Fellow Owls,

Last week, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett proposed reducing the commonwealth's support for Temple by 30%, or nearly $42 million dollars. His proposal represents the second year in a row in which Temple's support has been dramatically reduced. If enacted, Temple's commonwealth support would be cut more than 50% in just two years. For that reason, I am writing you to ask you to contact your Pennsylvania elected officials today.

Students traveled to Harrisburg on Jan. 31 to lobby against the proposed budget cuts.

Such a reduction in funds would dramatically alter how Temple fulfills its mission of transforming lives and offering access to world-class education for those who could not otherwise afford it.

For generations Temple has been the home to hard working students, most who traveled by subway or bus to campus, and left in the afternoon to go to their part-time jobs. The affordability of Temple made all the difference. Our alumni understand that several hundred dollars can mean the difference between making it through a semester, or not. That is why the drastic reductions in state funding pose a disproportionate threat to our students.

Temple has absorbed decades of state cuts but still steadfastly fulfilled its mission. Its worth noting that state support for Temple has already been radically reduced, from nearly 70% of revenue in 1980 to less than 17% last year. These proposed cuts strike at the bone and will have a real impact on the opportunity afforded many deserving students and families.

We must stand with Temple now in order to preserve the legacy and future of our university.

At this critical time, I am asking all members of the Temple University alumni community to take action by writing their elected officials. The Temple Advocates Legislative Outreach Network (TALON) provides an easy way to do this. The TALON web site includes a basic message, which you can customize to reflect your Temple experience and personal story. All you need to do is enter your name and address and then press send.

Once you've sent your letters please share this email with your friends and family and ask that they also stand with Temple. We need the voices of thousands to ensure that our elected officials provide Temple will a fair appropriation this year.

Thank you for all that you do to support Temple.

Bret Perkins, SBM '91
President, Temple University Alumni Association