Author: uclafaculty

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Hearing on UCLA Chemistry Fire Case

Byuclafaculty

Apparently, the trial of UCLA Prof. Patrick Harran is under way although it is receiving limited media coverage.  Readers of this blog will know that the case stemmed from a lab accident in which a student assistant, Sheharbano “Sheri” Sangji, was killed.  At one time the Regents were also charged but they were dropped form the case by the DA.  We have suggested that in this case and another involving a faculty member, the DA is overreaching in what should be a civil case.  UCLA agrees and is providing legal defense for Prof. Harran,  Coverage can be found in the…

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Wishlist budget adopted by Regents

Byuclafaculty

As expected, the Regents adopted the budget – which the governor on Wednesday termed a wishlist – yesterday.  The value of adopting a wishlist budget which will not be funded as requested was debated on Wednesday but adopted by the Committee on Finance of the Regents.  We posted the audio of that meeting, including the governor’s comments. Yours truly was in transit yesterday and so could not record the Regents’ live stream audio. We will, as usual, request the recording as a public document and post it when received. (And [sigh] again we ask why the Regents audios are not…

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More Prop 30 Election Post Mortem

Byuclafaculty

There has been much discussion as to whether it was the youth vote that ultimately passed Prop 30, the governor’s tax initiative.  Prop 30 had done marginally in the pre-election polls and appeared to be slipping.  Yet it ultimately passed with 54% of the vote.  So did this result stem from a surge in youth voters? It appears that the answer is yes and no.  The Field Poll now reports that it underestimated the youth vote when it made its calculation of likely voters.  Pollsters routinely adjust their samples to try and get at who will actually show up on…

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More night traffic problems in the UCLA area

Byuclafaculty

Traffic Notice Full Closure   Description What: Full closure of Sepulveda Boulevard between Wilshire Boulevard and Church Lane/Ovada Place When: 10pm – 6am on the nights of Wednesday, November 14th; Thursday, November 15th; and Friday, November 16th Where: Sepulveda Boulevard between Wilshire and Church/Ovada Impacts: Sepulveda Boulevard will be closed in both directions. The I-405 off-ramp at Montana will be closed from 7pm until 6am each of these nights.==== Mitigation: Southbound Sepulveda traffic will be detoured to SB Church to EB Sunset to SB Veteran to WB Wilshire to SB Sepulveda. Northbound Sepulveda traffic will be detoured to EB Wilshire…

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You can guess what grade Peter Taylor gave the Berkeley students for their swap report

Byuclafaculty

From the San Francisco Chronicle op ed by Peter Taylor, UC chief financial officer: The University of California has come under criticism for its finance decisions – specifically three interest rate “swaps” made on funds borrowed over the past 10 years to expand university medical centers. Swaps exist to insulate borrowers such as UC from volatile interest rates. They work like this: The university borrowed money at a variable interest rate, with the payments rising and falling with interest rates. It then swapped those payments for payments at a fixed rate. Thus, if the interest rate rises, then the university pays…

CSU Pay Trim for Tim

Byuclafaculty

Timothy P. White, California State University’s incoming chancellor, has requested a 10 percent pay cut, saying in a letter to trustees, that he hopes the move will send a signal that “public higher education matters to all of us, and that we each must play a part in the rebuilding.”  CSU’s board of trustees met today in Long Beach to approve White’s compensation package. He was in line to receive the same pay as outgoing Chancellor Charles Reed: a $421,500 salary plus a $30,000 supplement from CSU foundations. After rounding the pay cut White requested to his base salary, he…

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Listen to Afternoon Session of the Regents: Nov. 14, 2012

Byuclafaculty

The open part of the Regents meeting today after lunch was the Committee on Educational Policy segment.  (Most of the meeting was closed.)  The meeting began with some discussion of fund raising. However, most of the discussion revolved around increased enrollment of out-of-state students.  It is evident the increased number of out-of-staters is taking place for budget reasons – since such students pay full freight.  But UC reps emphasized educational benefits such as a more diverse (geographically) student body with different perspectives, especially with regard to foreign students. The top foreign nationalities among the out-of-staters were reported to be Chinese,…

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Good News and Bad News

Byuclafaculty

The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) has issued a report on the state budget outlook. The good news is above.  Adding in the effects of Prop 30 (and 39), in the out-years the state begins to run surpluses as shown by the rising positive bars on the right side of the chart above.  Lots of uncertainty, of course, about what might happen to the underlying economy.  It is likely that the governor will be making statements, given the report, about the need for caution. And there is bad news also seen on the chart above on the left side or the…