News

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The Great Gazbee

Byuclafaculty

“Gazbee” is how you pronounce GASB, the acronym for the Government Accounting Standards Board.  GASB determines accounting standards for public employers, including public pension plans.  (It’s equivalent for the private sector is FASB – the Financial Accounting Standards Board which is pronounced – you guessed it – “fazbee.”)  From calpensions.com today comes this item: New public pension accounting rules scheduled to be issued next month, once expected by some to reveal massive hidden debt, now seem less likely to trigger a shake-up and are even getting applause from pension officials.  Under the new rules, experts say, most California pension systems…

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T’was Not to Be: Part 2 for Memorial Day

Byuclafaculty

Yesterday’s posting included a photo of a peace rally at UCLA in 1937 under the heading “T’was not to be.”.  Above is another photo of such a rally, this one taken in April 1941, a few months before the official U.S. entry into World War II.  By that time, the War – which began in 1939 – was raging in Europe.  As we have done on other holidays, below are links to an item you might find of interest on Memorial Day.  It is a one-hour compilation of World War II radio broadcasts broken into 4 parts due to YouTube’s…

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Yesterday’s Letter to the Editor by the Chancellor and Senate Chair: What’s It All About?

Byuclafaculty

Some blog readers may have seen a letter to the editor in the LA Times by Chancellor Gene Block and Senate Chair Andrew Leuchter which responded to an earlier op ed in the Times by John M. Ellis and Charles L. Geshekter of a group called the National Assn. of Scholars and its California branch.  Yours truly suspects that many blog readers did not peruse the letters section of the Times this holiday weekend so here is a summary and explainer.  The op ed was based on a larger document published by that group and sent to the Regents.  It…

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UCLA Legislative Assembly to Review Anderson Self-Supporting MBA Proposal

Byuclafaculty

On June 7th, the Legislative Assembly will be taking up an appeal filed by faculty members of the Anderson Graduate School of Management regarding the Graduate Council’s rejection of a proposal to convert the “regular” MBA program to a self-supporting basis. In the Academic Senate letter transmitting this decision to the Chancellor, it is reported that “the MBA proposal in particular revealed significant and deep divisions of opinion within the Senate faculty regarding the advisability of converting programs, and in particular a ‘cornerstone’ program, to self-supporting status. The AGSM faculty voted overwhelmingly in favor of the proposal, the school’s FEC…

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The UC Budget in the May Revise: Allusion Leads to Illusion

Byuclafaculty

The Legislative Analyst has released a summary of its recommendations regarding UC and CSU reflecting the governor’s May Revise budget proposal.  Below, in italics are excerpts related to pension funding for UC. As noted in prior blog posts, in January, the governor designated a sum of $90 million which he said could be used (or not) for UC pension funding.  The problem with that approach is that UC has always been free to allocate what it gets from the state for the pension.  By alluding to use for the pension, the governor triggered a recommendation from the Leg Analyst that…

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Scam-A-Lot (More Phony Emails to Delete)

Byuclafaculty

Scammers seem to be aiming at UCLA these days.  As an earlier post noted, you may receive messages such as the one below saying that through UCLA someone is trying to reach you.  Just click on a link to find out. Don’t click. Delete. Here is the latest version as received by yours truly: Bruin OnLine Info Center Inbox Hello You have a private message from your old friend who wished to get in-touch with you, use the Private link below to login and view your message if possibly get in contact with your old friend again. {link} Sign, Computer…

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UC-Berkeley Chancellor Protests Proposed Constitutional Amendment Pending in Legislature Capping Out-of-State Enrollment

Byuclafaculty

(Any thoughts from UCLA about this issue?) Media Release from UC-Berkeley Below: Chancellor expresses concerns about proposed constitutional amendment Public Affairs, UC-Berkeley, May 24, 2012 A message from Chancellor Birgeneau On May 16, California state Sen. Michael Rubio introduced a proposed amendment to the state’s constitution that would restrict the enrollment of out-of-state and international students on University of California campuses to 10 percent of undergraduate enrollment. If cleared for the ballot by both houses of the Legislature and passed by voters this November, Senate Constitutional Amendment 22 would take effect in the fall of 2013. Its provisions would mandate…

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Concerns Over Proposed Cal Grants Cuts in May Revise Budget

Byuclafaculty

Cal Grant program faces cuts in governor’s budget (excerpts) Wyatt Buchanan, San Francisco Chronicle, May 25, 2012 Gov. Jerry Brown is proposing to cut a state program that helps thousands of low- and middle-income California university students pay for tuition and other costs.  Under Brown’s revised budget plan, thousands of California college students who start their education in fall of 2013 would either be unable to qualify for a Cal Grant or would receive a much smaller grant than if they had applied this year.  Currently, students who qualify and attend either the University of California or California State University…

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Carmageddon II Now Rescheduled for August or September (Thanks to the FBI?)

Byuclafaculty

From today’s LA Daily News: Officials initially hoped to shut down a segment of the San Diego (405) Freeway next month, but delays to the $1 billion project are pushing the massive closure back to August or September.  Unexpected utility work, a $300 million lawsuit and bickering with FBI representatives over security clearances are all delaying completion, Metro officials said Thursday… … A $300 million lawsuit – filed last year by a Bel Air landowner – forced Metro to move a freeway on-ramp near the Getty Museum 150 feet to the west.  …And then there’s the FBI. The agency works…