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3rd Posting on Budget Deal With Tuition Freeze; The Aftershock

Byuclafaculty

This is our third posting on the budget deal now moving through the legislature that contains extra money for UC and CSU conditioned on a tuition freeze – all of which is conditioned on voters approving the governor’s November tax initiative. Concerns are being expressed by both higher ed systems about the proposed budget.  CSU has already enacted a tuition increase which it would have to undo.  UC has not made a tuition decision but doesn’t like its hands tied in principle.  In theory, both systems set tuition independently of the legislature with UC having constitutional authority.  On the other…

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UCLA History: Watergate

Byuclafaculty

H.R. Haldeman, future Watergate conspirator, and – in this 1964 photo – future UCLA Alumni Association President, holds a check related to fundraising for Pauley Pavillion. The semi-official recent coffee table book history of UCLA – “UCLA: The First Century” – has very little else about Haldeman and nothing about John Erlichman, another Watergate conspirator and alum. Indeed, UCLA seems to have been a farm team for Watergate’s major league in a less boosterish article that was highlighted in LAObserved today: See the article at:http://www.guardian.co.uk//commentisfree/2012/jun/17/richard-nixon-watergate-conspirators-40-anniversary.  [Title: “How a dead dog came back to bite Richard Nixon’s Watergate conspirators: Nixon operatives…

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Update: UC Tuition Freeze & Other Budget Items Confirmed

Byuclafaculty

Earlier today, we posted an unconfirmed item saying the budget now going through the legislature contains some added funding for UC in exchange for a tuition freeze.  That item has now been confirmed (and it is, as reported, contingent on voter approval of the governor’s tax initiative in November).  So have other elements reported in earlier posts such as added and earmarked funding for the pension (but with no acknowledgment of state liability for the pension).  And the legislature has declined to go along with the governor’s voiding of legislative earmarks for UC and some kind of long-term funding deal…

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UC Tuition Freeze?

Byuclafaculty

There is a report – so far unconfirmed – that the state budget that is yet to be fully enacted will contain some extra money for UC and CSU in exchange for a tuition freeze for this year.  All of this – if confirmed – is conditioned on voters passing the governor’s tax initiative in November which is not a sure thing.  The report comes from a student group, not UCOP.  (Yours truly found nothing on the UCOP website as of 8 AM this morning about this matter.) See http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/06/uc-student-groups-budget-will-contain-uc-csu-tuition-freeze.html A freeze in June? Of course, it will be colder…

Yes, Virginia. There is a controversy – and apparently a showdown tomorrow.

Byuclafaculty

Inside Higher Ed carries two items on the ongoing controversy set in motion by the firing of the president of the University of Virginia by its Board of Visitors (the U-VA’s equivalent of the Regents).  One item suggests that a high-up underling – the chief financial officer of the university – was in cahoots with those members of the Board who carried out the firing.  See http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/06/25/questions-about-uvas-coo-strine-show-complicated-loyalties-administrators. The Board is due to meet tomorrow – possibly to undo what it did.  However, now it faces a missive from the state’s governor that says: “Let me be absolutely clear: I want…

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Are We There Yet?

Byuclafaculty

It might seem puzzling but we actually don’t quite have a state budget.  Yes, the legislature kind of enacted one on June 15. And, yes, the governor and legislative leaders announced a conceptual deal a few days thereafter.  But in fact not all of the details have been worked out as the link below, if you want the full story, describes:http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/06/democrats-offer-30-million-to-local-health-plans.html Of course, the biggest element of uncertainty from the UC perspective is whether voters will pass the governor’s tax initiative in November, thereby averting trigger cuts to the university. The question does remain, however:

The U-VA Story Ain’t Over

Byuclafaculty

The U of Virginia story just keeps rolling: Nearly two weeks after Teresa A. Sullivan was forced to resign as president of the University of Virginia, a push to reinstate her appears to have traction. The Board of Visitors [equivalent of the Regents]announced Thursday that it would meet on Tuesday to “discuss possible changes in the terms of employment of the president.” The announcement follows a statement Thursday from the college’s deans, who voiced support for Ms. Sullivan’s reappointment. The Faculty Senate has also endorsed her reinstatement… Full story at http://chronicle.com/article/What-If-Sullivan-Is/132517/ The University of Virginia library staff is archiving materials…

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Up in Smoke: The Tobacco Tax Proposition

Byuclafaculty

The AP is now reporting that the tobacco tax that was on the June ballot is officially defeated.  On election night, it appeared to have been narrowly defeated but there were various uncounted ballots which apparently in the end did not make enough of a difference to reverse the preliminary outcome. As prior posts have noted, the tobacco tax – had it passed – would not directly have contributed to the state’s budget or UC (except that some tobacco research dollars might have flowed to UC).  However, failure of the tax to pass will be seen as voter unwillingness to…

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Cheer Up! We Could Have Worse Traffic Problems

Byuclafaculty

The News from LACMTA: Ramp Jam work to begin Posted on June 21, 2012 by Steve Hymon        The demolition of the first two Wilshire-405 ramps begins this weekend. There’s no way of sugar-coating it: there will be significant traffic impacts.  That said, the status quo in the area has been pretty much horrible for as long as I can recall — way too many cars competing for space while trying to enter and exit the freeway. The reconstruction of the ramps should greatly improve the way that traffic flows in the area, but there’s no getting around the pain that…