Author: uclafaculty

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Congratulations to UC-SD: But are they sure there what they are getting?

Byuclafaculty

Geisel gives $2 million to fix chancellor’s residence: House used in fundraising and UCSD events is currently uninhabitable Pat Flynn, Dec. 16, 2010, San Diego Union-Tribune Audrey Geisel, a longtime benefactor of the University of California San Diego, has donated $2 million to jump-start renovation of University House, the currently uninhabitable residence meant for use by the campus’ chancellor. Geisel, the widow of Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel, author of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” among many other books, was given in honor of the university’s 50th anniversary, which is being celebrated this year. In 2004, engineers determined that University House…

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In Radio Interview with Marketplace Yudof Eschews Privatization; Says Most State Politicians Don’t Understand UC

Byuclafaculty

In a radio interview today, UC President Mark Yudof discussed UC in the context of the state budget crisis. Issues that came up include privatization, faculty pay, and relations with the state in the context of the budget crisis. The portion aired was an excerpt. A full transcript – not just the excerpt – and audio of the full interview is below: Yudof Full Interview on Marketplace Jeremy Hobson: Mark Yudof is the President of California’s system and he joins us now. Mark Yudof, welcome to Marketplace. Mark Yudof: Well thank you. Thank you for inviting me. Hobson: The University…

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Observations and Worries Over at CalPERS

Byuclafaculty

The excerpt below from calpensions.com deals mainly with a state contribution cut to CalPERS, ostensibly due to increased employee contributions. Some things to note: 1) the state contribution rate to the plan is already roughly at our “normal cost.” 2) CalPERS may come down to UC’s assumed 7.5% rate of expected earnings – or possibly lower. Lower would put pressure on UC to do the same. 3) CalPERS is concerned about federal legislative proposals in the new Congress regarding public pension plan discount rates used for estimating unfunded liabilities. CalPERS state rate hike cut by $200 million (except) Ed Mendel,…

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Chair of UCLA Faculty Assn. Comments on LA Times Article Concerning Legislative Challenges to UC Autonomy

Byuclafaculty

Below is a note from Chair Dwight Read followed by excerpts from the LA Times article to which he is responding. A link to the full article is also provided. A Note from the Chair of the UCLA Faculty Association Professor Dwight Read Today, Dec. 16, the LA Times ran an article, “State Wants Say in UC, CSU Budgets,” about a constitutional amendment that would strip the University of California of its autonomy. To provide historical context, the excerpt below explains how UC gained its autonomy, why the citizens of California voted for it in 1879, and why it is…

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CUCFA statement about the Dec. 13th special Regent’s meeting

Byuclafaculty

Council of UC Faculty Associations statement about the Dec. 13th special Regent’s meeting At their Special Meeting on Monday, December 13, the Regents of the University of California will be making decisions on two significant issues– endorsing the principles of the UC Commission on the Future (UCOF) and drastically changing the University of California Retirement Plan (UCRP). “One thing we can agree on, said Robert Meister, President of the Council of UC Faculty Associations “is the first sentence of the UCOF Report: ‘UC is at a crossroads.’” Meister continued, “Unfortunately the University leadership has ignored the outcome of this year’s…

Internet Rumor: Zero for Higher Ed?

Byuclafaculty

Here is a re-posting from the liberal calitics blog which suggests that Governor-elect Brown will present a shock budget that would provide zero for higher ed. No other reports on the meeting Brown held at UCLA reported a literal zero for higher ed. It was not mentioned in the segment I previously posted from Which Way LA? on the Brown meeting. That there will be a shock budget seems a sure thing. Cuts for higher ed could certainly be part of it. I would be surprised by a total zero. But here is the entry:============ Jerry Brown as Jacob Marley…

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Agitation Around Public Pensions in California Continues

Byuclafaculty

As prior posts have noted, there has been an active campaign – with varying intensity – behind a ballot initiative that would affect all public pensions (including UC’s) in California. Although the Regents have now enacted a plan for UC, their decisions could be overridden by such an initiative. The image accompanying this entry indicates that the issue continues to simmer. Whether the proponents of such an initiative have the $1-$2 million needed in practice to gather signatures to get it on the ballot, or the considerable amount that would be needed for a campaign thereafter, remains unknown. When Meg…

Yahoo’s Decline Will Affect the Blog

Byuclafaculty

In the past, various meetings of the Regents and hearings related to UCOF, Post-Employment Benefits, and the general budget situation have been posted on this site by way of Yahoo-video. Yahoo is generally in commercial decline, thanks to competition from Google and others such as YouTube. As a result, Yahoo has discontinued its video service. Any video content embedded from Yahoo-video will be unavailable on this blog after March 14, 2011. I will decide whether to try to move the video/audio content – which is a royal pain to do – to some other site. If you have an interest…

Brown Summit at UCLA: Where Is the Video?

Byuclafaculty

The CalChannel was supposed to carry the Jerry Brown budget summit at UCLA earlier today live. Usually, that means there would be an archived video. But there was no sign of it – live or otherwise – on the CalChannel’s schedule for today and I was not available to see if anything aired live. (It was also supposed to be live on jerrybrown.org and a UCLA feed.) The meeting was focused on education but apparently mainly K-12. UCLA did provide the following media release: Governor-elect Brown at UCLA budget summit: There will be cuts By Alison Hewitt December 14, 2010…

They Love Me; They Love Me Not

Byuclafaculty

Inside Higher Ed today steered me to the article below: Students stretch truth on teacher evaluations, UNI professor’s study finds STACI HUPP • Des Moines Register • December 13, 2010 Dennis Clayson’s college students have picked apart everything from his “impossible” tests to his choice of neckties. The University of Northern Iowa marketing professor says he doesn’t take criticism personally when students grade him on teacher evaluations, but he has wondered: Do they always tell the truth? The answer is no, Clayson and a Southeastern Oklahoma State University marketing professor found, in what they say is the first study of…