United Council of UW Students, Inc. - 5

All across the country we are witnessing declining support for higher education institutions at both the state and federal levels.  United Council believes we can be nation leaders in reversing these devastating trends and return to our roots of a strong commitment to higher education. 

On June 7^th, 2008 the United Council of UW Students passed resolutions to initiate 3 campaigns for the 2008-2009 year:

Biennial Budget Campaign

Vote 2008 Campaign

Veterans Accessibility Campaign

Biennial Budget Campaign

Chair: Kevin Ott

Every two years, the state of Wisconsin creates, approves, and spends a multi-billion dollar budget that touches everything from agriculture to education.  The biennial budget is the core of higher education funding within the UW system. 

We will win with numbers.  Therefore, we need as many students as possible to get involved by engaging other student leaders on campus.  Students all across the state have or will sign on to the United Council budget priorities.  This step helps United Council promote a unified, statewide, student voice to highlight the declining quality of life students face as a result prioritizing other spending over the necessary spending for UW system. 

Through engaging in new and creative tactics, we will gain the attention of media, legislators, Board of Regents, administration, and other decision makers to invest in the higher education needs of Wisconsin’s future leaders.

For more information, please contact:

Cedric Lawson, Legislative Affairs Director       (legislative@unitedcouncil.net; 608.263.3422 x. 15)

Erich Pitcher, LGBTQ Issues Director (lgbtq@unitedcouncil.net; x. 20)

Caroline Archia-Adams, University Affairs Director (university@unitedcouncil.net; x. 17)

Vote 2008

Chairs: Alan Stager & Sam Glenzer

The upcoming school year offers United Council new and exciting opportunities to build our student base to move forward and make public higher education a priority in Wisconsin.  Vote work will be the vehicle the student movement needs for the future progress of Wisconsin.  United Council will be working with every UW campus to build diverse vote coalitions to register, educate, and mobilize students across the state.

Our vote campaign will effectively engage candidates and the media about the importance and strength of the student vote while also gaining public support for the UW System. 

The student movement’s power is our numbers and turning out large numbers of student voters will hold our elected officials accountable to the needs of students across the state. 

For more information, please contact:

Sheltreese McCoy, Multicultural Issues Director (multicultural@unitecouncil.net; 608.263.3422 x. 12)

Amanda Evenstone, Gender and Women’s Issues Director (women@unitedcouncil.net; x. 16)

Veterans’ Accessibility Campaign

Chair: Anthony DeWees

Veterans in the state of Wisconsin have served our country with honor and dignity. These veterans deserve what they have been promised. One of those promises is fully funded tuition for their college educations.

United Council of UW Students fully supports Veterans’ Tuition Remission, and that Veterans’ tuition remission should be fully funded by state GPR dollars. United Council believes this program should be expanded to include benefits for the spouse and children of both living and deceased veterans.  United Council also wants the Tuition remission program to include the entire cost of veterans’ higher education, to include Baccalaureate, Master, and Professional degrees.  We also support these dollars being administered through HEAB.

Our Veterans’ Accessibility Campaign will increase awareness of veterans’ issues and the importance of fulfilling our commitment to funding tuition remissions for veterans, their spouses, and their families. 

For more information, please contact:

Cedric Lawson, Legislative Affairs Director       (legislative@unitedcouncil.net; 608.263.3422 x. 15)

Let’s come together and work toward concrete victories for students in Wisconsin!!!