Author: uclafaculty

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UCLA Advertises Its Conference Facilities and Notes that the Events It Hosts Don’t Have to be Education-Based

UCLA Hospitality and Catering has a Facebook page with videos advertising its facilities for conferences.  http://www.facebook.com/uclameetingsThere is no mention of such conferences being required to have a UCLA connection.  For example, one video touts the attraction by UCLA Hospitality and Catering of a meeting of the Southern California Chapter of Meeting Planners International (MPI), a trade group of event planners.  The group’s website describes its mission: MPISCC is a member centric organization focusing on professional development for the meetings and events industries. Established in 1979, MPISCC is recognized as an award-winning chapter with approximately 700 members serving the Santa Barbara,…

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Lawsuit against Prop 13’s 2/3 requirement reported rejected

Charles Young The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA) has reported this afternoon via its email service that the lawsuit filed by former UCLA Chancellor Charles Young to overturn the 2/3 tax increase requirement in Prop 13 of 1978 has been rejected by the California Supreme Court.  So far, no other news source has so reported: The California Supreme Court has refused to hear a challenge to significant aspects of Proposition 13, prosecuted by former UCLA Chancellor Charles Young…  Earlier this year, the 2nd District Court of Appeal agreed with attorneys representing the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association that Young’s suit challenging…

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Would it work for UC?

We have noted in prior posts that the Regents (with a push from Gov. Brown) are interested in promoting online education at UC.  A somewhat different model is noted today in a brief article in Inside Higher Ed.  Online education, even if aimed at a mass audience, is often (not always) a pre-recorded program.  That is, something is put online and students access it at their convenience individually.  The article in Inside Higher Ed reports that Yale, Columbia, and Cornell are using video conferencing (so it’s live and at a fixed time) for small courses (capped at 12 students in…

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The Cultural Landscape Foundation Lists UCLA Japanese Garden as Among Major Threatened Sites

The Cultural Landscape Foundation included the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden on its “Landslide 2012” listing of endangered landscapes which appeared on Nov. 14.  As readers of this blog will know, UCLA’s attempt to sell the garden with no guarantee that it will be preserved has been enjoined. There is a long history which goes back to a gift to UCLA of the garden by former Regents chair Edward Carter with the university promising to maintain the garden in perpetuity.  You can find background on this blog by searching under “Japanese Garden.”  We have urged the university to sit down with…

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More on the Harran Case Hearing

The LA Daily News carries a story about the hearing concerning the fatal lab fire in 2008 for which the local DA is holding Professor Patrick Harran criminally responsible.  A possible four-year prison sentence is involved.  As we have noted in past blog postings, the Regents were at one time charged along with Prof. Harran but have been dropped from the case.  UCLA legal counsel believes that this matter is being overcharged by the DA for whatever reasons and is providing his defense.  We have also noted that the DA has charged another UCLA professor in a totally-unrelated case, possibly…

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Traffic Problems in Going There

The Westwood-Century City Patch lists road closings and obstructions in the UCLA area today related to the 405 project: ===  Sepulveda Bl reduced to one lane each direction near Constitution. Sepulveda Bl reduced near Constitution. Sepulveda Bl reduced near Cashmere St (east of Sepulveda Bl). Sepulveda Bl reduced from Bronwood to Church, 6 am to 2:30 pm. Sepulveda Bl reduced from Moraga to Church and near Ovada. Sepulveda Bl reduced to one lane each direction from Montana to Church. Homedale fully closed from Sepulveda Bl to Thurston, 6 am to 2:30 pm. Ovada fully closed from Sepulveda Bl to Acanto. Sepulveda…

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Gov. Brown on UC online education & budget

Last Wednesday, we posted the audio of the UC Regents meeting of that day which Governor Brown attended as an ex officio Regent.  We noted in that posting that he pushed for UC to move into online education.  And he indicated that without such a shift in the “paradigm,” UC could not receive enough funding from the state to prevent continued increases in tuition.  For the convenience of blog readers, below is an excerpt from that meeting in which these views are expressed by Governor Brown: [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKX-F5OCBJc?feature=player_detailpage]

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Why Prop 30 Will Not Be a Windfall for UC

The chart above from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities suggests that the state’s “social welfare” functions will take a growing share of the budget. [Click on the chart to enlarge and make clearer.] Those functions were very limited at the time of the Master Plan’s adoption.  Since that time, they have tended to crowd out UC’s share of the state budget.  Ultimately, that is why the governor cautioned UC about its wishlist budget at the most recent Regents meeting. You can find the report from which the chart above was taken at:http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3860