Author: admin

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    Almost Secret Garden

    Byadmin

    In the past when we have written about UCLA and gardens, it has been about the Japanese Garden that the university has been blocked from selling.  The university would prefer that the less said about the Japanese Garden, the better.  (If you are unfamiliar with the saga of that garden, use the search engine for this blog for past postings.)  But there is another garden on campus which is not intended to be secret but at least was a discovery for yours truly.  On the south side of the Anderson School, you will find the Nix Garden – which according…

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    Campus Happenings Yesterday

    Byadmin

    Demonstrators return to campus Yesterday, this blog noted that UC had imposed its terms on the union (AFSCME 3299) that had struck for two days recently at university med centers.  There was a demonstration yesterday the blocked traffic at Westwood and Wilshire Boulevards.  Yours truly happened to be in a coffee shop at Lindbrook and Westwood as the demonstration ended.  Photo above. You can find a news account at http://centurycity.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/protest-rally-near-ucla-leads-to-arrests. In a totally different vein, there was some kind of children’s program at the campus Fowler Museum which produced the two figures below. Fowler fare     Yours truly noted…

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    Looking Under the Egg

    Byadmin

    The latest “Our University” newsletter from UCOP has an article about the increase in pension contributions recently enacted by the Regents.  When you look at the newsletter, there is a illustrative “nest egg” illustration – shown above – which you click on to read the article.  Now it’s not clear what the chart below the egg shows.  But let’s hope the downward falling line on the chart under the egg isn’t the future funded status of the pension plan.  As readers of this blog will know, while back in the day, the plan was (more than) fully funded, the long…

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    UC Hospital Dispute Seems to Have Ended

    Byadmin

    Although UC and AFSCME 3299 – the union that called the recent 2-day hospital strike (including at UCLA) – seem to have gone their separate ways, it appears the dispute is over for now.  The Daily Bruin carries a report that UC has unilaterally implemented its last offer. Under state labor law, an employer can implement its offer unilaterally if negotiations have reached an “impasse.”  In such instances, the union might challenge the implementation before PERB on grounds that an impasse had not been reached.  Or it could threaten or undertake a strike.  However, the media release by the union…

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    The UCLA Grand Hotel: No Apparent Rush

    Byadmin

    Yours truly ambled by the site of the UCLA Grand Hotel yesterday afternoon.  The only difference I saw from last week is that the construction cones blocking off the entrance to the Ackerman bus turnaround are now supplemented by a makeshift fence.(!)  There was a pile of dug up landscape but that was there last week. And there was the usual dearth of any sign of work activity.  However, it was 3 pm so maybe everyone was on an extended lunch.Anyway, no need to rush:

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    We’re 34! We’re 34!

    Byadmin

    UCLA ranks 34th in the nation.So says Forbes in its college and university rankings:http://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/.  According to Forbes, “the FORBES list of 650 schools distinguishes itself from competitors by our belief in “output” over “input.” We’re not all that interested in what gets a student into college, like our peers who focus heavily on selectivity metrics such as high school class rank, SAT scores and the like. Our sights are set directly on ROI: What are students getting out of college?”  Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinehoward/2013/07/24/ranking-americas-top-colleges-2013/ Now where is Forbes ranked?  Maybe I missed it. Maybe it’s here:   Or maybe here?   We’ll…

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    405 North Offramp to Sunset Blvd. to be Closed for 120 Days

    Byadmin

    Not to worry.  It’s just that there is a bit of bad news for commuters to UCLA: Beginning August 3, the northbound I-405 off-ramp to Sunset Blvd. will close, beginning a 120-day closure that will add a longer off-ramp. The new off-ramp, which will be 60 percent longer, will feature 60 percent more capacity to store vehicles and segregate traffic from Sunset Blvd. and the I-405…   Existing Conditions During 120-Day Closure *Sepulveda Way acceleration lane will remain open as is.*Sepulveda Blvd. and Church Lane intersection will see lane reduction and height restriction.*Temporary false work bent at median will be…

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    The Obama Shake Coming

    Byadmin

    Shakey’s Model for a Grand Bargain? Higher ed excerpt from today’s presidential speech: …(T)his week we’re working with both parties — (applause) — this week we’re working with both parties to reverse the doubling of student loan rates that happened a few weeks ago because of congressional inaction. (Cheers, applause.) So this is all a good start, but it isn’t enough. Families and taxpayers can’t just keep paying more and more and more into an undisciplined system where costs just keep on going up and up and up. We’ll never have enough loan money, we’ll never have enough grant money…

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    Why Jerry Should Love Higher Ed

    Byadmin

    Gov. Brown often seems a bit exasperated with UC at Regents meetings. But the latest Field Poll indicates higher ed is doing a great job for him:Percent of Voters Supporting Brown’s Re-Election in 2014: High school graduate or less…..37%Some college/trade school……..37%College graduate……………..45%Post-graduate work……………57% Poll results at http://www.field.com/fieldpollonline/subscribers/Rls2446.pdf So, the more we teach, the more they love him:[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KiO42i7uVM?feature=player_detailpage]

  • More Pepper?

    Byadmin

    Remember the pepper spray affair at UC-Davis?  The LA Times has a report on a lawsuit brought by the Times and the Sacramento Bee demanding that the names of all police officers listed in an official study of the affair be made public. That study was released with most names redacted.  A lower court ruled that the names had to be made public but that decision was appealed.  Now an appeals court indicates that the names cannot be withheld.  However, this may not be the end of the pepper story since a further appeal to the state supreme court by…