This past year, the university system in the state of Georgia adopted a policy that effectively bars undocumented immigrants from entering into the state’s five most competitive colleges and universities. Activists and scholars from across the state are collaborating on an effort to offer an alternative to the state university system while rallying support behind the repeal of the decision.
Several professors from the state’s universities are currently collaborating to establish a volunteer and support program of college-level courses to aid the undocumented in their desire for the college experience. For more information, see:
- care2, “Profs Create Freedom University For Undocumented Students” (8/27/11)
- Huffington Post, “Freedom University: Georgia Profs Offer Course To Undocumented Immigrants” (8/25/11)
- Associated Press, “Georgia profs offer course to illegal immigrants” (8/25/11)
How can I help?
There are several ways you can lend your support to this project.
- Purchase books, paper, and other supplies for the project via the Amazon Wishlist.
- Sign the petition to end the draconian policy adopted by the university system. The text of the petition is below.
To the University System of Georgia Board of Regents:
We the undersigned oppose the Board of Regents’ decision to ban undocumented students from the state’s most selective universities, including the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia State University, the Medical College of Georgia, and Georgia College and State University.
The ban represents a formal step towards the re-segregation of higher education in our state. Banishing Georgia’s high school graduates to separate and unequal educational facilities tarnishes the state’s reputation, squanders talent, abets hostility towards immigrants, and makes it harder to recruit and retain top faculty and students.
The long-term economic and ethical costs of discrimination are immense. Please rescind the ban on undocumented students and do everything in your power to ensure that all Georgians have equal access to higher education. The Board of Regents should support in-state tuition for all Georgia students regardless of their immigration status. Nebraska, Texas, California and nine other states now charge in-state tuition to undocumented high school graduates and Georgia should follow their example
Like what you see? Contribute your signature via iPetitions!
- Donate directly to Freedom University via ChipIn. Their fund-raising drive runs from August 31 to January 1, 2012.
List of Advisers
Faculty far and wide are contributing to this, including many LAWCHA members. They include:
- Junot Díaz
- Silvia Marina Arrom
- Paola Bacchetta
- Laura Briggs
- Ann D. Braude
- Juan Carlos Cardoza-Oquendo
- Michael Denning
- Ada Ferrer
- Neil Foley
- Tom Fritsche
- Jean Franco
- Katharine Gin
- Eddie S. Glaude, Jr.,
- Glenda Gilmore
- Greg Grandin
- Karen Graubart
- Nicole Guidotti-Hernández
- David G. Gutiérrez
- Laura G. Gutiérrez
- Barbara Sarah Haley
- Robin D. G. Kelley
- Keish Kim
- Kung Li
- Claudio Lomnitz
- Victor M. Macías González
- Nancy MacLean
- Florencia Mallon
- Beatriz Manz
- María Elena Martínez López
- Chandra Talpade Mohanty
- Denis O’Hearn
- Mark Overmyer-Velázquez
- Naomi Paik
- Stephen Pitti
- Barbara Ransby
- Dionicia Ramos
- George J. Sánchez
- Jennifer Scheper Hughes
- Alicia Schmidt-Camacho
- Gabriela Soto Laveaga
- Steve J. Stern
- Julie Weise
Special thanks to Bethany Moreton for bringing this to the attention of LAWCHA. If you have further information to contribute to this topic, please send a message to rmp23@duke.edu.
