AWA R D-W INNING CENTR A LR ECOR DER .COM Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Central Connecticut State University
Volume 109 No. 20
Student Leaders Plan Demonstration Against Tuition Hikes Increase Discussed, Response Agreed On
Erin o'donnEll | thE rEcordEr
Danny Ravizzo leads a discussion to student leaders at a public forum last Thursday.
AcAdiA otlowsKi the recorder
Students have started organizing demonstrations after the Board of Regents Finance Committee pushed a vote this Tuesday that would approve a significant increase for in-state tuition for Connecticut State University (CSU) students. “Whenever the state is looking to rise a little more or save a little money, they cut our funding for the state universities,” said Danny Ravizzo, a member of the Connecticut Citizen Action Group and the one organizing protests in colleges across the state. Student leaders from across the state met at an open forum held Feb. 21 at CCSU. Their organized protests ranging from the campus to a protest in Hartford later in March were planned to get as many students involved as possible. “To build momentum takes time," said CCSU SGA Sen. Chris Marcelli at the forum. "The more you ask from people the more they give you. If you ask them to come to five things they’ll come to one." The proposed tuition increase would affect all in-state students attending CCSU. The Connecticut students living on-campus face as much as an $835 increase in tuition from this year to next year, according to documents from the Board of Regents. This represents a 4.5 percent increase in tuition for those students. Manchester Community College and Quinebaug Valley Community College attended the forum to contribute their perspectives on the budget cuts and tuition hikes.
In-state commuter students would be expected to pay $385 more than this year, a 4.6 percent increase. Despite these numbers, what has enraged those organizing against the proposal is that outof-state students will pay a lower tuition this year than they did last year. According to documents from the Board of Regents, CCSU residential students from out-ofstate will pay $113 less, a commuter from out-of-state will pay $563 less. All CSU schools except Eastern project a drop in enrollment in upcoming years. In the Finance Committee’s proposal to the Board of Regents, it is suggested that these low numbers stem from a lack of out-of-state students who are daunted by high tuition rates. "Everyone would like to see it as minimal as possible," said President Miller of the tuition hikes. He explained that mandatory pay raises for unionized faculty accounts for millions of dollars that are not accounted for in the budget. "It's not realistic for it to be zero," said Miller of the increase. His opinion regarding the drop in out-of-state tuition is that it reflects the CSU's desire for revenue. "My opinion is that the out of state students pay so much more. I think they're (the Finance Committee) hopeful it will bring in a few more people," said Miller, explaining that the out-of-state students bring in more revenue than in-state students.
see Student Leaders- page 6
University Sends Three Clery Letters In Four Days KAssondrA GrAnAtA And Justin muszYnsKi the recorder
CCSU officials have released three crime alerts to students within the last week notifying them of potential dangers on campus in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Act. The first was sent out on Friday, notifying the campus community of an alleged sexual assault that occurred in the Willard and DiLoretto Hall parking lot. The victim reported to police on Thursday that a “man pushed her into a car and sexually assaulted her.” The assault allegedly happened in the evening hours of a night late in late January. “We really have very little information at this time,” said Lt. Edward Dercole of the CCSU police.
As of Monday, the police said that they had no suspects and that the investigation is open. The other two notifications went out Monday. The first warned students of a man, Daniel Smedley, 24, of New Britain, who allegedly threatened to kill a female CCSU commuter student. Police say Smedley may be driving a 2004 Chevrolet Trail Blazer with the Connecticut license plate 655-XWC. "He left a voice message on the student's cell phone," said Mark McLaughlin, university spokesman. "This was not a random act. They knew each other." McLaughlin said that the voicemail was left on the student's phone a week-and-a-half-ago, but was just reported to the University that morning. "She knew him and because of
the nature of the threat, we met and discussed it," McLaughlin said. "The Clery Act is when we notify the campus of the threat. We want to make everyone aware of it and have stepped up patrols to do everything we can to make the students safe and protect the student as well." The second notification was in regards to a suspect wanted by the UConn police. Michael Moses Tarpeh, also known as "Big Mike," has been accused on many different assault charges throughout campuses. "He's been known to be on many different campuses," McLaughlin said on Tarpeh. "It is because of this that this notification was sent." Anyone with information is asked to contact Lt. Edward Dercole (860) 832-2394, Det. Densil Samuda (860) 832-2381 or the CCSUpolice dispatcher (860) 832-2375.
Photo | ccsu
Photo | ccsu
Michael "Big Mike" Tarpeh (left) and Daniel Smedley (right).
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