To SFU Faculty Association members:

As part of our campaign to inform the public about the recent BC government
budget rollbacks to post-secondary education and their impact on SFU,  SFUFA
(in collaboration with CUFA BC - the Confederation of University Faculty
Associations), is encouraging our members to write letters to the editor of
local weekly papers.  Yes, this is a very busy time of semester, but the
next two weeks are a crucial time-window during which the government is
setting its budgetary priorities for the coming fiscal year.

We are also meeting with several local MLAs at this critical time.  The
current closeness of the two main parties in the opinion polls may give MLAs
extra leverage in seeking remedial action for SFU's budgetary challenges.
And in turn, a 'buzz' in the local press would give them additional
incentive and support for addressing this issue.

You are also invited to contact your local MLA to express your concern, and
to encourage your friends and colleagues to do likewise.

To help in these tasks, SFUFA and CUFA BC have prepared several electronic
documents that are available for download. They are:

- a CUFA BC policy statement on the rollbacks and remedial actions, "BC's
public universities...need your help" (2 pages)

- tips on writing letters to the editor, including the email address of the
local weekly papers, from CUFA BC  (3 pages)

- a sample letter that I have already sent in different versions to local
papers (1 page) -- though it is most effective if you express your own
concerns and experience in your own words.

We also hope to hold a public rally on campus in the spring semester, in
collaboration with students and other employee groups.  But if you'd like to
help improve funding for BC's universities, now is a pivotal time.

Best regards,
Bob Hackett
President, SFUFA