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CBS News
19-07-2025
- Business
- CBS News
University of Minnesota adds $200 fee at Twin Cities campus to help pay student athletes
The University of Minnesota is adding a $200 annual athletics fee for Twin Cities campus students. The university's Board of Regents approved the move last month; the $100-per-term fee will go to pay student athletes and help with "general cost increases" within the athletics department. A federal judge signed off on a landmark NCAA settlement in June that will let each school share up to $20.5 million with athletes over the next year. Schools can also share $2.7 billion over the next decade to thousands of former players. The Twin Cities campus does not currently have student fees related to athletics. Other campuses have a student fee which funnels some funds to the athletics department of those sites. Twin Cities undergraduate students will also have to contend with rising tuition for the upcoming academic year: 6.5% for in-state students and 7.5% for out-of-state students.
New York Post
03-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Native American group joins fight against NY's logo ban in public schools
An anti-woke Native American organization is joining the fight against New York State's ban on tribal-themed names and logos in public schools, The Post has learned. The Native American Guardians Association filed a preliminary injunction against the state Board of Regents — as its representative said members are tired of people telling Native Americans how they should view their own culture. 'It violates the First Amendment,' said Chip Paterson, an attorney for the association. 3 The Post has learned that The Native American Guardians Association has filed a preliminary injunction against the New York Board of Regents' ban on Native American team names and logos in public schools. REUTERS 'You're banning words, you're banning phrases, you are banning ideas.' 'It's completely against both the spirit and the letter of the First Amendment,' he told The Post. 'Obviously, the Board of Regents is a state agency, and so it's bound by the US Constitution.' The group, which consists of 85,000 Native Americans across the country, is also pressing New York on violations of the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause from racial classifications, according to their legal counsel. 3 An attorney for the organization, Chip Paterson, claims, 'It violates the First Amendment.' Heather Khalifa for the NY Post Public schools that don't comply with the logo ban face the loss of state funding and other sanctions. NAGA has been fiercely opposed to the 2023 ban, as vocal supporters of the Massapequa Chiefs in keeping its team name, since the issue exploded earlier this year when President Trump sided with the town. Representatives from the association stood alongside Secretary of Education Linda McMahon when she toured Massapequa High School in May and announced that she viewed the ban as a Title VI civil rights violation — one now being pursued by the Justice Department. Meanwhile, Petersen said his clients represent 'the silent majority' among Native Americans who favor their culture being represented in names like Chiefs, Warriors and Thunderbirds. The latter two are under siege on Long Island in the districts of Wantagh and Connetquot. He also pointed to a 2016 poll showing that nine in 10 Native Americans are not offended by the term 'Redskins.' 'What they're doing is they're trying to erase history…a key piece of American culture,' he said. 'My clients are tired of it. They're tired of people pretending to speak for the Native American population — and they're tired of people trying to erase their history. It's unconstitutional, and we're not gonna put up with it.' 3 The group consists of 85,000 Native Americans across the nation, as the latest legal action in New York State involves Massapequa High School, as they fight against a rebrand that taxpayers say could cost them up to $1 million. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post The latest legal action has Chiefs Nation in Massapequa eager to fight against a rebrand, which school officials say could cost taxpayers $1 million. The Long Island town entered into a contract with NAGA in May, in which the group approved the district's use of Chiefs and committed to teaching additional curriculum on Native American history. 'In Massapequa, we're proud to stand by our Native American history and partners,' said school board president Kerry Wachter, who has been involved in legal action against New York as well. 'The NAGA's lawsuit makes it unequivocally clear: the state's Native American Ban discriminates against Native Americans.' Massapequa lawyer Oliver Roberts added that the 'sad and disgraceful' ban should and will be invalidated by the court proceedings. New York has already begun softening its position in Connetquot, where a rebrand from Thunderbirds is estimated to cost the district more than $23 million. A compromise has been floated between the state and the school to condense its team name to 'T-Birds' — a phrase the school was previously told was included in the ban. 'It's not even a state law. It's an ordinance,' Petersen said of the controversial ban. 'It could be as innocuous as Thunderbirds and as a result, you could lose your school funding…I just think that people have had it with this.'
New York Post
30-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Long Island district's Thunderbirds may rebrand as NY seems to buckle on Native American logo ban: ‘Now it's not derogatory'
A Long Island school district may get to keep a shortened version of its 'Thunderbirds' team name that New York State seemed poised to shoot down under its Native American logo ban. Connetquot's team could rebrand as the 'T-Birds' under a proposed deal with the state Board of Regents, which previously had the shortened moniker on a list of banned phrases because it had 'vestiges' of the full name. 6 Connetquot's team could rebrand as the 'T-Birds' under a proposed deal with the state Board of Regents. James Messerschmidt Advertisement 'Last month they wouldn't allow it…They would not allow T-Birds or any derivative, not even Thunder,' fumed school board trustee Jaclyn Napolitano-Furno who is against a compromise. 'For four years, it was derogatory, and now it's not derogatory,' said Napolitano-Furno, a 1996 grad of the district. The state education department would accept the shortened name in exchange for Connetquot dropping ongoing legal action against the state logo ban, which was enacted in 2023, according to documents reviewed by The Post. Advertisement 6 'For four years, it was derogatory, and now it's not derogatory,' said Napolitano-Furno, a 1996 grad of the district. James Messerschmidt The ban could result in the loss of state funding and the dismissal of non-compliant school board members across New York after June 30. Connetquot, which already uses 'T-Birds' in part, has been fighting in court alongside other districts such as Massapequa, where officials are trying to preserve the name and logo of the Chiefs. The fight against the ban has gotten a boost from President Trump, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and the Department of Justice with threats that the state's policy may be dissolved because it violated federal policies. Advertisement 'Now, all of a sudden, as a last-ditch effort, the state is willing to try to appease and get people to sign off,' Napolitano-Furno said, adding that a recent poll showed 60% of residents want to keep fighting for the full Thunderbirds name. 6 The ban could result in the loss of state funding and the dismissal of non-compliant school board members across New York after June 30. James Messerschmidt During litigation, the district, which had been granted an extension from the June 30 deadline, had silently communicated to New York that it had allocated more than $23 million to replace its logo as well. 'It doesn't make sense that we would shift when there's so much momentum to move forward, especially with the Department of Justice getting involved,' added Napolitano-Furno, an individual plaintiff in the lawsuit who has two kids in Connetquot High School this year. Advertisement The local mom, whose term ends at the end of June, added that she has defied board pressure to sign off on the compromise, as it needs her legal support to move forward. 'It is really overreach by the state of New York. At some point, somebody's got to put their feet down, dig their heels in and say enough is enough,' Napolitano-Furno, a 47-year-old police officer in Nassau County, said of the 'shady deal' kept away from public input. 'There are so many more beneficial educational items we could be putting money towards…For years, we've been the Thunderbirds. It was never an issue. We go to the beach, we watch the Thunderbird Air Force squad — that's not an issue.' However, Napolitano-Furno can be excluded from a new arrangement, according to her attorney, Oliver Roberts, who is also representing Massapequa. He added that a new deal could bring further legal action against both the board and the district from the livid community member. 6 Connetquot, which already uses 'T-Birds' in part, has been fighting in court alongside other districts such as Massapequa. James Messerschmidt 'It's very sad and disgraceful that the state is now colluding with local school boards in shady quid pro quo deals that sell out local communities,' said Roberts, who added that he and his client have no intention of backing out in court. The news also comes on the heels of the Shinnecock Nation asking the town of Southampton to remove its seal from inside a government building over disputes regarding the tribe's construction of a gas station, Dan's Papers reported. Advertisement 6 During litigation, the district had silently communicated to New York that it had allocated more than $23 million to replace its logo. James Messerschmidt Opposite that, however, the Native American Guardians Association — a group that joined McMahon in Massapequa when she announced that New York's decision to change only Native American team names was a civil rights violation — is looking to take further action in court to increase indigenous representation. NAGA counsel Chap Petersen said the group 'is evaluating all legal options against New York schools that erase and discriminate against Native Americans through enforcement of this unconstitutional regulation.' 6 The news also comes on the heels of the Shinnecock Nation asking the town of Southampton to remove its seal from inside a government building. James Messerschmidt Advertisement Meanwhile, Napolitano-Furno said the logo was part of a speech she gave at the high school graduation this year. The Connetquot valedictorian also delivered 'a speech and a half' on it, the school board member said. 'It was really a powerful moment,' she said. 'Thunderbirds means power, it means strength, and we honor it. The audience went wild.'
UPI
17-06-2025
- Politics
- UPI
Justice Department asked to investigate N.Y. school mascot case
Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Tuesday asked the Department of Justice to investigate the New York Department of Education and Board of Regents for alleged civil rights violations related to a public school's mascot. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo June 17 (UPI) -- New York state education officials might face a U.S. Justice Department investigation into potential Title VI of the Civil Rights Act violations related to a public school's chosen mascot. The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday announced it has asked the DOJ to investigate the New York State Department of Education and Board of Regents for banning Massapequa, N.Y., High School's mascot, which is the "Chiefs." The mascot refers to the Massapequa Tribe that formerly occupied New York's Long Island. "Both the New York [State] Department of Education and the Board of Regents violated federal anti-discrimination law and disrespected the people of Massapequa by implementing an absurd policy: prohibiting the use of Native American mascots while allowing mascots derived from European national origin," Education Secretary Linda McMahon said. "Both of these entities continue to disrespect the people of Massapequa by refusing to come into compliance with the Office for Civil Rights' proposed agreement to rectify their violations," McMahon added. Officials with the state's Education Department and Board of Regents have banned schools from using mascots and logos that refer to and depict aboriginal tribes. The U.S. DOE's Office of Civil Rights had proposed a resolution to the matter by requiring the state to rescind its ban on aboriginal tribal mascots and logos, but the state rejected it. The DOE has opened a Title VI investigation into the matter to determine whether or not the state's ban amounts to discrimination based on race and national origin. A New York Education Department spokesperson called the matter a "farce" in an emailed statement to UPI. "The referral of this matter to the Department of Justice shows that USDOE's investigation was a farce from the outset," NYDE spokesman JP O'Hare said. "To the extent that any investigation took place, it represents a blatant attempt to do a political favor for the Massapequa Board of Education." He called the use of aboriginal tribal mascots "indolent symbolism masquerading as tradition" and said nearly all state school districts are complying with the state's regulations. "To date, with the exception of four school districts that have contacted us to request an extension, every school district in New York, 727 of them, has engaged in the community-driven process to rebrand their team names, mascots and logos," O'Hare said. "Rather than wrestling over mascots, maybe we could all focus on what's paramount, ensuring our schools are inclusive and respectful for every student," he added. State education department officials have threatened to withhold state funding from the Massapequa school district if it does not change its mascot to one that conforms with New York regulations. Those regulations don't ban the use of mascots and logos that reference other racial or ethnic groups, such as the "Fighting Irish," "Huguenots" and the "Dutchmen," which the DOE says violates the Civil Rights Act. "The U.S. Department of Education will not stand by as the state of New York attempts to rewrite history and deny the town of Massapequa the right to celebrate its heritage in its schools," McMahon said on April 25. She visited the school district on May 30 after the DOE investigated the matter and determined the state violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Native American Guardians Association agrees with McMahon and the DOE. "The [NAGA] stands firm in asserting that the preservation of Native themes and imagery in New York schools is not only a matter of cultural dignity but a fundamental civil right for all students," NAGA Vice President Frank Blackcloud said. "We call on federal and state leaders to help us defend these dwindling expressions of our presence and contributions," Blackcloud added. Massapequa Board of Education President Kerry Watcher thanked NAGA, the DOE and the Trump administration for their support. "Attempts to erase Native American imagery do not advance learning," Watcher said. "They distract from our core mission of providing a high-quality education grounded in respect, history and community values."
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
University regents approve fiscal 2026 budget that cuts spending, raises tuition and fees
The "M Circle" on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park. (Photo by Sam Gauntt/Maryland Matters) The University System of Maryland's Board of Regents voted Friday to approve a fiscal 2026 budget that is 7% smaller than last year's allocation, as well as tuition increases of up to 5% and fee hikes up to 10%. The almost $8 billion budget, already approved by Gov. Wes Moore and the General Assembly, will trim operating costs while aiming to increase revenue to make up for $155 million in reduced funding. These reductions follow an almost 4% cut to the University System last year. 'At this extraordinary time, our universities must make some difficult decisions as they close their budget gaps,' University System Chancellor Jay Perman said Friday. On Thursday, Perman took the unusual step of sending a video message to more than 40,000 faculty and staff members across the system, apologizing for the coming budget cuts but telling staff to brace for them. He replayed that video for the board on Friday. While university administrators will first seek to generate new revenue and will protect employees from cuts as much as possible, the 'sheer size of the cut we're absorbing means that, for some universities, personnel actions cannot be taken off the table,' Perman said in the video. At their previous meeting in May, the regents approved a resolution that allows presidents of individual campuses to implement furloughs and temporary salary reductions as part of their budget plans. Universities told they should brace for the coming year's 7% budget cut Senior Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance Ellen Herbst said 60% of the system's operating costs are personnel-related. Two-thirds of the system's employees are funded by state support, Herbst said, while about a quarter are funded by federal grants and contracts. She said though universities are looking to low-impact actions to address personnel costs first, such as eliminating vacancies and allowing 'natural attrition' to reduce payrolls, those actions alone may not be enough. 'We will take these actions with great care, but we will need to take some further actions,' Herbst said. 'We cannot address the shortfall in state funding without addressing personnel costs.' Patrick Moran, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Maryland Council 3, which represents more than 6,000 University System employees, said the union and system need to work together to defend their shared values and protect employees as they face 'very real and critical threats.' Moran said the system must evaluate its use of costly vendors, reduce reliance on contractual employees, and listen to feedback from staff on how things can be better run. 'All of these things can be done before deciding to make devastating cuts to your personnel, especially those on the front lines,' he said. Katherine Wasdin, a representative of the University of Maryland, College Park's American Association of University Professors chapter, expressed the importance of shared governance as the system makes its budget decisions. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE 'Faculty and university senates must be involved in making these difficult budgetary decisions, as well as in how to respond to changing federal policies on education and research,' Wasdin, an associate professor of classics, said. 'It is thus imperative that all parts of the USM system promote the involvement of faculty in university management, rather than trying to thwart it.' Under the budget plan, the University System will receive 29% of its funding from state appropriations, while 27% will come from tuition and fees. The next largest contribution comes from restricted funds, which consist mostly of federal contracts and grants, and will cover about 24% of the budget. In addition to the reduction in state funding, the system estimates that the federal government's significant cuts to research grants and contracts could cost up to $150 million across its campuses, Herbst said. To increase revenue to offset the losses in funding, tuition will increase across the system by 2-4% for in-state residents. The University of Maryland, College Park will see the highest increase at 4%, while the rest will see increases of 3% or less. Tuition for nonresident undergrads will increase by 5% at Towson and UMBC, and 2% at the system's other institutions. Regents committee calls for OK of $69 million for time to pull back spun-off businesses Student fees, such as housing, dining and parking, will see bigger increases. Housing will see increases from 2% at Towson to 10% at Bowie State University, while board fee increases range from 2.2% at Salisbury University to 10.5% at College Park. Bowie State University and the College Park campus will also raise parking fees by 3.8% and 5%, respectively. The regents also voted Friday to approve extending the University of Maryland Global Campus's contract with UMGC Ventures, the university's former in-house information technology services unit which it turned into an independent business. The online university will spend $69 million on the 18-month contract extension while it works to reintegrate Ventures and AccelerEd, a subsidiary of Ventures, back into the university. The reintegration comes after an August 2024 audit from the state's Office of Legislative Audits that found the spin-offs were too costly and appeared to bypass the school's normal procedures. Herbst said that staff across the University System are continuously drawing up contingency plans for budget scenarios they could face later in the year, such as lower-than-expected enrollment, further federal funding cuts or change to eligibility for federal financial aid. Pell Grants, the system's largest source of financial aid, covered more than $204 million in aid for about 45,000 students in fiscal 2024. More than 58,000 students in total received some form of federal student aid, Herbst added, and any significant eligibility changes could potentially impact enrollment numbers. 'All we know for sure about budgets is they're simply a plan, and then the year starts and we have to actually manage,' she said. 'This year will probably prove to be more challenging than many.'
