Author: uclafaculty

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Not to Worry: Follow Up on Hotel Plan

Byuclafaculty

Yesterday, we posted a reminder that we are all waiting for the revised UCLA hotel plan. From a Fox TV News press release comes word that if UCLA goes ahead with a grand hotel/conference center plan that then flops, there will still be hope. Help will be on the way: After over a decade of running restaurants in some of the top hotels around the world, traveling the globe and running an award-winning boutique hotel in London, (Gerald) Ramsay knows firsthand the crucial importance of surpassing guests’ highest expectations. In the series, Ramsay and a team of hospitality experts will…

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Budget Down: Cram ‘Em in at UC-Davis

Byuclafaculty

UC Davis unveils major initiative to increase size of student body Sep. 21, 2011, Dale Kasler, Sacramento Bee Calling it a response to the dramatic drop in state funding, UC Davis’ chancellor today announced a plan to increase the campus’ undergraduate population by one fifth, one of the biggest leaps in years. The vision outlined by Chancellor Linda Katehi would swell the school’s undergraduate population to around 29,000 within five years. The total student population would rise to 37,000, surpassing Berkeley and making Davis the second most populous University of California campus, behind UCLA. Speaking at the annual convocation to…

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Hotel Plan: We’re Waiting

Byuclafaculty

The fall quarter is getting under way and (soon???) there should be a re-studied plan from the UCLA administration on the Grand Hotel project that was proposed – but halted after protests from the Academic Senate – to replace the Faculty Center. We are waiting patiently for the (revised???) plan. But in the meantime – a modest??? musical contribution – to salute the UCLA construction empire:

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How Inevitable is the Budget Trigger?

Byuclafaculty

As shown above, there is bipartisan disapproval in the latest Field Poll of the budget cut trigger that was enacted as part of the 2011-12 California state budget. Of course, what the legislature enacts, it can amend or un-enact. Readers of this blog will know that the trigger includes more cuts for UC. Given voter sentiment, perhaps – if UCOP and the Regents – work on it, what happens if the trigger is pulled is not inevitable. There was much bemoaning by the Regents at their recently-concluded meeting about what to do and whether to accept a UCOP plan for…

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Apart from that Mrs. Lincoln…

Byuclafaculty

Some excerpts from the LA Times story on today’s UCLA Anderson Forecast: The national economy is in “far worse” shape than it was just three months ago, but neither the U.S. nor California is expected to slip back into recession, according to UCLA researchers. The U.S. economy has “stalled,” the job market is “horrible,” and even a “modest shock” could trigger a full-blown recession, according to a quarterly economic forecast released Tuesday by UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. But in a nuance that only an economist could appreciate, a recession is unlikely because the forces that normally spur downturns, such…

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Attention to Pay

Byuclafaculty

There is a proposal for a new negotiated pay system for faculty. Yours truly suggests you pay close attention since it is your pay that is involved. The cover letter indicates that employees (presumably faculty) should be consulted. The proposal is at: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/senate/underreview/APM-668SystemwideReviewRequestandmaterials.pdf

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Report on UC’s Economic Impact on State

Byuclafaculty

At the recent Regents meeting, there was a report on the economic impact of UC on the California economy. Yours truly has some reservations about the regional multiplier approach which is emphasized in the report. The short-term real multiplier to be emphasized, which I thought was not adequately highlighted in the report, is that the state puts about $2.5 billion into UC and gets an enterprise with a budget of around $20 billion. A lot of that budget comes from outside the state, i.e., federal research and other funds. And in the long term, the impact on California’s growth can…

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Advance Audio: Excerpt from Sept. 15 Regents Meeting

Byuclafaculty

We previously posted the audio for the July 2011 Regents meeting. Normally, we have to wait until we can get the recordings from the Regents to post the audio. However, Prof. Jim Chalfant of UC-Davis recorded part of the Sept. 15 meeting including discussion of graduate student tuition and support. Eventually, we will post the full Sept. 13-15 meeting – once we get the recordings. In the meantime, below is the Regents agenda for Sept. 15 and below that is a link to the Chalfant recording. 8:30 am Committee of the Whole (public comment) 8:50 am Committee on Compensation (open…

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Audio: July 14, 2011 Regents Meeting (3rd Day)

Byuclafaculty

The Regents met for the third day of their July 2011 meetings on July 14. Below is the agenda for that day’s session. The audio is divided into two parts. Previous blog posts have provided the audio for the first two days. Links are below the third day agenda. Below the agenda are links to the audio. 8:30 am Committee of the Whole (public comment) 8:50 am Committee on Compensation (open session) 9:15 am Committee on Finance (open session) 1:30 pm Board (open session) Part 1: Part 2: