Students hold walk-out in opposition to Spellings’ appointment
Attendees were told they were part of the ‘Fire Margaret Spellings Committee’
Students gathered Tuesday on the steps of Wilson Library to voice their frustration over Margaret Spellings.
Some professors even cancelled classes so their students could attend the walk-out.
Today was the first day of Margaret Spellings’ appointment as president of the UNC system.
Hosted by the UNC-Chapel Hill BOG Democracy Coalition, the rally began with a variety of chants. One of the leaders told us that just by attending, we are already a part of the “Fire Margaret Spellings Committee.”
The coalition covered a number of things, namely how Spellings’ installment is an attack on HBCU (historically black colleges and universities), an attack on students and professors and a demonstration of several issues with the Board of Governors (BOG).
Coalition members listed six reasons they were calling for Spellings’ dismissal.
First, she implemented the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) as the Secretary of Education under the Bush administration. A demonstrator said NCLB resulted in more funding for “better” (and therefore whiter) schools, while all other schools had their funding cut.
The demonstrator continued by saying Spellings wants to implement these same ideas within the realm of higher education.
Second, the coalition spoke of how Spellings threatened the funding of PBS after it aired a show that contained a lesbian couple. They said Spellings’ defense was that many parents wouldn’t want their young children to be exposed to these lifestyles. The coalition pointed out Spellings constantly referred to the LGBTQ community as a “lifestyle” rather than a people.
There was a general consensus between attendees that these beliefs would be detrimental to the sexuality and gender studies programs here at UNC.
Third, Spellings is to receive $775,000 as a base salary, not including things like bonuses, her home and car that were given to her as a part of the job and moving expenses. She also receives a research stipend.
This raises some questions the rally leaders voiced: what about the adjunct professors, workers in our dining halls and workers in housing, among many others, who don’t make living wages but keep UNC running on a day-to-day basis?
Fourth, Spellings was selected and not elected as the UNC system president. Her selection completely lacked transparency, circumventing the open meetings law. She was selected by the BOG, a group made up of 90 percent white Republican men. Coalition members asked that attendees raise their hands if they were white Republican men. Nobody did.
Fifth, the Coalition stated Margaret Spellings also supports the corporatization and privatization of public education, and treats education as a business.
The speakers saved what they called her most “disgusting” attribute for last.
Margaret Spellings serves on the board of Ceannate, which, according to the coalition, makes money off of our student loans. They claimed Spellings profits from our debt. She was also on the board for the University of Phoenix, a for-profit university with a four percent graduation rate. The coalition said while students have taken out loans and gone into debt, Spellings has made money off of them.
The coalition believes education should be free because it is a human right. They said students want tuition to be frozen where it is, and then to be lowered over time. However, Spellings has a vested interest in increasing tuition.
They acknowledged Spellings has her job because of the BOG, and the coalition implored students to use their voices to elect new members to the BOG during the election this March.
Altha Cravey, an Associate Professor of Geography at UNC, spoke against Spellings’ indication that she sees students as “customers” from whom she can make a profit. Cravey said Spellings’ belief ignores students are human beings with intellectual desires and a right to education.
At the end of the rally, speakers mentioned a few “real world problems,” like the institution of prisons and police brutality. They acknowledged Akiel Denkins, Matthew McCain, Dennis McMurray and Raphael Marquis Bennett. All four people have been shot or killed in Raleigh or Durham recently.
The speakers closed with a question: why should we let Spellings govern us if we didn’t even elect her?
There will be a BOG meeting on Friday, March 4, at Fayetteville State University. The BOG Democracy Coalition encourages students to join them in demonstrating their disapproval of Margaret Spellings.