Author: uclafaculty

Are We About to Burst With Pride?

Byuclafaculty

Dean Judy Olian of the Anderson School circulated links to two articles (really three when you follow the links) on the thesis that the next bubble is higher ed. A sample: ..Like the housing bubble, the education bubble is about security and insurance against the future. Both whisper a seductive promise into the ears of worried Americans: Do this and you will be safe. The excesses of both were always excused by a core national belief that no matter what happens in the world, these were the best investments you could make. Housing prices would always go up, and you…

Long Road to Tenure at U of Michigan

Byuclafaculty

Inside Higher Ed is reporting today on a decision of the U of Michigan Regents to lengthen the period to tenure: 10 Years to Tenure at Michigan (excerpt): April 25, 2011, Dan Berrett Professors at the University of Michigan could face a possible wait of up to 10 years for tenure thanks to a new policy adopted Thursday by its Board of Regents — over the objections of faculty. The change to a university bylaw, as Michigan administrators are quick to point out, is not mandated. It gives schools and colleges at Michigan’s campuses the option to extend the maximum…

Yours Truly is Still Waiting

Byuclafaculty

The Contra Costa Times today is complaining that some public entities – but no UC- have not yet provided it with all of their salary data so it could publish them on its website. The article includes the following quote: “It’s insane, absolutely asinine” that some governments continue to balk at making compensation data readily public, said Tom Newton, executive director of the California Newspaper Publishers Association. Full article at http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_17916681 As yours truly has done with the Orange County Register and the Sacramento Bee, I have posted a modest request on the Contra Costa Times website: While you’re waiting…

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Time Warp

Byuclafaculty

This is odd. UCLA produced a strategic plan dated January 6, 2010. In that report on page 10, it refers to a conference center. The word “residential” is not used and, of course, “hotel” is not used. The text on page 10 reads: Conference Center: A conference center at UCLA could serve three purposes: support academic programs by offering a convenient venue for scholarly programs and interaction, serve as a gateway for the Los Angeles Community into UCLA, and establish UCLA as a meeting point for international academic conferences and programs. We should conduct a feasibility study for a conference…

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Wake Up UCOP and Regents: The Governor Says There Is Still Time to Make Your Voice Heard

Byuclafaculty

Is there a budget deal in sight and does it include some kind of pension limit? Not yet – but the clock is ticking. UCOP and the Regents need to wake up and make their voice heard on behalf of UC, particularly on pensions, but also on the budget in general. See below. April 22: …(Governor Brown) said a budget deal remains elusive and could take several more weeks to reach. “We’re not at the point of, ‘OK, if you do this pension reform and A, B, C and D regulatory, you’ve got a deal,’ ” Brown told reporters after…

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Andreas Kluth of The Economist Leads UCLA Roundtable Discussion on California Dysfunction: April 26

Byuclafaculty

The event below coming up on Tuesday may be of interest to those concerned with the California budget crisis and general Sacramento dysfunction: Andreas Kluth of The Economist Leads UCLA Roundtable Discussion California—few regions in the world have caught the popular imagination of so many. From the glitz of Hollywood to the energy and innovation of Silicon Valley, from the weather to the wine, California is envied around the globe. Yet despite the state’s immense advantages, its finances are in deep trouble. For the past few years California has been in a budget and governance crisis, reaching its nadir in…

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Empires

Byuclafaculty

Yours truly doubts that most faculty are aware of the scale of the business enterprises that operate at UCLA. Below you can take a look at the 2008 strategic plan for UCLA Housing and Hospitality. Among other things, on page 9 you will find that the hotel/conference center that was slated to replace the Faculty Center is not so recent. It was first surfaced to faculty about a year ago. But it goes back at least to 2008-09. Open publication – Free publishing – More hospitality These guys are hard to resist!

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Fiefdoms

Byuclafaculty

We all know about the body parts scandal at UCLA. Then there was the scrambled eggs/fertility scandal at UC-Irvine. Now comes word that a former UC-Davis official will be sentenced in June for embezzlement and related offenses. In that case, the head of the Campus Violence Prevention Program for 16 years began to receive attention when a newspaper reported that she had apparently submitted false numbers on campus violence to the feds. That investigation turned up further info that she had a problem with travel reimbursement and had to pay back some money to the university. One would think alarm…

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A Plug for Today’s Events

Byuclafaculty

Yours truly will be speaking at a “Public Sector Forum” today (Thursday, April 21), 5 PM, 1447 Law School, on California’s “Governance, Budgets, and Public Workers.” The program has a panel on the subject and was organized by Prof. Katherine Stone of the Law School. Note that Obama is visiting the Westside today so if you are not on campus, you may not be able to get there due to traffic gridlock. On the other hand, you might not be able to get home if you are on campus so the forum is something to do while you are stuck….