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Support the Student Basic Needs Survey

At the beginning of the term, we sent out a message from Sara Goldrick-Rab, a Professor of Higher Education Policy and Sociology at Temple,asking if faculty would consider adding a “basic needs security” paragraph to their syllabus.   Now, we want to follow up with a request to distribute a survey to your undergraduate students that will provide a better handle on the scope and severity of these challenges. 

TAUP’s Constitution reads:  “We are committed to the historic mission of Temple University, to our obligations to our students, and to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We uphold the

ideals of Opportunity, Quality, and Accountability.”

We know that it is very hard for those ideals to be upheld if our students are hungry or lack stable housing or are faced with other severe challenges.  Please help provide insight into these important issues by reading the letter below and distributing the survey.

In solidarity,

Steve Newman, President

Jennie Shanker, Vice President

Norma Corrales-Martin, Treasurer

 

Dear Colleagues,

Temple University, in collaboration with the Wisconsin HOPE Lab (led by Temple professor Sara Goldrick-Rab), is administering the “Real College” survey to all undergraduate students from now through September 29, 2017.

The survey aims to help inform Temple University and the greater higher education community about the current challenges facing students and how we might find solutions to these challenges.

We ask for your help with the administration of this important survey by encouraging students in your courses to participate.

Students are already receiving emails about this survey opportunity and with your help, we hope to achieve a high participation rate.  We encourage you to post the survey link below on your course Blackboard or Canvas sites.

Please keep in mind, this survey is only being administered to undergraduates through September 29th. Student responses will be kept confidential and if they complete the survey, they will be entered into a drawing to receive one of ten $100 Diamond Dollar awards.

Here is the survey link: https://uwmadison.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4ZUHoKp1wHxc9Uh

Thank you for your support of this important initiative.

Professor of Higher Education Policy & Sociology
Temple University

Fighting for DACA and the Dreamers 

Wednesday, TAUP jointly released a letter with Temple Student Government, voicing our opposition to President Trump’s unconscionable decision to phase out Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).  There, we urged all of us to contact our elected officials to make DACA permanent and to call on people to attend a meeting today from 3:00-4:45 at the Howard Gittis Student Center 200C to discuss how to respond most effectively to this assault on 800,000 people brought to our country—which is now their country, too—as children.  (We also urge anybody interested to attend “Creating a Welcoming Campus Community” at Paley Library on Wednesday, September 20th, at noon.)

Our national union, the American Federation of Teachers, has also released a statement.  We were heartened, too, by the letter yesterday from The Faculty Senate, which outlines some concrete steps faculty and librarians can take to support their students, both in and out of the classroom.

TAUP additionally recommends that concerned members consult the following resources assembled by The Stephen and Sandra Sheller Center for Social Justice at Temple’s Law School.  It offers trustworthy and current information about this issue as well as contact information for local agencies that provide assistance to immigrants.

Finally, we call on Temple’s Administration to express their support for DACA.  President Englert signed on to a letter defending DACA back in November, but it is imperative that Temple raise its voice again, as Penn State, Pitt, and many, many other universities have already done to speak forcefully against this recent decision and to outline steps the Temple community can take to protect Dreamers.

 

Note:  Earlier this week we promised to post photos documenting our students honoring their teachers at graduation last Spring.  Because of the urgency of this and other matters we have had to postpone that message until next week.

DACA: TAUP and TSG Stand Together

To the Temple University Community,

 

Temple University was built upon the foundation of excellence, affordability, and accessibility, as founder Dr. Russell Conwell intended. In the spirit of these values, it is essential that our university consistently create inclusive and accessible pathways for all students.

 

Yesterday, President Donald Trump rescinded support for the policy known as DACA, (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). Not only does it have the potential to upend the lives of 800,000 people across our nation–it also hits home, directly inhibiting current and future students from having access to Temple University.

 

During times such as this, we must stand in solidarity to relentlessly combat intolerance, injustice, and ignorance. It is imperative that we respect these students’ existence and dignity as human beings. To marginalize, uproot, and disrupt the lives of these students is to disregard the value that their presence, experience, and culture bring to our campus. At our own institution, it is not enough to simply appreciate diversity; we must also consistently fight for accessibility and inclusion of all students, including the dreamers, immigrants, documented, and undocumented students within our campus community.

 

We urge the members of our campus community–including students, faculty, staff, and community members–to call on members of Congress and other elected officials to maintain and uphold DACA protections in an effort to safeguard the many individuals supported by this policy.

 

As representatives of the Temple University community, we will continue to elevate the voices and concerns of those directly impacted by this decision. However, we can not do this alone. It is more important now than ever that we stand in solidarity.

 

This Friday, September 8th, in the Howard Gittis Student Center, Room 200C from 3:00pm-4:45pm, we will be holding a Town Hall event to discuss the implications of this decision and brainstorm necessary action steps moving forward. All are welcome to attend.

 

In Solidarity,

 

Tyrell Mann-Barnes

President, Temple Student Government

 

Steve Newman

President, Temple Association of University Professionals (AFT #4531)