Author: uclafaculty

Sorry About That

Byuclafaculty

…In an email about financial aid awards, UCLA told 894 high school seniors last weekend that they were admitted to the highly competitive campus. Those students actually remain on the waiting list for the Westwood school. UCLA is apologizing for the error. Officials, however, are not yet moving anyone into the admitted category. “We realize this is a particularly anxious and stressful time for students and their families as they try to make decisions about college admissions. We sincerely apologize for this mistake that may have led some of them to think they were admitted when they remain on the waiting…

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Listen to Audio of Regents Meeting on UCLA Hotel/Conference Center

Byuclafaculty

The discussion of the proposed UCLA Hotel/Conference Center occurred in two segments of the March 28, 2012 UC Regents meeting.  During the morning public comment period, there was testimony on the hotel by outside interest groups.  In the afternoon at the Committee on Buildings and Grounds, there was a full hearing on the proposal.  As readers of this blog will know, the result was an embarrassment for UCLA.  Committee members asked questions and were dissatisfied with the responses received.  They were unwilling to endorse the proposal and would have sent it without endorsement to the full Board of Regents the…

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Listen to Audio of Testimony at UC Regents on Proposed Sale of UCLA Japanese Garden

Byuclafaculty

Readers of this blog will known that UCLA has begun the process to sell the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden located near campus in Bel Air.  At the UC Regents meeting of March 27-29, 2012, there was testimony during the public comment periods of March 28 and March 29. Below is a link to audio of that testimony.

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Another Hybrid Pension Proposal

Byuclafaculty

A state legislative committee is looking at a hybrid pension plan for (newly hired) public workers in California but it differs from the hybrid proposed by Gov. Brown.  The Brown plan was a mix of a (reduced) defined-benefit plan and a defined-contribution plan.  The alternative being considered is a mix of a (reduced) defined-benefit plan and a “cash balance” plan. A cash balance plan is similar to defined contribution but it guarantees a fixed rate of return.  That means, the employer and/or employee must adequately fund the plan so it meets the guarantee.  The higher the guaranteed return, the greater…

Pepper Coming to an End?

Byuclafaculty

From the LA Times: The University of California’s investigative report into the controversial pepper-spraying of student protesters by UC Davis campus police is expected to be released publicly Wednesday — with most officers’ names removed.   After a month long legal battle delaying the release, UC and its police union reached a tentative legal settlement Monday that would allow the public disclosure of most of the report about police tactics and UC Davis administrators’ roles in the November incident. However, the agreement calls for the names and ranks of most of the UC Davis police officers to be stripped from the document……

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More Bad Hotel PR for UCLA

Byuclafaculty

From LA Business Journal: UCLA Expansion Fails to Make Grade With Regents: Board seeks more details on plan for hotel-conference center. Jacquelyn Ryan, April 9, 2012 UCLA’s controversial plan to build a hotel and conference center on its Westwood campus has sustained another setback.  The University of California Board of Regents postponed a decision on the $162 million project at its March 28 meeting after citing concerns about the project’s viability.  The board questioned whether the area would support a new hotel and suggested that the university consider acquiring and repositioning an existing nearby hotel. Specifically, it sought more details…

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State Pay Ceiling to be Considered in Legislature (but not for UC)

Byuclafaculty

A bill – SB1368 – that would impose a ceiling on pay of state employees of about $174,000 (the governor’s salary) is being reviewed at a state senate hearing today. The bill, introduced by a Republican state senator, does not apply to UC but would apply to CSU.  It appears to have been sparked by pay offered to presidents at various CSU campuses. Even though UC is exempted, thanks to its constitutional position, any such enactment would have an indirect effect on UC pay.  The bill in fact “recommends” that UC adhere to the pay ceiling. A news report on…

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UCLA History: Warren

Byuclafaculty

In 1970, former U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice visited the UCLA campus to take part in a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the Institute of Industrial Relations (IIR).  As governor of California, Warren had signed a law creating the IIR at the Berkeley and UCLA campuses in 1945.  Shown above are U.S Secretary of Labor James Hodgson, Prof. Lloyd Ulman of the UC-Berkeley IIR, Warren, and UCLA IIR director Prof. Benjamin Aaron.  The IIR is now called the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment.  Other photos from the event are shown below.

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Chancellor at Staff Town Hall on Hotel, Climate Survey, Pensions, Donor-Community Relations

Byuclafaculty

Chancellor Block, Vice Chancellor Steve Olson, and Assistant Vice Chancellor for Campus Human Resources Lubbe Levin participated in a staff Town Hall on April 4. The session was videoed but the video works poorly and the commercial service utilized includes ads.  Below is a link to the audio of the session which works much better. There were no exhibits at the session so nothing is lost in the audio-only format. There were specific questions, some in-person/some submitted in advance, on the proposed hotel/conference center, the upcoming (systemwide) campus climate survey, pensions, and donor-community relations.  Links just to those questions are…