CSCU is pursuing legal action as a last resort after Cooper Union’s Board of Trustees proceeded to stop offering the free education required by the Charter.
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A Vital Center of Free Education
Dear Alumni and Friends,
Last week, for one evening, Cooper Union was once again a vital center of free education.
The evening began with the free distribution of the second edition disORIENTATION book, a history of the fight to save Cooper Union and direct action primer written and edited by Free Cooper Union. Targeted at freshmen and others who want to understand what’s happening at Cooper Union, disORIENTATION provides a damning counterpoint to the disinformation promulgated by the current administration.
Next, a free screening of Ivory Tower played to a packed house. While painting a broader picture of the crisis in higher ed, the film’s focus on the struggle to save Cooper Union struck home in a very personal way—a feeling amplified by having many of the participants of the “Occupation” present in the Great Hall.
After the film, the crowd migrated to BHQFU headquarters on Avenue A for a free after party to continue the discussing, celebrating, and planning for the return of a free Cooper Union. (Who says we can’t fight and have some fun?)
The payoff for this “investment” in a free evening? A stronger, larger, informed, and energized community that is better equipped to fight against the destruction of Peter Cooper’s unique legacy. We hope, we know, that the movement to save Cooper Union is growing in strength and determination. We have to make sure that the Administration and Board of Trustees know we represent a substantial part of the Cooper community and that we will not stop until we prevail.
Write to the Board of Trustees, legislators, accreditation bodies, attorney general and tell them how you feel. Reach out to the press and other potential supporters. Help us to fund the critical second round of our legal challenge. Your actions matter.
Sincerely yours,
The Committee to Save Cooper Union
Founding Directors:
Adrian Jovanovic, CU BSE ’89
Mike Essl, Associate Professor of Art, CU ART ’96, M.F.A.
Toby Cumberbatch, Professor of Electrical Engineering, Ph.D.