ve been paying into for many years
How can Puerto Rico overcome its economic crisis when the plan is to sacrifice education? Lack of or poor education has devastating effects on an economy, including fewer professionals to fill vacancies, fewer businesses created, and ultimately fewer jobs. Cutting funds to the UPR and eliminating campuses is not the solution.
This petition is to ask that the US Congress step in to stop the cutting of funds to the UPR and come up with a better plan in order to prevent further debacles that will harm not only the university, but the stability and future of Puerto Rico.
Although the current structure is that the UPR receives about 9% of the Puerto Rico’s general funds, it seems that a better way to structure the process is making it so that:
1- the UPR be financially unhitched from the island’s central government
2- any and all federal funds destined for the UPR go directly to the university
3- the board of trustees be composed of qualified individuals (including financial experts) who truly represent the public’s academic interests
4- the board of trustees reports directly to the state treasurer
5- the state treasurer ensures federal funds destined for higher education go directly to the university
6- the board of trustees keeps detailed and irrefutable records of the use of federal funds and reports to the state treasurer
7- the state treasurer provides an education financial report to congress or the US Secretary of Education
For the past 5 years, the UPR has suffered a reduction in funding of more than 150 million dollars. Therefore, wages were reduced, and job vacancies have not been filled. Currently, the Fiscal Control Board and governor of Puerto Rico are making huge cuts to the UPR’s already reduced budget. This translates to potentially the closing of 8 of the 11 campuses and firing more staff members.
The UPR faces becoming a tragic casualty of the island’s fiscal crisis. Because of government corruption and mismanagement, its students are at risk of losing their only source of higher education and its employees are at risk of losing their jobs and the pension they’ve been paying into for many years
How can Puerto Rico overcome its economic crisis when the plan is to sacrifice education? Lack of or poor education has devastating effects on an economy, including fewer professionals to fill vacancies, fewer businesses created, and ultimately fewer jobs. Cutting funds to the UPR and eliminating campuses is not the solution.
This petition is to ask that the US Congress step in to stop the cutting of funds to the UPR and come up with a better plan in order to prevent further debacles that will harm not only the university, but the stability and future of Puerto Rico.
Although the current structure is that the UPR receives about 9% of the Puerto Rico’s general funds, it seems that a better way to structure the process is making it so that:
1- the UPR be financially unhitched from the island’s central government
2- any and all federal funds destined for the UPR go directly to the university
3- the board of trustees be composed of qualified individuals (including financial experts) who truly represent the public’s academic interests
4- the board of trustees reports directly to the state treasurer
5- the state treasurer ensures federal funds destined for higher education go directly to the university
6- the board of trustees keeps detailed and irrefutable records of the use of federal funds and reports to the state treasurer
7- the state treasurer provides an education financial report to congress or the US Secretary of Education