Koch-sponsored members of the Arizona legislature have been drastically cutting state funding for the University of Arizona for years. Market fundamentalists in the UA Freedom Center encouraged those legislators because they believe in privatizing higher education.

To make ends meet after the cuts, the University administration began running UA like a business. Academics, not entrepreneurs, they made some poor investments (such as buying scandal-ridden Ashford University and lending the UA Athletics Department $90 million). When the hoped-for returns on these investments did not materialize, a $200 million budget crisis reared its ugly head.

To dig itself out of the fiscal crisis, the UA administration has turned to austerity – which is another right-wing, market fundamentalist approach. The administration plans to freeze hiring and salary increases for faculty, lay off many non-tenured faculty, and eliminate tuition guarantees and research assistant positions for students. On April 18th, the administration told the Arizona Board of Regents that their plan will reduce the deficit to $52 million.

Since the Freedom Center’s propaganda is at least partially responsible for the current budget crisis, the Center should help balance the University’s budget. According to an October 19, 2023 document released by UA in response to a public records request, the Freedom Center is now sitting on more than $7 million of taxpayer money! The Freedom Center also has additional funds from private donors, including $250,000 from the Koch Foundation in 2023 alone. With almost TWO YEARS of tax funding in reserve, the Freedom Center is far more solvent than the UA as a whole.

The UA administration should transfer into the University’s general operating budget the $4.3 million that the legislature wanted to give to the Freedom Center this year. The administration has that option because Governor Hobbs removed the language in the budget that said the $4.3 million could only be spent on the Freedom Center.

If the Administration already gave the $4.3 million to the Freedom Center (rejecting our December 2023 emails urging UA to put that money in its general operating fund), they should claw it back!

Let your voice be heard on this huge issue! Write President Robbins by clicking on the button at the top of this page. Send him our sample letter, edit it, or write one of your own. Please send this new letter even if you already sent a letter to Robbins in December. 

THANK YOU!!!