The Free University of NYC

The weather’s holding, and so is the Cooper Union student occupation! We’ll see you in Cooper Square Park at 3pm today for the Free University Welcome and Statement of Intention, followed by some excellent workshops to kick off a full day. Bring friends and some food to share.

*Occupied* Cooper Union Free University
3pm-9pm
Cooper Square Park, E 7th st and 3rd ave, NYC.

Download Schedule here.

RSVP/share.

Twitter shout-outs:
@FreeUnivNYC
@FreeCooperUnion
@studentblocnyc

*OCCUPIED* COOPER UNION FREE UNIVERSITY 
“How can we free education?”
Saturday, May 18, 2013
3pm-9pm

RSVP/spread the word–>

Download schedule.

All day:
Arts, Crafts, Food, Care station
Bring art materials, blankets, food, and extra care.
Occupy Wall Street Screen Printers station
Bring your own blank paper, shirts, bags, etc. to design.
End-of-semester “work-in” for students and teachers
Get your productivity on together in the park.

Schedule:
Free University-NYC Brief Welcome and Statement of Intention
3pm sharp!

“Papier Maché Workshop”
with Cooper Union and CUNY students
3pm

“Lessons from the University of California/New School Student Occupations”
New York Year Zero
3pm-4pm
Veterans of the 2008-2009 student occupations at the University of California and the New School discuss the recent history of radical student struggle in the U.S.

“Why Are We Not Free?”
Cecile Lawrence
3pm-4pm
What is freedom? What does it look like, smell like, sound like? Who has it? Who does not? Did we once/ever have it? When? If so, where did it go? How can we retrieve it? Did it get stolen from us? If so, when, how? Or did we give it up? Is this a religious discussion?

“Free University-NYC: Ideas Working Session”
4pm-5pm
Come help us build the next year of FreeU-NYC activism and solidarity. Some topics that will be approached: summer events/ideas; visions for the year ahead; website development; links with other organizers/organizations; lessons from May 1, 3013.

“Writing and Free Education from Home, School, and Everyday Life”
Susan Naomi Bernstein
4pm-5pm
For new and experienced writers: This course presents the processes of writing for anyone who struggles to write. Together we will develop our own practices of writing for audiences and purposes that connect to our visions of free education, and social transformation for home, school, and everyday life.

“Desiring School: Formulations and Performances”
Elizabeth Adams
5pm-6pm
What would a school be like that you would want to go to? How can you best describe it, and how can you best perform that description?
Hone your wildest imaginings into startling and pithy formulations. Generate a variety of performances of them in everyday life. Design social heuristics to improve their effectiveness.
Formats: Talking, writing, acting, responding
Ideology: the “teacher” brings the starting questions and structure because she does not yet have the answers.

“Lessons from the Quebec Movement”
Stefan Christoff
5pm-6:30pm
Stefan Christoff will present about the struggle in Quebec and give some background/context to the demand for abolishing tuition. Stefan is a Montreal-based writer, community activist and musician who recently published “Le fond de l’air est rouge,” a booklet of texts on the Quebec student uprising in 2012.

“Facilitation Skills-Share”
Marisa Holmes
5pm-6pm
Facilitation is the act of guiding a group through its own process. I will cover intermediate and advanced facilitation techniques, so that we can collectively improve our practice of direct democracy.

“The Attack On All Levels On Public Education, Teachers & Teachers Union and the Inadequacy of the National Union Response”
Jackie DiSalvo
5pm-6pm
Under the deceptive name of “Reform,” the 1%, supported by both parties, are attempting to privatize education – in elementary and high schools, and colleges. At the same time they are demonizing teachers and trying to destroy teachers and faculty unions, the last stronghold of the union movement. There is also an attempt to control curriculum through high stakes testing in the public schools and the CUNY administration’s take-over of curriculum from faculty governance. This control debases the public school curriculum in a way that alienates students, and ends the academic freedom which is essential to a free society.

“A discussion on the social consequences of debt”
Aaron Jaffe
6pm-7pm
I’d like to share in a discussion regarding the longer term consequences for indebtedness. How are educational, labor, political, and social responsibilities experienced when burdened with debt? I hope the conversation will be a balance of both personal and political concerns.

“Education in Transition: A Discussion on Creating Alternative Learning Opportunities for Regions and Peoples that are In Flux”
Jennifer Lauren
6pm-7pm

“NYC Universities at a Tipping Point”
with members of All in the Red, Free University, Student Bloc NYC
6:30pm-8pm
Cooper Union students occupy their president’s office for over a week, creating a public dialogue on defending free education through nonviolent direct action. Faculty votes of no confidence in administrators spread across Cooper, NYU, and New School. CUNY shuffles in/out Chancellors and Trustee members amidst tuition increases, adjuncts exploitation, a Pathways stalemate, David Petraeus’ announced teaching appointment, and the successful ouster of Medgar Evers’ president. This tipping point in NYC universities can produce new coalitions between students, faculty, and staff workers to make change in our near future. In this discussion, we’ll map out some of these issues and resources, identify key pressure points, and brainstorm strategies for the summer and next academic year.

Short Films by Cooper Union students – Outdoor Screening
8pm-9pm

Red Light Ceremony with the Cooper Union student occupation
9pm

Free University-NYC is proud to announce that we’re hosting a “pop-up” Free University outside Cooper Union this Saturday, May 18, from 3pm to 8pm, in solidarity with Cooper Union students who have occupied their president’s office since Wednesday, May 8, to oppose a $20,000 tuition implementation and an unaccountable administration. An outdoor film screening will follow.

Our theme for this Free University is “How can we free education?” We wish to gather people with a range of knowledges, theoretical and practical approaches both inside and outside the classroom, and historical lessons from around the world. Please share with friends, colleagues, and comrades.

Please contact us with any questions at FreeUniversityNYC@gmail.com, and we look forward to seeing you this Saturday.

Another event this Sunday that Free University folks are helping to coordinate:

NYC education movement strategy session
Sunday, May 19, 1pm, outside Cooper Union

The Free University extended family is invited to participate:

NYC STUDENT BLOC NEXT STEPS / COOPER UNION SOLIDARITY

This Sunday, 1pm, at Cooper Union’s park

*NYC ART ACTION to keep Cooper Union Free*
This Friday, 6pm, we’re creating an “art-in” outside Cooper Union. Bring poetry, puppets, chalk, paints, pencils, easels, songs, tap dance routines. Free University folks will be there in solidarity. Spread the sweet word–>
RSVP here!

May 8, 2013 – Statement from Students occupying Cooper Union President’s Office

December 6, 2012 Free University statement of solidarity for Free Cooper Union

********************
Live Updates:

http://twitter.com/freecooperunion
http://facebook.com/freecooperunion
http://ustream.tv/channel/free-cooper-union

#OccupyCooper
#FreeEdu
#freeu
@freecooperunion
@freeunivnyc
@nystudentsrise
@allinthered

***TEXT @studentblocnyc to 23559 TO JOIN THE TEXT LOOP***

Dear May Day Cooper Union and SUNY Stonybrook Free University participants,

Thank you again for helping to make Wednesday’s events such a wonderful success!! We held several dozen workshops with several hundred participants of all ages, all of whom contributed to transforming education into a free, accessible, social justice-oriented, creative, caring, and interactive practice. Our focus on education as direct action was illustrated in NYC at the afternoon education convergence, Union Square rally and downtown march, and evening Washington Square dance party, as well as in Stonybrook at the protest outside President Stanley’s office. These kinds of actions sustain our visions of interconnected community struggles and celebrations to free education. Continue reading →

Here’s how you can help make it magical…

1. Spread the word today about the May Day Cooper Union and SUNY Stonybrook Free U schedules, 3pm NYC Education Convergence, and 9pm Dance Party:
freeuniversitynyc.org/cooper/schedule
freeuniversitynyc.org/stonybrook/schedule
facebook.com/events/603473256348907
facebook.com/events/139832612856283/
facebook.com/events/120913341440617

2. Help Occupy the Twittersphere about why and how our universities and communities should be freed. See OpenCUNY’s project here: opencuny.org/mayday

3. Bring some birthday cake (or other desserts), plates, forks, and napkins to Cooper Union and Stonybrook to celebrate Free University’s 1-year birthday!

4. Connect with friends, lovers, classmates, co-workers, neighbors, and fellow travelers to prepare today for a full day tomorrow of direct democracy and people power. That includes a good night’s sleep and goodies/liquids packed for all day. See more valuable details here: sites.google.com/site/occupycunywiki/resources/action-resources

5. Receive (minimal) updates/announcement on May Day education activities by joining this celly loop. Text @studentblocnyc to 23559

See you in the parks and on the streets!
with LOVE LOVE LOVE because we’re WORTH IT,

-Free University of NYC

Feast your imaginations:

Cooper Union Free University schedule
SUNY Stonybrook Free University schedule

See these lovely videos from two of our past Free Universities:

May Day Free University 2012
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jYnXthkHd8
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id8FaDf3OMI

September 18-22 Free University 2012
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmnjrwOU0vo

Please spread the word—we welcome more Free U presenters and participants!
3 days til May Day.

Register here for Cooper Union
Register here for Stonybrook
May Day Education Convergence / Dance Party event page