Leaves: UMass Haigis Mall 8:45am, Thursday, October 7th
Returns: UMass around 5:30pm, Thursday, October 7th
To sign up for the bus e-mail: oct7rallyma@gmail.com

Over the past five years, Massachusetts has cut public higher education funding more than any other state. This has continued decades of disinvestment that have threatened the promise of an affordable, accessible, and high-quality public higher education system. Budget cuts and resulting fee increases are hitting Massachusetts working families the hardest, especially in communities of color, with many people unable to attend college- or graduating with mountains of debt.

The Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts (PHENOM) is organizing a statewide march and rally to draw attention to the funding crisis in public higher education. The statewide March & Rally to Defend Public Higher Education, a dramatic week-long walk across the state, will culminate with a rally at the State House in Boston on Thursday, October 7th – a National Day of Action to Defend Public Education (see defendeducation.org) endorsed by PHENOM.

The March is part of PHENOM’s For a Great State of Mind campaign, which aims to drastically increase state investment in public higher education and decrease student costs. PHENOM calls on student organizations, unions, community groups, legislators and others to endorse the March and participate as they are able.

The march will begin on Saturday, October 2, at Berkshire Community College and end with a huge rally at the State House on October 7. Events at campuses and in communities along the way will dramatize the importance and plight of public higher education in our state.

Meet those walking across the state at UMass-Amherst
Sunday, October 3rd, 6:30pm, Bartlett Hall Lobby, Welcome Potluck, bring your own dish!
Monday, Oct. 4th, 8:15am Haigis Mall Rally and Send off, Walk with those walking to Worcester, MA
Interested in walking? Fill out this survey:  https://app.e2ma.net/app2/survey/1407161/205022010/a6953af76d/

Learn more at PHENOM’s website:  website: http://www.phenomonline.org/