Author: uclafaculty

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A whisper about higher ed in the forthcoming state budget

Byuclafaculty

In earlier posts, we have noted the practice of hints about the state budget proposal coming out before the official unveiling.  Up to now, the education hints have focused on K-12.  Today, the headlines were mainly about the governor’s complaints about the federal court jurisdiction over the state prison system.  However, he paired that complaint with a whisper about higher ed by saying it would be better to spend prison money on education.  And he did mention higher ed in that context. “We’re proposing increases in education at the higher level and in K through 12,” Brown said at a…

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Apparently, UC’s Online Courses Didn’t Knock Their Socks Off

Byuclafaculty

As earlier posts have noted, the governor at a recent Regents meeting pushed for a presentation on the progress being made by UC in pitching online courses.  Such a presentation will be made at the next Regents meeting.  But it appears there will be some explaining to do: The University of California is spending millions to market an ambitious array of online classes created to “knock people’s socks off” and attract tuition from students around the world. But since classes began a year ago, enrollment outside of UC is not what you’d call robust. One person took a class. “It’s taking longer…

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Seven

Byuclafaculty

There are seven years in a sabbatical.  Snow White had seven dwarfs.  There are seven deadly sins.  And Prop 30 – the governor’s now-enacted tax initiative – raised taxes for seven years. So legislative Republicans are pushing for a seven-year freeze on public university tuitions.  Now it is true that the Republicans are in a diminished situation with Democrats holding a supermajority in the state legislature.  But the idea of a tuition freeze will have an appeal beyond Republican ranks. The PolitiCal blog of the LA Times has the story (excerpt): Legislative Republicans on Monday proposed a seven-year freeze on…

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A Forget-Me-Not About the Grand Hotel Project

Byuclafaculty

Over many past postings, we have noted problems with the Grand Hotel plan UCLA is determined to pursue.  Now a lawsuit is pending and an op ed has appeared in the Daily Bruin concerning the deficiencies of the project: [excerpts] Proposed UCLA conference center too costly, ignores tax code and zoning  Laura Lake, co-president of Save Westwood Village, 1-7-13 The University of California is a public trust, a public treasure, an institution of world renown, not because it operates campus hotels, but because of its faculty and student body. Broken down by square footage, the 250-room, $162 million Luskin Conference…

Help Wanted

Byuclafaculty

When UC-Berkeley looks for someone to hire, it isn’t just a matter of putting up a sign, even though it is “financially secure.”  From a recent email: Our client, the University of California, Berkeley, is seeking a Human Resources Leader that desires a blank slate opportunity to develop and drive the HR Policy and Practice function in a brand new direction, advancing the legacy of success on behalf of an institution that has been ranked as high as third in the world, a premier, internationally renowned, financially secure teaching and research university that is consistently rated among the best in…

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More on the Powers That Be

Byuclafaculty

In an earlier post, we noted the names of state assembly members dealing with higher ed.  The state senate has a more general education committee that does all levels of education.  It will be chaired by Carol Liu who represents a district that runs from the Burbank/Pasadena area all the way east to Claremont and beyond.  Despite representing a southern California district, she has ties to UC Berkeley, especially the School of Education there. Poking around on the web, I find she at one time was on the UC-Berkeley Foundation Board of Trustees and that she and her husband have…

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Waiting Anxiously for the State Budget

Byuclafaculty

Under the state constitution, the governor’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2013-14 is due on Thursday, January 10.  As prior posts have noted, the leaks so far seem to indicate a focus on K-12 budgetary reforms rather than higher ed.  We will see.  Last year, as I recall, the budget was accidentally unveiled early when someone put it on the web prematurely.  Presumably, given that misstep, this time precautions are being taken to prevent such early disclosure. So what will the UC budget be?  Let’s hope it isn’t the wrong number.  Until Thursday, we’ll just have to be in suspense:[youtube…

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It does no good but we’ll say it again…

Byuclafaculty

From time to time, we have complained about newspapers that feel compelled to print public payrolls – pay and names – on the grounds that the information is available.  We have noted that with some exceptions for top executives, such publication is an invasion of privacy and invites identity theft.  The newspaper answer is always some combination of a constitutional right – freedom of the press, etc. – plus the fact that the info is public.  Yes, the info has been public all along but before the internet came along, it was de facto private in that you had to…

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UCLA History: Davies

Byuclafaculty

Actress Marion Davies writes a check to establish the UCLA Children’s Health Center in 1952 – still there and named after her.  Davies was famously portrayed in the highly fictionalized film classic “Citizen Kane” as a no-talent, alcoholic floozy/mistress of the William Randolph Hearst character.  That was but one of the elements of the film that infuriated the real Hearst and led to his attempts to suppress the film. Apart from the mistress element, however, there was no similarity between the film character and the actual person.  As it happens, the City of Santa Monica now operates the Marion Davies…