News

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    Follow the Leader? Will UC Follow CalPERS on Health Costs?

    Byuclafaculty

    From the Sacramento Bee: The California Public Employees’ Retirement System plans to raise health care premiums to its members by an average of nearly 10 percent next year, one of the biggest increases in recent years. The increase of 9.6 percent would be more than twice as big as the rate hike that took effect for this year. It would have significant implications for health care affordability in California and beyond. CalPERS is a major purchaser of health insurance; it covers nearly 1.3 million public employees, retirees and their family members… “Wow – that’s pretty high,” said Joanne Spetz, an…

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    Who Goes There? Wilshire and the I-405

    Byuclafaculty

    Just a reminder that bad things are soon to happen at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and the I-405 with various ramp closures, the first of which start June 22nd and continue for three months. From Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky:  …Similar ramp closures between two weeks and three months are also planned for the remaining six ramps.  The schedule for those ramp closures will be announced at a later date, but the contractor has to finish all of this work by next year. As many of you know, the Wilshire/405 interchange is where the nation’s busiest boulevard meets the nation’s busiest freeway….

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    Ménage à Trois Budget Negotiations Reveal Pluses and Minuses for UC

    Byuclafaculty

    Legislative Democrats have released a version on the 2012-13 budget that differs from the governor’s May Revise, mainly in featuring lesser cuts to social welfare programs and a smaller reserve projected for the general fund a year from now (June 30, 2013).  This release is part of a negotiation process between legislative Dems and the governor, partly in the media and partly behind closed doors.  Because a simple majority can pass a budget under rules approved by voters in 2010, the GOP is effectively not part of the negotiations. Back in the day when a two-thirds vote was required, budget…

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    Sacramento surprise!

    Byuclafaculty

    Last year, the legislature, after some dramatic moments described in an earlier post, passed a budget with phantom revenue of an extra $4 billion. This added revenue, above and beyond what was forecast for any particular tax, was assumed to materialize somewhere – although no one could specify where. Today, the state controller has issued his cash statement for the first eleven months of this fiscal year and it appears that revenues so far are short by – you’ll never guess! – $4 billion compared to the budget passed last June. Must be a coincidence. In any case, you can…

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    Board to U-VA President: Here’s Your Hat; What’s Your Hurry?

    Byuclafaculty

    Inside Higher Ed today carries a lengthy article today on the dismissal of the president of the University of Virginia (after only a two-year term) by its equivalent of the Regents – known there as the Board of Visitors. (Technically, she agreed to resign.) U-VA has often been paired with the U of Michigan for its move toward semi-privatization (more reliance on tuition and other funding sources and less on the state).  The head of the Board issued a press release on the dismissal explaining the decision (excerpts): We see no bright lights on the financial horizon as we face…

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    Aftershocks

    Byuclafaculty

    There continue to be aftershocks to the Legislative Assembly’s decision to override the Graduate Council and endorse the Anderson School’s self support plan in the form of additional news articles since our earlier posting on this decision.  Below are some examples and links.  Only one – in The Nation – expresses concern.  The others are largely descriptive or pick up quotes from those involved. Daily Bruin (a more elaborate article than original online posting): http://www.dailybruin.com/index.php/article/2012/06/council_approves_anderson_proposal_for_financial_independence Business Week (Bloomberg): http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-06-08/ucla-faculty-approves-making-anderson-mba-self-supporting The Nation: http://www.thenation.com/blog/168305/ucla-business-school-go-private-blow-public-university Daily Californian (Berkeley student newspaper): http://www.dailycal.org/2012/06/07/proposal-to-make-ucla-mba-program-self-supporting-passes/ LA Business Journal: http://www.labusinessjournal.com/news/2012/jun/08/anderson-schools-self-sufficiency-plan-progresses/ On the other hand, the New York Times…

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    UCLA History: Breslow

    Byuclafaculty

    Earlier today, a memorial service was held at the Faculty Center for Lester Breslow, former dean of the School of Public Health (1972-80).  Here is a 1954 photo taken earlier in his career from the LA Public Library collection entitled “Smog Control Board Members.”  Caption reads:Sitting at front is Gov. Goodwin Knight. Standing from l-r: Dr. Seward E. Miller, U.S. Pub. Health Service Medical Director; Dean L.M.K. Boelter, College of Engineering, U.C.L.A.; Dr. Malcolm Merrill, Director, State Dept. of Pub. Health; Marls Hollis, Asst. Surgeon General; Dr. Lester Breslow, State Dept. of Pub. Health; and Dr. Louis C. McCabe.The LA Times…

  • June 15

    Byuclafaculty

    As the image on the left indicates, all kinds of things are scheduled for Friday, June 15.  However, among them is a constitutional deadline for the legislature to pass a state budget. In the past, despite the constitutional requirement, June 15 was not especially significant since the fiscal year doesn’t start until July 1. The date that really mattered was July 1 because if there is no budget then, the state loses authorization to pay certain bills. Going back to the Great Depression, California had rule requiring a 2/3 vote to pass a budget.  Especially beginning in the 1990s, there…

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    Academic Bloat?

    Byuclafaculty

    From today’s San Francisco Chronicle: It sounds like an obesity epidemic in higher education: program bloat.  …The phrase refers to the hundreds of degree programs at California’s public universities with fewer than 10 graduates in a given year … A new study out Sunday from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni calls on the universities to eliminate low-enrollment programs or offer them jointly across campuses or online for efficiency…   Last year, the University of California had 792 programs with fewer than 10 students receiving a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, according to the report… For example, five of…

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    Slipping support for governor’s tax initiative in latest poll

    Byuclafaculty

    Support for the Brown tax initiative to be on the ballot in November seems to be slipping.  Folk wisdom among California politicos is that a controversial ballot proposition should start with at least 60% support before the campaign gets underway.  Brown’s support among voters is 52% according to the latest Field Poll.  Under Brown’s budget plan (yet to be enacted), there are trigger cuts if the initiative doesn’t pass including $250 million for UC. See below for an excerpt: * Small sample The full poll is at http://www.field.com/fieldpollonline/subscribers/Rls2413.pdf. The November ballot is becoming crowded and is likely to have three…