“UC Berkeley to pay consultant to find cost cuts” San Francisco Chronicle, Monday, October 5, 2009 The San Francisco Chronicle published an article today written by Nanette Asimov in which she reported that UC Berkeley has agreed to pay a consultant $3 million to help the university save money. UCB is facing a $150 million budget deficit for the 2009-10 year. Through short-term measures like cutting faculty pay through unpaid furlough days, laying off employees, reducing course offerings, fund raising, and increasing fees, the campus has whittled that deficit down, but there is still a long way to go to…
Author: uclafaculty
A Medical School at UC Merced “Loose Lips: How about a shorter name, please” by Merced Sun-Star, Friday, Oct. 02, 2009 The Merced Sun Star published a short article last Friday on the process that appears to be leading to the building of a medical school at UC Merced. Campus leaders said that with funds already received from the federal government, the next step is to establish an undergraduate program that “lays the groundwork for the medical school.” The name is the highly descriptive “Center of Excellence for the Study of Health Disparities in Rural and Ethnic Underserved Populations.” The…
Sept. 23, 2009 More About Cal Grants On the FA Blogspot (www.uclafacultyassociation@blogspot.com) , we posted an interview with Tom Campbell, who is running for Governor. He is a former state legislator, former congressman, with a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago who graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School. He taught economics at Stanford U and was dean of the UC Berkeley business school. He proposes using Cal Grants to improve funding to UC. Cal Grants are awarded by the State to high school seniors to cover the costs of fees, tuition, and living expenses. There are…
AAUP Response to the letter from Henry Powell & Daniel L. Simmons AAUP general secretary Gary Rhoades and AAUP president Cary Nelson respond below to the Sept. 9, 2009 letter (http://senate.ucr.edu/An%20Open%20Letter%20to%20UC%20Faculty%20From%20the%20AAUP.pdf) from Henry C. Powell, Chair, UC Assembly and Academic Council, and Daniel L. Simmons, Vice-Chair, Academic Council: September 21, 2009 Henry C. Powell, Chair Assembly and Academic Council, University of California henry.powell@ucop.edu Daniel L. Simmons, Vice-Chair Academic Council daniel.simmons@ucop.edu Dear Professors Powell and Simmons, Thank you for taking the time to provide an extensive response, as Chair and Vice-Chair of the UC Academic Council, to our open letter (to University of California faculty,…
Tom Campbell, a long-shot Republican candidate for governor, former state legislator, former congressman, lays out his plan for increasing public college enrollment without increasing public spending. He has a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School. He taught economics at Stanford U and was dean of the UC Berkeley business school. Tom Campbell Q&A Pt. 1: Taxes and fixing the economy, Sept. 17, 2009 Part 1 http://totalbuzz.freedomblogging.com/2009/09/17/tom-campbell-qa-pt-1-taxes-and-fixing-the-economy/22063/ Campbell Q&A Pt. 2: More college students, smaller classes, Sept. 20, 2009 Part 2 http://totalbuzz.freedomblogging.com/2009/09/20/campbell-qa-pt-1-more-college-students-smaller-classes/22165/ excerpt: The method I would use for adding…
NEW FUNDING IDEAS NEEDED Friday, Sept. 18, 2009, Editorial, San Francisco Chronicle excerpt: “Here’s some ideas to consider carefully: — Differential pricing. Tier tuition, with the campuses with the most name-brand clout, Berkeley and UCLA, at the top; Davis, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz at mid-range, and Irvine, Merced and Riverside at the low end. — Go overseas: Foreign students already pay premium tuition for a UC education. Recruit more. — Levy an oil severance tax – projected to bring in $1.2 billion a year – and dedicate it to UC and CSU.” For the complete article, go…
Walkout at UC
What could happen to strikers at UC? The statute that regulates collective bargaining at UC, HEERA, is copied in many parts from federal labor law. However, unlike federal law, HEERA does not protect “concerted activity” by employees including faculty. Since Yudof et al say furloughs can’t be on teaching days, and since concerted activity is not explicitly protected, there is an interesting question of what action could be taken against faculty who “strike” on Sept. 24 if they happen to be scheduled to teach or who otherwise take furlough days on teaching days. Who knows the answer? Walkout called over…