Author: uclafaculty

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Sneak Preview

Byuclafaculty

Later this morning at the UC Regents meeting, there will be a public comments period.  There may be oral testimony by persons opposed to the latest version of the UCLA hotel/conference center project. Below you can find a link to the written testimony of “Save Westwood Village,” a group of neighbors and local business & hotel owners.  Although the group may have interests regarding this project different from those of the faculty, it will be necessary for any Academic Senate review of this project to respond to the objections raised.  The faculty interest essentially is that the project not end…

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What Not to Think (on pension bonds)

Byuclafaculty

You may have seen the headline on the front page of yesterday’s LA Times business section about pension bonds. And you may know that the Regents have approved possibly issuing such bonds. (None have been issued, however, and any borrowing to put into the UC pension has been done internally, not by issuing external bonds.) The LA Times article describes what some municipalities have done in the past to deal with unfunded pension liabilities or just to make a speculative profit. Essentially, they have issued bonds and used the proceeds to make pension investments.  If the interest cost of the…

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Japanese Garden Update

Byuclafaculty

It is possible that the sale of the Japanese Garden by UCLA may come up at the forthcoming Regents meeting, at least in the public comment period.  The letter below was emailed to me by an individual who has been involved in the debate over the sale.  I should point out, in reprinting the email, that the UCLA Faculty Association has no position on the proposed sale but, as in other matters pertaining to UCLA, prefers that information on controversial matters be aired openly when possible.  The Japanese Garden matter affects not only the garden itself but also could have…

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(Direct) Democracy is a Wonderful Thing

Byuclafaculty

Anyone can (try to) write a law in California using the ballot initiative process.  It only costs $200 to start the process rolling.  For that modest sum, you get a ballot title and summary from the state attorney general and a fiscal analysis from the Legislative Analyst’s Office.  Of course, you then have to go out and get the signatures. The latest direct democracy to rising tuition at UC, CSU, and the community colleges is a ballot initiative submitted March 26 that would freeze tuition at the 2010 level, adjusted for inflation. However, the initiative fails to mention what index…

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Regental Lament (and maybe action)

Byuclafaculty

Scroll down on today’s blog posts and you will find an odd item slated for the Regents Committee on Finance scheduled for March 28.  On March 29, in contrast, there will be a discussion at that Committee on the budget and on tax initiatives on the November ballot.  The background report laments the current situation and notes: For UC to remain true to President Daniel Coit Gilman’s promise in the 1800s to be the “University of this State” – to help fuel its economy and provide opportunities for its continually changing population and its needs – the University must strengthen…

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Pension Cap at Regents

Byuclafaculty

Those who follow this blog will know that a brouhaha developed when certain highly compensated administrators in the UC system pushed for a lifting of a cap on the level of pay considered for pension calculations under IRS rules. In 1999, the Regents applied for an exemption that would have lifted the cap.  It was approved by IRS in 2007.  But the Regents never implemented the exemption, have indicated they will not do so, and are now threatened with litigation. Apparently as a result, the Regents have a recommendation on their upcoming agenda to rescind their 1999 action.  The item…

Finance?

Byuclafaculty

One oddity of the upcoming Regents meeting is the placement of the report and agenda item described below on the docket of the Committee on Finance.  The connection of the topic of the item with “finance” is a bit difficult to comprehend: Office of the General Counsel  TO MEMBERS OF THE  COMMITTEE ON FINANCE:  DISCUSSION ITEM  For Meeting of March 28, 2012 REPORT ON REVIEW OF POLICIES AND BEST PRACTICES IN RESPONSE TO CAMPUS PROTESTS Following the incidents at the Berkeley and Davis campuses in November, the President directed Vice President and General Counsel Robinson and Dean Christopher Edley of…