With signs held high, University of Memphis journalism students marched in protest asking The University to reverse plans to cut senior level journalism classes for the fall semester.
What they got was a polite explanation of budget concerns from U of M provost Ralph Faudree.
"This is a common occurrence at The University," Faudree told protesters. "Classes are cut or moved due to several factors, like demand."
Although Faudree said The University tries to limit cutting classes to the freshman level, several public relation seniors' lives are being altered.
Senior public relation major Britt Cross worries about where she will live after next semester, as well as when she will graduate.
"I am getting married in August and my lease is up in January," Cross said. "I was planning on moving to Atlanta after graduation."Cross said she will attend classes at Memphis even though it will cost her a semester.
Cross is not the only one it will cost.
Senior journalism major Clay Thompson helped organize the protest and is also faced with losing a semester.
"If someone comes out here and offers me my class back I will shut up," Thompson said. "We are going to keep fighting until someone listens."
Until then, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over the futures of several students.
Courtney Caldwell planned on going to graduate school after graduating this fall but since her public relation campaign class has been cut, she will likely have to reapply.
"It looks like I am going to have to fill out all the forms again," said Caldwell.
Megan Clark will have to cancel her vacation and the changes have complicated the date she had set for her wedding.
"I really want to get a job before I get married," Clark said. Scholarship students like Michelle Land are just worried about who will pay for the extra semester once her scholarship expires.
"My scholarship is only for four years," Land said. "Is The University going to take into account that I couldn't take a class I needed to graduate?"
Patrick Perry, associate director of financial aid, said The University would work to extend scholarships to students affected by the budget cut issue.
"Typically we look at cases like that on an individual basis to make a decision," Perry said.
Journalism students plan to fight budget cuts by holding a fundraiser Thursday between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. at Poplar and Highland.
"We are going to try and raise the funds ourselves," Thompson said. "We are going to go up to Highland with buckets and ask people to donate money to pay for our education."
If the students are unable to raise the $4,000 needed to provide the classes in the fall, they will simply wait instead of taking an online substitute.
"Being this far into the sequence it is important to have a hands on class to prepare us for work," Cross said.
"For someone to say taking an online class is an option can not possibly work," said Jonathan Richard, junior journalism major. "Spending $666 on one class is too much."
Richard is taking the public relations campaign class online this semester.
"It usually takes a week and a half to get an e-mailed response," said Richard.
Richard also said that his online professor Dr. Patrick Jablonski told him through e-mail that he works and spends the vast majority of his time coordinating public relations at a county jail in Florida. The professor also told Richard that he quit teaching at universities because he was tired of making $33,000 a year.
"It just seems a little weird," Richard said. "You're an online professor but your still a professor. His job is his main focus not the students."
Junior journalism major Lorie Mcgrew agreed that online public relations classes fail to educate students compared to live classes.
"You are basically just paying for the credit and not really learning anything," Mcgrew said.
Whether students plan to wait out a semester or opt for online classes, they are still hoping to send a message to The U of M administration that they are not happy with their budgeting decisions. "I think the protest sent a message," said Richard. "Whether they wanted to or not, they are going to have to."
