Graduate students are calling on students, faculty and the Carbondale community to brainstorm ideas that combat the effects of the state’s budget impasse on the university during a meeting Saturday. 

The event, organized by Graduate Assistants United, starts at 4 p.m. at the Guyon Auditorium in Morris Library.

Joon Kang, GAU’s grievance officer, said the group wanted to host the meeting after SIU President Randy Dunn announced earlier this month that the university will eliminate 180 faculty and staff and cut programs and services by nearly $23 million if Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s fiscal year 2017 budget passes. 

“In response to this news that came out of the administration, a bunch of students got together and we just started talking about how we can affect change at the state level to help solve this budget crisis,” Kang said.

MORE: Proposed cuts would be like ‘lopping off chunks of the body,’ Dunn said | 5 programs, services that would drastically change or close without state funding

Kang said students must take a proactive role in the discussion.

“This is about protecting the fidelity of their institution and the value of their degree,” Kang said. “The budget cuts could devastate the quality of their education, so taking action now is a way to prevent that.”

Tierra Carpenter can be reached at [email protected] or 618-536-3325.