The Problem

Langara Faculty are worried about their students. Our students are in debt. They are exhausted. They are stressed. They are forced to spend too much time working and as a result have too little time to study. The financial stress on students is so great that Langara College is starting a food bank on campus.

It was not always like this. When many of us faculty got our degrees, the government covered 70-80% of costs, allowing us to focus on our studies.

In the last 15 years, provincial funding per student has dropped by 20% at Langara College (and similar amounts at institutions across the province). Without a change in direction, where will this trend end?

The BC government tells us that 78% of all new jobs will require a College or University education. So why cannot our students, the engine of BC’s future economy, be allowed to focus on their studies?

The Solution

We need to restore BC government funding to public colleges and universities so students pay for their education over a lifetime (via taxes), not when they are making low wages and trying to study at the same time.

From February 20 to April 9, the Langara Faculty Association (LFA) is running a transit ad campaign to pressure political parties and to inspire voters to think of our students and BC’s future when they vote on May 9.

Help us spread the word: Tell your story on social media

Students, parents and faculty intimately know the negative impact of this funding crisis. The general public and the politicians need to hear from us.

Let’s tell them our stories. Let’s make the transit ad campaign a launching pad for a social media campaign that will help make the funding crisis an election issue.

Students, parents, faculty, get on your devices and share your struggles.

How does the lack of funding affect your life? Your child’s life? Your students’ lives?

Make a short video. Write a post. Take a selfie by one of our ads and make a statement. Be creative. Speak from the heart. Tell your story.

#openthedoorsbc

and tag the BC Liberals and the NDP at:

 #ChristyClark and #jhorgan (and your MLA)

The Langara campaign is part of Open the Doors, a province-wide campaign sponsored by the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of BC (FPSE). For more information visit http://www.openthedoors.ca or contact Lynn Carter at 604-323-5895.

Thanks!

Lynn Carter
President, Langara Faculty Association