Another Web Wonder: The SkipClass Calculator
http://www.skipclasscalculator.com/
Author: uclafaculty
Further Info on the UCLA Faculty Center Issue
A few days ago, I posted information about a possible temporary (3 year!) closing of the UCLA Faculty Center while a residential learning center was constructed at its current location. Concern has been expressed about the viability of the Center during such a long closure. You can find the posting at http://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2010/08/no-faculty-center-for-3-years.html As further background, you may be interested in a report tracing the history of the Center from 1928 to 2004 which also includes discussion of similar faculty centers at other UC campuses. It is available at http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0BzVLYPK7QI_4OGQ1Y2QyZTAtYTYzOC00MTQyLWJlMDItYTAyMWI1NGYzZjRl&hl=en&authkey=CJCu55YG
Free to Choose to Rent or Buy Your Milton Friedman Textbook at UC-Berkeley
An article in the Oakland Tribune reports that UC-Berkeley has a textbook rental (rather than purchase) plan to hold down student costs. Excerpt from http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15773670 BERKELEY — UC Berkeley students may have a tough time finding a room to rent before classes start Aug. 26, but they won’t have any trouble renting another back-to-school staple: textbooks. The Cal Student Store now allows students to rent select course texts for the semester, a less-expensive option that can save students nearly half the cost of new books and offers a significant savings over even used books. Most students spend about $1,000 a…
Where Is the State Budget?
The picture on the left is from happier times in 2006 when a state budget was being signed. But there is no evidence that we are going to see anything like that in the next few days. The Sacramento Bee today has a brief summary of Democratic vs. Republican current positions on the budget at:http://media.sacbee.com/smedia/2010/08/14/23/7W15BUDGETA3.source.prod_affiliate.4.pdf Exactly where the governor is on all this is unclear. Of late, the governor has been talking about needing various reforms – not necessarily related to the immediate budget – as part of the deal. One of these is public pension reform. The governor has…
A Bit of History: UCLA Determines What Happens to You When You Drink Vodka in 1965
The caption for this July 18, 1965 photo from the LA Times about an experiment at UCLA by a faculty member of that era reads: ONE FOR SCIENCE-Phillip Zuckerman, wired for reaction, drinks vodka and tomato juice while Dr. Richard F. Docter prepares to study reactions. Experiments are helping determine extent of drinker’s feeling of mental alertness.
What Retirees Are Being Told by UCOP About Possible Changes in Retiree Health Care and Pensions
Judgment Day is Coming from the Post-Employment Benefits Task Force According to the “New Dimensions” Benefits Newsletter for UC Retirees, July 2010, published by UC Human Resources at UCOP. Below is the relevant article: Post-Employment Benefits Task Force to Send Recommendations to President Yudof Predictable but reduced UC contributions for retiree health premiums and changes in eligibility for retiree health benefits for many future UC retirees are among the options the Post Employment Benefits Task Force is considering sending to UC President Mark G. Yudof. After more than a year of study, discussion and wide consultation, the task force is…
A Bit of UCLA History from the 1964 Commencement
The official Los Angeles Times caption on this June 12, 1964 photo in the UCLA Digital Collection is “SHAH RECEIVES DEGREE – Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, the shah of Iran, center, stands with Dr. Clark Kerr, left, president of UC and Chancellor Franklin D. Murphy after being presented an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.” Actually, the event was more tumultuous than the caption suggests. In an earlier post, I noted that Jim Klain gave a talk about the history of Royce Hall on August 11. Klain was in charge of campus events, not just Royce Hall. In response to…
UC-Merced Med School: UC Budget Problems Not a Concern?
Richard III might have trouble getting a horse at UC-Davis thanks to UC budget woes – see the previous post. But if he fell off one at UC-Merced, he could get his injuries cared for at the new med school if grand plans continue to go forward. From the Merced Sun-Star: Friday, Aug. 13, 2010 Lawmakers support UC Merced med school Assembly members recognize need for doctors in Central Valley. By JAMIE OPPENHEIM SACRAMENTO — Members of the Valley Coalition for UC Merced Medical School and other UC Merced officials made the case for the need for a medical school…
Richard III Might Be Out of Luck at UC-Davis Thanks to Budget Cuts
From the Sacramento Bee: A few horses munched quietly on feed Wednesday morning in a dusty pasture tucked away on the University of California, Davis, campus. It was likely one of their last meals at the university’s Equestrian Center before they’re shipped to new homes as the center deals with heavy cuts to its funding. “These pastures used to be full,” said Julie Smith, the center’s assistant director. “And now these are the stragglers that are left.” Loss of funding to UC Davis’ department of campus recreation has meant cuts to the Equestrian Center, which opened in 1962 and has…
But Professor, I Need an A for My Bet er I Mean My Scholarship
New Site Lets Students Gamble on Their Grades KTLA News 10:51 PM PDT, August 11, 2010 LOS ANGELES — A new website is giving higher education a Vegas twist, allowing college students nationwide to bet on their own grades. The site, Ultrinsic.com, lets students bet on whether they can achieve or exceed a certain grade, with bets starting at $25. The student puts up some of the money, and the company fronts the rest — more for A’s, slightly less for B’s, and so on. The amount is also moderated by other information like the student’s past academic record and…