Author: uclafaculty

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“Demand Narrative” Released for Proposed Hotel/Conference Center to Replace Faculty Club

Byuclafaculty

Below is an official “demand narrative” related to the proposed hotel/conference center that is the replace the existing Faculty Center. Center members are currently balloting on whether this project should be approved or not. The document in its original form can be found at http://www.senate.ucla.edu/documents/ProposedConferenceCenterDemandNarrative_Morabito-7Mar2011.pdf It is reproduced here in full because it is labeled “draft” and it is useful to preserve the initial language. The narrative does not directly address two issues: Downside risk. All forecasting is done with error. It seems unlikely – if the projections of revenue do not pan out – that UCLA would let this…

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Quote without comment

Byuclafaculty

UC Riverside leaders consider sweeping cuts in face of budget crisis (excerpt) Larry Gordon, LA Times, March 8, 2011 Should library hours be cut? Could some academic programs be closed or merged? Will turning down air conditioners and fixing leaky sprinklers save much money? UC Riverside administrators are mulling such questions as they face an expected reduction in the campus’ core budget next year of at least 8%, or $38 million, even as they cope with higher pension costs and energy bills. The decisions could affect the livelihoods of employees and quality of education for more than 20,000 students at…

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Regents Ponder Questions (With the aid of a management consultant)

Byuclafaculty

At the upcoming Regents session scheduled for the Ides of March, the Regents have invited a management consultant to help them ponder questions such as those below: * How can a more diverse student body be supported during a period of flattening or declining federal/or state appropriation? * How do we attract target students with the capacity to provide competitive tuition subsidization that is competitive with peer institutions? * Is the University effectively evaluating alternatives to traditional education practices (e.g. three year degrees, a multi-year tuition schedule) to help address student access and affordability issues? * How robustly is the…

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Has Brown’s Budget Plan Been Sunk by GOP Opposition: It’s Not Over ‘Til It’s Over

Byuclafaculty

From today’s Sacramento Bee (excerpt): Gov. Jerry Brown’s prospects of reaching a budget deal by his deadline this week dimmed markedly Monday when a quintet of Republicans with whom he’d been negotiating declared an impasse. The GOP senators for the first time released a list of demands – covering pensions, spending restrictions and education reforms, among other things – and said the Democratic governor and his legislative allies were unable to fulfill them. “We accepted your invitation to bring you our ideas on important structural reforms and willingly took to heart your admonition ‘to get out of our comfort zone,’…

Does a college degree guarantee a good job?

Byuclafaculty

In today’s NY Times, columnist and Princeton professor Paul Krugman notes that computer technology advances are undermining the job market for certain kinds of occupations that are identified with college-educated workers. “It is a truth universally acknowledged that education is the key to economic success. Everyone knows that the jobs of the future will require ever higher levels of skill… But what everyone knows is wrong…” “The fact is that since 1990 or so the U.S. job market has been characterized not by a general rise in the demand for skill, but by “hollowing out”: both high-wage and low-wage employment…

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UCLA History: Who’s Buried in Westwood?

Byuclafaculty

The photo above shows the 1962 funeral of actress Marilyn Monroe in Westwood Memorial Cemetery. The cemetery was developed in 1905 on essentially empty land, well before the UCLA campus arrived nearby in the late 1920s. Because the cemetery is now hidden by various buildings along Wilshire Blvd, many are unaware of its existence. It is behind the building housing the AVCO movie theater. (See the Google map photo on the right.) Due to its location, the cemetery the final home to many entertainment types, ranging from actor Eddie Albert to musician Frank Zappa and Hollywood mogul Darryl Zanuck. But…

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Non-Budget Bills on UC Introduced in the Legislature

Byuclafaculty

The prior post on this blog noted the progress of the state budget in the legislature. Below are some bills introduced related to higher ed and UC. There was a February 18 deadline for members to introduce bills although there are ways around that restriction. As yours truly has noted in the past, the legislature has never taken to the notion of “no pay/no say.” That is, even though the proposed state budget would contribute roughly 1/8th of the UC budget (and less if the tax extensions do not pass), the legislature feels free to micro-manage. Yours truly has noted…

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Progress Report on the State Budget

Byuclafaculty

In case you are wondering where things are concerning the state budget, the Sacramento Bee reports that, “…famed primatologist Jane Goodall paid a visit to the Senate floor during a short floor session Thursday, greeting lawmakers with the call of a wild chimpanzee…” Full report at: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/03/herbie-hancock-jane-goodall-wo.html#ixzz1FjzoJO6q No invitation has been extended yet to Goodall from the Academic Senate so the audio – enhanced from the Bee website – is below: More seriously, there are rumors about deals being cut with selected Republicans to obtain the 2/3 vote necessary to put the governor’s proposed tax extensions on the ballot. Exactly…

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The $40 Million Question: Two More Emails on the Faculty Center Issue

Byuclafaculty

A blog post yesterday featured an email exchange on the proposed demolition of the Faculty Center between Prof. Dora Costa (Dept. of Economics) and Prof. Ann Karagozian (Chair of the Academic Senate). Here are two more emails, these related to the use of $40 million in gift funding, in the interest of our fair and balanced reporting. = = = = = = = = = = = = = From: Daniel J.B. Mitchell Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2011 9:05 PM To: Ann Karagozian Subject: Re: petition to CPB and FW on proposed RCC/hotel Ann: This project surfaced last spring…

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April 14th Undergrad UC Budget Protest/Event Announced

Byuclafaculty

Below is the text of an email received by yours truly announcing an undergraduate-sponsored UC budget protest/event scheduled for April 14: Dear friends, family, and community supporters, This year, the UC Regents passed the fourth consecutive fee increase in the past two years, and as a further blow, Governor Jerry Brown recently released his budget proposal, initiating a massive $500 million cut to the University of California. The University of California used to stand as the model for higher education, but education has clearly fallen in the list of state priorities. It is time that we organize. Small protests and…