Author: admin

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    Imitation is Not Always Flattery

    Byadmin

    The LA Times today carries a story about the UCLA Anderson’s School’s use of the Turnitin.com system for catching plagiarism in essays of applicants for the MBA program.  The system is more commonly used for checking reports written for class assignments by already-enrolled students.  Excerpt: …”The more we can nip unethical behavior in the bud, the better,” said Andrew Ainslie, a senior associate dean at UCLA Anderson. “It seems to us nobody ought to be able to buy their way into a business school.”  In the school’s first review of essays from potential MBA candidates this year, Turnitin found significant…

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    UCLA History: Fundraising

    Byadmin

    The issues of the sale of the Japanese Garden and the construction of the hotel/conference center both point to fundraising and gifts to UCLA.  The recent history of UCLA – UCLA: The First Century – has a section on the early days of fundraising.  (See an earlier blog post on the book.) In the book is the undated photo on the left of Dean Neil Jacoby of the business school promoting his idea of a building for the school.  The book, incidentally, incorrectly gives his dates as dean as 1948-73.  In fact, when yours truly arrived on campus in the…

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    Audio Recording Indicates that UC Needs to Talk With Legislative Leaders on Pensions

    Byadmin

    Yesterday’s State Worker blog of the Sacramento Bee carried a story about remarks by California State Senate President Darrell Steinberg on public pensions.  It includes a link to a recording of Steinberg’s remarks on pensions at a press conference of 1-26-2012.  Good luck with that link; the IT guy at the Bee must have gone home for the weekend.  Nevertheless, yours truly has come to the rescue and you can hear it without hassle by clicking on the link below. There is a back story which state politicos will understand regarding Steinberg’s remarks.  Last year, the legislature kept waiting for…

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    LA Councilman Koretz Opposes Sale of Japanese Garden

    Byadmin

    LA City Councilman Paul Koretz, whose district includes UCLA and the surrounding area, has written a letter to Chancellor Block opposing the sale of the Japanese Garden. The letter is reproduced below. By way of further historical background, the photo at the right appears in the new history book on UCLA, “UCLA: The First Century,” in a section entitled “Artful Transformation” dealing with Chancellor Franklin Murphy’s interest in campus beautification during his regime.  The caption to the photo reads in part: Murphy had long wanted to acquire a Japanese garden in neighboring Bel-Air, and in 1965, it was donated to…

  • UC-Davis in the Post-Pepper Era

    Byadmin

    After the pepper spray incident at UC-Davis, the administration is apparently taking a hands-off attitude toward Occupy demonstrators.  From the student paper at Davis: Blockades by Occupy UC Davis protesters have led to speculation that U.S. Bank may leave the Memorial Union (MU) if protests persist.  In the past week, protesters have blockaded the door to the bank eight times, according to a protester. These blockades have resulted in the early closure of the bank and involvement of campus police.  The closure of the bank could also mean the departure of funds for student activities. “The occupiers claim they are…

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    More on the Obama/Tuition Issue

    Byadmin

    As a prior blog post noted, President Obama’s State of the Nation address earlier this week contained a threat to cut federal support to universities whose tuitions were rising. But it was not clear what exactly was involved. Insider Higher Ed has a brief story – with a link to a NY Times iece and a link to a White House fact sheet about the proposal.  In fact, to the extent that the proposal is implemented – always a question given Congressional gridlock – UC and UCLA are likely to benefit.  Our tuition is rising but it is still low…

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    Shooting Arrows

    Byadmin

    The Daily Bruin carries a story today about possible construction of an archery range on campus as a component of a large donation which is raising some ecology concerns.  Apparently, the area currently contains California native plants and is used in some coursework and has raised some faculty objections.  As pressures for fundraising ramp up – reflective of the larger university/state budget situation – these kinds of conflicts over university property and land use seem to keep cropping up.  Earlier – and still-current – examples involve the hotel/conference center project and the proposed sale of the Japanese Garden. Excerpt: Just…

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    Regent Carter Background & the Japanese Garden Issue

    Byadmin

    Because of the Japanese Garden issue, blog readers might be interested in Regent Carter (at left in the 1966 photo above with UC President Clark Kerr at right giving presentation to Prince Philip).  Ultimately, the Japanese Garden was a gift of the Carter family. Here are some excerpts and links: From the Harvard Business School: Carter developed the first suburban shopping center in 1947 in Los Angeles and popularized regional chain stores. Carter started with three regional stores in Los Angeles in 1946, and by 1980, had grown that number to 47. Carter expanded the company nationally through acquisitions, such…

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    OMG! Whoops. Oh My Whatever-You-Are!

    Byadmin

    Inside Higher Ed pointed to this story: “It’s no wonder President Obama wants every kid to go to college,” said… former Pennsylvania senator (Santorum.) “The indoctrination that occurs in American universities is one of the keys to the left holding and maintaining power in America. And it is indoctrination. If it was the other way around, the ACLU would be out there making sure that there wasn’t one penny of government dollars going to colleges and universities, right?” He continued: “If they taught Judeo-Christian principles in those colleges and universities, they would be stripped of every dollar. If they teach…

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    CSU establishes salary cap for campus presidents

    Byadmin

    CSU has adopted a salary cap for its campus presidents, equivalent of UC chancellors.  Will the Regents take similar action? The California State University board of trustees on Wednesday capped salaries of newly hired campus presidents at $325,000 after an outcry over a $400,000 pay package approved for a new president last year when tuition shot up 12 percent.  The new policy will establish a salary ceiling of $325,000 or raise the salary by no more than 10 percent of the pay received by the outgoing president… Full story at http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/25/4214329/csu-trustees-consider-capping.html Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/25/4214329/csu-trustees-consider-capping.html#storylink=cpy