Late Tuesday afternoon, UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau sent out a campuswide message calling on state leaders to debate about California’s “disinvestment in public higher education.”

To the Campus Community:

We all share the distress and anger at the State of California’s disinvestment in public higher education.

IN THE SPIRIT OF TODAY’S DAY OF ACTION, I AM URGENTLY CALLING ON THE POLITICAL LEADERSHIP FROM SACRAMENTO TO COME TO CAMPUS TO ENGAGE WITH ME AND STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES IN A PUBLIC FORUM TO DEBATE THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION.

The issues require bold action and time is short. I will inform you of the time and place as soon as possible.

Robert J. Birgeneau,

Chancellor

Campus spokesperson Dan Mogulof said the debate — targeted at Gov. Jerry Brown and other state leaders — was not necessarily prompted by today’s strike or last week’s protests.

“It’s part of something the chancellor’s been thinking about for a while,” Mogulof said.

He added the debate would be something that is “beneficial for students and leadership in Sacramento.”