By Jared Christensen
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
The Towson Student Government Association will travel to the State House in Annapolis on Wednesday for the 17th annual Tiger Pride Day to lobby legislators for more affordable college tuition and stronger job market.
The legislative agenda, which was put together by the SGA director of legislative affairs, Pierce Jaffri, also calls for the advancement of transgender rights, an operating budget for Towson University, and several capital improvement projects on campus.
“It’s a great chance to foster relationships between Towson University and the Maryland General Assembly,” Jaffri said. “It gives us the opportunity to advocate for the pressing needs of the university.”
On the day of the event, students will depart for Annapolis at 8 a.m. and head back to Towson at 3 p.m.
“It is a great way to show Maryland politicians that Towson students care about their community and are passionate about making positive change for their fellow students,” Tiger Day participant Heather Veale said.
Students who are participating in Tiger Pride Day had to attend a workshop before the event. Students were given the option of which workshop to attend when they registered online. Those students will meet with three different legislators throughout the day to lobby them. The chance to register is now closed.
Patrick Mascio, the SGA’s assistant director of foreign affairs, said he is excited to use the event to push the causes that are most meaningful to the students of Towson.
“I am very proud of the legislative agenda that the director of legislative affairs, Pierce Jaffri, and I have put together and I’m excited to be in Annapolis advocating for this agenda,” Mascio said. “Causes like keeping college tuition affordable and securing funding for new academic buildings are causes that all students can rally around.”
According to the legislative document, the SGA feels confident that the state of Maryland will be able to recognize the financial hardship faced by students who are seeking a college education in Maryland.
“So many college students have loans today, it’s something we really need to look at,” Jaffri said.
The SGA’s legislative document calls for Gov. Larry Hogan, the Maryland General Assembly, and other supporters of higher education to create and sustain an inclusive, innovative, diverse and academically advanced higher education system while ensuring that a college education in Maryland is affordable. The document calls for maintaining the current cost on tuition and working to lower fees for future students.
The SGA will ask legislators to pass measures that help those who graduate from a Maryland university find a job in the state.
For example, Jaffri said the SGA will ask for legislation that provides financial incentives for Maryland businesses that hire Maryland graduates within six months of graduation.
The SGA, Jaffri said, also expects the state government to join it in an effort to represent college minority groups in the most effective way possible.
According to the legislative agenda, to ease the name and gender change process in Maryland, the Towson students want Hogan and the legislature to consider eliminating a requirement that transgender people obtain a letter from a psychotherapist stating the length of time an individual was in treatment and a summary of their progress.
According to the document, the university does not want transgender students to feel they are subject to being classified as mentally ill if treatment is not necessary.
The SGA, Jaffri said, will be encouraging Hogan and the Maryland General Assembly to secure the $110.2 million general fund operating budget, which is written by the Towson president and administration to ensure that the university can retain its efficient operation.
The capital project initiative is a five-year goal set by the administration at Towson to receive funds from the state that will be invested in two new academic buildings at Towson: a new College of Health Professions building and a new science facility.
The construction of these facilities will help the university grow and enhance the educational experience for future Towson students to meet the changes in both the healthcare and science fields, Jaffri said.
“We are trying to ensure that the university is competitive in the 21st century,” Jaffri said.