UT students protest program cuts

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Proposed cuts to Liberal Arts programs at the University of Texas prompted a protest Wednesday by more than 100 students. A loose group calling themselves "The Students Speak" staged the rally on the campus' west mall.

The cuts were proposed by the Academic Planning and Advisory Committee . Targeted are ethnic and gender diversity courses, including classes involving the history of Afro-Americans, Hispanics, Asians and women.

"A 5 percent cut in the State Legislature translates into a 40 percent cut for ethnic studies, 30 percent in gender studies. We see the university is not making the history of people of color, things important to us, a priority on campus," said Afrose Ahmed, a protester.

"We have people spending tens of thousands on frivolities, going to hotels, skyboxes at games, flying to sporting events in other states, why aren't we using that on education? What's the point of that?" asked another student, Jessica Martin.

Dr. Richard Flores, the Senior Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts said the recommended cuts total about one million dollars and affect sixteen centers and institutes:

• African and African-American Studies
• John L. Warfield Center for Asian American Studies
• Center for Women's and Gender Studies
• Center for Mexican American Studies
• Center for European Studies
• Center for East Asian Studies
• Humanities Institute
• Thomas Jefferson Center for the Study of Core, Texts and Ideas
• Population Research Center
• Texas Archeological Research Lab
• Texas Language Technology Center
• Texas Language Center
• Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies
• Center for Middle Eastern Studies
• Center for Latin American Studies
• Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies
• South Asia Institute

Flores told KXAN Austin News Dean Randy Diehl plans to meet with faculty, staff and students about the recommended cuts.  Diehl will make the final decision on the budget for the Fall 2011 sometime in the next Spring semester.

Flores said UT President Bill Powers has signaled to the College of Liberal Arts that he wants to do whatever possible to mitigate cuts to two centers in particular -- the Center for African-American Studies and the Center for Mexican American Studies.

UT has been struggling to balance budgets since the state of Texas called for five percent cuts across state agencies early in 2010.  University officials are bracing for more cuts of about ten percent in the coming year.  Add that all up, and Flores said the College of Liberal Arts will soon be facing a 3.75 million dollar budget deficit.