On June 28, the current governor of Alaska Mike Dunleavy vetoed the state's operating budget and introduced sweeping budget cuts that will result in the University of Alaska system losing $130 million in state funding. If these budget cuts are put into place, the University of Alaska will be forced to declare financial exigency, leading to the termination of an estimated 1300 university staff.

These massive and unprecedented budget cuts will not only cause irreversible damage to the state economy, but will also lead to the single largest firing of public university faculty and staff in the history of US higher education.

Such a radical defunding of the University of Alaska, the state's largest employer, would have catastrophic effects on the local economy and deprive an entire generation of young Alaskans from access to public higher education in their home state. Furlough notices have already been distributed to 2,500 University of Alaska employees. Thousands of families risk losing their jobs and access to healthcare, current students may be unable to complete their degrees and entire campuses may very well be closed for good.

A small window of opportunity remains: the Alaska Legislature has the ability to override the governor's veto with a three-fourths majority vote by July 12.

Time is running out, but it's important to send a strong message to the Alaska Legislature and the Governor of Alaska to prevent the dismantling of an entire state's public education system.

This is more than just about Alaska - the future of higher education in America is at stake.

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