University to take case to Statehouse

Members of the IU Student Association, along with prominent IU administrators, are taking their push for increased higher education funding to the Statehouse today.\nIU President Myles Brand; senior Meredith Suffron, IU Student Association president; Dean Hertzler, IU's student trustee; and Kirk White, director of Hoosiers for Higher Education are confirmed speakers at the IUSA rally to take place at 4 p.m. today in the Statehouse rotunda.\nIndiana Sen. Vi Simpson, D-Ellettsville, Rep. Mark Kruzan, D-Bloomington and Rep. Peggy Welch, D-Bloomington are also expected to be in attendance, said junior Ben Piper, IUSA director for legislative relations.\nPiper said he hopes for a large student turnout, as the budget legislation will directly affect how much students' tuition increases next year.\n"The interest level of students has been below what we had expected," Piper said. "All we can do is extend the opportunity and if students don't want to make the effort to show, if tuition goes up, they know who to blame."\nIUSA has arranged free bus transportation for students who want to attend. The bus will leave at 2 p.m. from the Indiana Memorial Union circle drive.\nThe next few weeks are critical, White said, because the legislature will determine IU's funding levels for 2001-03, including tuition assistance funds and projects such as the School of Informatics and the new multidisciplinary science building.\n"We hope that we'll have a chance for our students and other University supporters to send a message to the governor and other elected officials … explaining the importance of higher education for Indiana," White said.\nUniversity spokeswoman Susan Dillman said increased higher education funding has always been a top priority for Brand and that he is looking forward to working with students on the cause.\n"This is something that President Brand has been talking about for several months," Dillman said. "He is delighted that students have picked up that banner and are also letting the legislature know how important this is.\n"This year is tougher then ever, but nevertheless it doesn't lessen the need, and it doesn't in anyway diminish the importance of investing in higher education."\nWhite echoed Dillman's statements, saying he was happy for the opportunity to work with IUSA on the rally.\n"When we present a united message, we're much more successful," he said, "and I'm pleased that we'll be able to do that tomorrow"