News

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    Prop 13 Challenge by Former Chancellor UCLA Charles Young

    Byadmin

    Most readers of this blog will know that Proposition 13, an initiative sponsored by Howard Jarvis (shown in the picture on the cover of Time) and Paul Gann, drastically cut local property taxes in 1978.  However, another feature of Prop 13 was adding a requirement that taxes could not be raised without a 2/3 vote of the legislature.  The 2/3 tax provision of Prop 13 was added to the Depression-era requirement for a 2/3 vote for the budget itself.   Voters in 2010 removed the 2/3 for budgets but not the 2/3 for taxes.  Indeed, they strengthened the 2/3 for…

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    Camera Shy But Responsible and Effective

    Byadmin

    The University of California has settled a lawsuit filed by a photojournalist who was arrested as he covered a 2009 UC Berkeley protest. UC paid independent journalist David Morse and his attorneys $162,500 last week, Morse’s lawyers said Monday, and agreed to train police its officers better on how to deal with journalists. Morse was arrested and his camera was confiscated as he covered a Dec. 11, 2009, march to the campus home of UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau. Police detained Morse after some demonstrators vandalized the house…  Although UC agreed to train its officers, the university admitted no wrongdoing, UC…

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    A Happy Fella

    Byadmin

    In a June 29 report to the Regents, President Yudof recounts the impact of the new state budget on UC and notes other issues still pending at the legislature.  Presumably, all of these developments will be reviewed at the upcoming Regents meeting later this month. [Thanks to David Lopez for passing it along.] The Yudof report praises our friend in Sacramento (governor+legislator) for fiscal beneficence.  When you consider that we froze (or the Regents are about to freeze) tuition today for a promise of $125 million in next year’s budget, you might think the praise is a bit effusive.  You…

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    UC Again in Danger of Being Swept into Statewide Pension Changes

    Byadmin

    There are various indications that now that the legislature is done (for a time) in dealing with the state budget, its attention is turning toward public pensions. Under the governor’s plan, UC would be swept into a statewide program that would override the changes adopted by the Regents in December 2010.  Among the changes in the governor’s plan would be that the new lower tier would not be exclusively defined benefit but would have to be a hybrid mix of defined benefit and defined contribution.  There would also be a cap of some type on total benefits. (Unclear exactly how…

  • U-VA seems to be in repeat mode

    Byadmin

    The University of Virginia seems to be in something of a repeat mode, according to Inside Higher Ed.  If you have been following our posts on this drama, the head of the university’s Board of Visitors fired the U-VA president and then unfired her when protests erupted.  At a critical point, the state governor became involved with a seeming threat to fire the whole board, including the head, if the issue was not resolved. Now that the president has not been fired, neither has the head of the Board who the governor has now reappointed.  Inside Higher Ed has a…

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    July 1: Take a Moment to Remember

    Byadmin

    Surely you didn’t, but just in case you forgot: Faculty, staff and UC will contribute more to the UC Retirement Plan (UCRP) beginning July 1, 2012.  Rates for faculty and staff will rise to 5 percent of pay, up from roughly 3.5 percent. The university will pay 10 percent of pay, up from 7 percent… Source: http://ucrpfuture.universityofcalifornia.edu/news-updates/uc-retirement-plan-contributions-increasing-july-1-2/. Just one of many things to remember: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfY-L5Cp0-0&w=320&h=195]

  • Full Disclosure at AEA Begins Tomorrow

    Byadmin

    Although we have previously noted that the American Economic Association has implemented a conflict of interest policy for the various journals it publishes, tomorrow (July 1) is the date the policy goes into effect.  A summary of the requirements for authors submitting to the journals is below: (1) Every submitted article should state the sources of financial support for the particular research it describes. If none, that fact should be stated. (2) Each author of a submitted article should identify each interested party from whom he or she has received significant financial support, summing to at least $10,000 in the…

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    Do We Really Want to Roll Straight Ahead on the Hotel Project?

    Byadmin

    UCLA seems to be rolling along on its hotel-conference center project without looking to the right or left.  That approach can get the university into trouble. Yours truly received two items from a neighbor group that has been raising concerns about the project.  Below you will find links to two documents that were submitted in connection with the recent environmental hearing on the hotel that UCLA was required to hold.  One document is essentially a cover letter from a law firm summarizing points made in the longer written submission of the group. The objections range from procedural – it appears…

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    Yudof on Tuition Freeze: We will find a way

    Byadmin

    Statement on UC funding in budget legislation signed by Gov. Brown by Mark G. Yudof on Thursday, June 28, 2012 The budget legislation signed by the Governor is a significant step toward bringing stability to public higher education funding in California. Based on the incentives in this budget package, I intend to recommend to the Board of Regents that our current tuition levels remain in place for the upcoming year. As always, it is up to the regents to decide the matter. We would have preferred that state funds for a tuition buy-out begin with the coming budget year of…

  • DC Hearing on the Role of Research Universities

    Byadmin

    The House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Science Education held a hearing on Wednesday June 27, 2012 on The Role of Research Universities in Securing America’s Future Prosperity: Challenges and Expectations. Witnesses included: Mr. Charles O. Holliday, Jr., Chair, Committee on Research Universities, National Academies; Dr. John M. Mason, Jr., Associate Provost and Vice President for Research, Auburn University; Dr. Jeffrey R. Seemann, Vice President for Research, Texas A&M University and Chief Research Officer, The Texas A&M University System; Dr. Leslie P. Tolbert, Senior Vice President for Research, The University of Arizona; and, Dr. James N. Siedow, Vice Provost…