Author: uclafaculty

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UC and CSU Official Responses to Proposed State Budget

Byuclafaculty

Excerpt from Inside Higher Ed: Under the (budget) proposal, the state would rely upon a combination of general funds and federal stimulus dollars to prop up the University of California and California State University. While Schwarzenegger had proposed $305 million in restored recurring dollars for each system, the budget deal would give $199 million in recurring dollars and rely on $106 million in one-time federal stimulus funds to make up the difference, university analysts said. “Our hope going forward is we could make that $106 million a permanent increase to our base, but in a fiscally challenged year like this…

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Early Information on the State Budget Proposal

Byuclafaculty

There is now an official document about the proposed state budget available at: http://www.senate.ca.gov/ftp/SEN/COMMITTEE/STANDING/BFR/_home/2010conf/ConfAgenda10610.pdf from the state Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review. There is also a preliminary write up about this proposal at: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2010/10/budget-details-released.html It is apparent there is a lot of deferral into next year and assumed money from the feds that may not arrive. There is a pension proposal which appears to be CalPERS-only, i.e., not UC. And there is a rainy day fund proposition to be put on the ballot in 2012. There is some additional money for UC and CSU which is said to…

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Out of Time? How Detailed a PEB Review Will UCLA Have on October 14?

Byuclafaculty

UC-Santa Cruz’s Academic Senate presented its program on the recommendations of the Post-Employment Benefits (PEB) Task Force. As noted in a prior posting, UCLA has its session scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 14, 10 AM, Royce Hall. The Santa Cruz program apparently featured a detailed and extensive set of slides, available at http://senate.ucsc.edu/PEB/CFW%20PEB%2017CFWslides0920.pdf If you click on that link, you will see that the slides are complicated as they work through the implications of the various pension options. They could not have been presented in a brief time period and must have been accompanied by a detailed oral narration. It is…

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California Supreme Court Reported Skeptical of Challenge to In-State Tuition for Undocumented Students

Byuclafaculty

A 2001 California law allows students who graduate from a high school within the state to attend any public higher education institution at in-state (resident) rates. Thus, a foreign-born student who was brought to the U.S. illegally and attended a California high school is treated the same for tuition purposes as any other state resident. (Such students are ineligible for various federal assistance programs, however.) A challenge to the law was brought recently and heard by the state Supreme Court. Excerpt from a report on the L.A. Now blog of the LA Times: October 5, 2010 – The California Supreme…

CSU Using Campus-Wide “Value Added” Testing

Byuclafaculty

Recently, the LA Times – in a controversial move – used LAUSD data to calculate “value added” scores on individual teachers. One teacher suicide has been attributed to the publication of his score. A report in California Watch indicates that CSU is using such an approach – not on individual faculty, but on whole campuses. The test seems to involve an essay-type exam given to a sample of freshmen (beginning of program) and seniors (representing the end of the program) to see what difference there is. If seniors do better than freshmen, presumably there is an improvement. How the improvement…

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The Great GASB

Byuclafaculty

Accounting standards for public entities such as UC are set by GASB, the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (pronounced gaz-bee). Calpensions.com is reporting that GASB is considering rules that could impinge on the UC pension. One proposed rule would require a change in the way unfunded liabilities are discounted. Another would affect the period of amortization of past unfunded liability which the Regents have pushed out to 30 years. The rules proposed would appear not to affect the “normal cost” of the plan (essentially, an estimate of what incremental liability is being added annually). Apparently, the discount rate applied to that…

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Bits and Pieces Leaking Out on State Budget Deal

Byuclafaculty

The spin doctors are leaking out bits and pieces about the state budget deal which is to be unveiled officially tomorrow. (Unveiled is not the same as enacted.) You can find highlights of this leaking – including a really, really profound quote by yours truly – in a Sacramento Bee story at http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/05/3080001/schwarzenegger-lawmakers-claim.html There will be a suspension of a previously-enacted, but not yet in effect, business tax break. There will be an assumption of more federal revenue. (Yes, I know that an assumption is not the same as actual cash, but that is what the leak says.) There will…

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Gimme Five! Just When the Focus is on 3-Year Undergrad Degrees, Some Like 5

Byuclafaculty

The Daily Bruin has an article today with students who are in the fifth year pointing to advantages. However, the UCOF report has led to discussion of expedited 3-year degrees, perhaps with online instruction. Excerpt: For James Aboagye and Rosa Magana, this summer was one of traveling, adventure and serious decision-making. The students got the opportunity to study in Ghana together for two months because they both decided to remain at UCLA for a fifth year. They are part of a large number of fifth-years who take an extra year not only to finish up classes but also to take…

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California Supreme Court Hands Down the Law: State Furloughs & 2009 Line-Item Vetoes Upheld

Byuclafaculty

Like Moses, the California Supreme Court has just handed down the law. And it says that the governor’s furloughs and line-item vetoes of 2009 were valid. As noted in prior posts, UC furloughs were imposed by the Regents, not the governor, and were not an issue in the cases that wound up at the state Supreme Court. However, had the Court ruled against the governor, it would have possibly raised a back pay liability for affected state workers. If state workers received back pay, there would be pressure on UC to do the same. That now will not happen. The…

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No Bananas: Rationing of Community College Courses

Byuclafaculty

UC and UCLA have boasted of the degree to which their undergrads are transfer students from community colleges. Such transfers reduce tuition costs to students and increase undergrad capacity at UC. However, due to budget cuts, community colleges are effectively rationing entry – not to their campuses, but to courses needed to transfer. See the LA Times article below: Community college class wait lists throw a wrench into students’ plans: Enrollment in California’s colleges has surged, but budget cuts leave many students unable to get the courses they need, meaning it’ll take them longer to earn a degree and join…