UMass Boston is the “diversity flagship” campus of the UMass system. The core of its mission is to provide a first-rate university education to students from surrounding communities and apply university-quality research to critical urban issues.

But the combination of shrinking overall funding for public higher education and the unique debt that UMass Boston carries from trying to rebuild its crumbling campus is threatening that mission.

The purpose of the event is to provide an opportunity for legislators, officials and community members to hear testimony and talk with students, staff and faculty from UMass Boston. The conversation will address the impact of budget cuts on our campus, the dire need for additional funding such as that proposed in the Cherish Act and the impact that UMass Boston’s “legacy debt” is having on campus.

We invite all students, staff and faculty at UMass Boston to be part of a conversation with elected officials about the challenges we face and the ways we can work together to overcome them.