Author: uclafaculty

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Veterans’ Day and some UC/UCLA History UCOP might not want raised

Byuclafaculty

ROTC at UCLA’s old Vermont Avenue campus: 1928 Note that UCLA is closed tomorrow although Veterans’ Day is today.  There is a bit of history here.  UC did not always close on Veterans’ Day.  When Gray Davis was governor, however, someone complained about UC being open.  The governor couldn’t order UC to close but the powers-that-be went along with his request to do so.    As yours truly recalls it, the Faculty Welfare committee at UCLA – and possibly others in the Academic Senate – noted that with a ten-week fall quarter, cutting a day out of the term would…

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If X = amount of algebra you learned in high school and 2X = 0, how much algebra did you learn?

Byuclafaculty

A complaint about UC’s view on remedial math as taught in community colleges appeared today in the Sacramento Bee: (excerpt) Community colleges are struggling to address a huge problem: remedial mathematics. In fall 2009, 143,587 California community college students enrolled in remedial math to become eligible for college math, but only 18 percent went on to complete a college math course within three years. Given these results, policymakers are questioning the use of scarce public dollars to “pay for the same education twice.” If students didn’t learn algebra in high school, why are we paying for it again in college?…

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Some of the best gubernatorial metaphors are mixed

Byuclafaculty

Governor Brown has been emphasizing that just because the legislative Democrats now seem to have a supermajority needed to pass taxes and override vetoes on spending, it would be wrong to expect that he will let them.  We have cautioned, therefore, that expectations of big enhancements of the UC budget are misplaced. Our past posts on the governor’s analogies and metaphors have featured aircraft and Biblical references.  But some of the best metaphors are mixed. For example, in explaining how he got Prop 30 passed by voters, the governor said: “Some people began to read tea leaves incorrectly,” Brown told…

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Governor Glide

Byuclafaculty

As noted in a prior post, Governor Brown says that despite the apparent gain by legislative Democrats of a supermajority, he doesn’t intend to let them run away with the budget or taxes.  [See Governor Joseph.] So although Prop 30 saved UC from trigger cuts, some big budget breakthrough should not be expected.  The governor is quoted in today’s Sacramento Bee: “I don’t underestimate the struggle over the next couple years to keep on a very calm, clear and sustainable glide path.”  See:http://www.sacbee.com/2012/11/09/4972576/jerry-brown-plans-to-restrain.htmlThe governor wants to be a man of conviction on his glide path rather than – as above…

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Mitchell Presentation with Slides from Nov. 7 Forum on the Future of UC Funding

Byuclafaculty

Mitchell A post of Nov. 7 on this blog carried the audio (only) of the forum sponsored by the Faculty Association at UCLA on the Future of University of California Funding held that day at the UCLA Faculty Center.Each of the three presenters used slides as part of their talks.  Below you will find two (alternative) links to the slides used by Prof. Daniel J.B. Mitchell along with the coordinated audio for his presentation.  Use whichever works best for your connection.Note: The Anderson presentation is at:http://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2012/11/robert-andersons-presentation-on-future.htmlThe audio of the entire event is at:http://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2012/11/audio-available-for-todays-ucla-faculty.html

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The Regents meet next week (Nov. 13-15)

Byuclafaculty

The Regents in 1923 Various budgetary items are on the agenda but, of course, the Regents will not have to discuss how to deal with budgetary trigger cuts since Prop 30 passed.  The proposed budget for next year includes $2.4 million from the state to support “core” educational programs.  The total core budget, however, is $6.2 million with most of the gap coming from tuition and fees.  See: http://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/regmeet/nov12/f1attach1.pdf Other highlights: Various professional school tuition increases are also planned: http://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/regmeet/nov12/f3.pdf There will be discussion of the plan to raise out-of-state enrollment to 10%: http://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/regmeet/nov12/e2.pdf When the news media get a…

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Governor Joseph

Byuclafaculty

Joseph interprets Pharoah’s dream Our forum on the Future of UC Funding yesterday (see the previous two blog postings) took note of the fact that the Democrats seem to have gained a two-thirds majority in both houses of the legislature and in theory could pass additional taxes.  You might think that would mean lots of new funding for UC.  Think again; Gov. Brown says he does not want to go that route.  From the Capitol Alert blog of the Sacramento Bee: Gov. Jerry Brown said today that he will not use an expected Democratic supermajority in the California Legislature to…

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Robert Anderson’s Presentation on the Future of UC Funding (With Slides)

Byuclafaculty

Robert Anderson The prior post on this blog carried the audio (only) of the forum sponsored by the Faculty Association at UCLA on the Future of University of California Funding held November 7, 2012 at the UCLA Faculty Center.Each of the three presenters used slides as part of their talks.  Below you will find two (alternative) links to the slides used by Prof. Robert Anderson along with the coordinated audio for his presentation.  Use whichever works best for your connection.

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Audio Available for Today’s UCLA Faculty Assn. Forum on the Future of UC Funding

Byuclafaculty

At today’s noontime forum on the Future Funding of UC, Steve Lippman (upper left) opened the event.  Karen Orren (center top) was the moderator.  Christopher Newfield (upper right) made the opening  presentation.  Robert Anderson (lower left) followed Newfield.  Daniel Mitchell (center bottom) followed Anderson.  The discussant was Sylvia Hurtado (lower right).  After the discussant, there was a period of questions and answers from the audience.  In order to make the event accessible to those who could not attend, an audio recording of the event (about one hour and 34 minutes) can be heard at the link below: We will provide…

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Making Choices: Berkeley vs. UCLA – Human Capital vs. Physical Capital

Byuclafaculty

While UCLA, with eventual regental blessing, chooses physical capital – a grand hotel – Berkeley chooses human capital.   Media release from UC-Berkeley below: === Campus completes landmark Hewlett Challenge — more than two years ahead of schedule By José Rodríguez, University Relations | November 5, 2012 In the last five years, UC Berkeley has created 100 new endowed faculty chairs as part of an unprecedented challenge begun in 2007 when it received $113 million, the largest private gift in its history, from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.  Chancellor Robert J. Birgeneau announced today that the campus has exceeded its…