News

  • | |

    Moguls

    Byadmin

    The historically minded might have looked at the headline above in the LA Times today and thought it had to do with increased admissions of international students: http://www.asianartmall.com/mogulempire.htmBut no, it was a different kind of mogul’s kid. Not clear there is a story here.  The mogul in question is hip-hop singer Sean Diddy Combs, sometimes known as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy. At one time, he performed with a rap group known as “Diddy-Dirty Money” that recorded on a label called “Bad Boy Records.”  (The Times did not make an issue of that.) Anyway, his son got a football scholarship to…

  • |

    Psychic Income

    Byadmin

    Old time faculty who remember UC during Jerry Brown’s earlier terms as governor will get nervous when he talks about “psychic income.” Jerry Brown on pay cut: ‘I derive a lot of psychic income’ Don’t expect Gov. Jerry Brown to lose much sleep over the Citizen Compensation Commission’s decision to slash his salary by $8,699.  “I’d run for governor whether it was a paid job or not,” he said today. “I derive a lot of psychic income.” The seven-member panel, which sets pay levels for legislators and constitutional officers, voted 5-1 today to reduce pay for the elected officials by…

  • |

    A Real Good Bet

    Byadmin

    From today’s Daily Bruin: The university will hold a hearing next week to allow public comments on the proposed UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference and Guest Center’s environmental impact report. A 700-page draft of the report, which was released by UCLA earlier this month, outlines the environmental consequences of the conference center and hotel project… All comments voiced at the hearing will be recorded and addressed in the final version of the report. Drafters of the report will also include comments that are sent in by June 29, said Tracy Dudman, a senior planner for UCLA capital programs.While the hearing will let community members address…

  • | | |

    Two Thirds?

    Byadmin

    There are two bills kicking around in the legislature that would, if both are passed, provide a $1 billion subsidy for tuition at UC, CSU, and the community colleges financed by a change in corporate tax law.  However, one of these bills – the tax bill – would require a two-thirds vote of both houses of the legislature.  Assembly speaker Pérez claims he has the necessary Republican votes, although that seems unlikely.  It is unclear from an account today in the San Francisco Chronicle whether that claim also applies to the state senate: Assembly Speaker John Pérez, who introduced AB1501,…

  • Eh?

    Byadmin

    As the image to the left suggests, grade inflation doesn’t get good press for academia.  Inside Higher Ed today points to an interesting story on grade inflation concerns at the U of Minnesota that appeared in the The Star Tribune: A University of Minnesota chemistry professor has thrust the U into a national debate about grade inflation and the rigor of college, pushing his colleagues to stop pretending that average students are excellent and start making clear to employers which students are earning their A’s. “I would like to state my own alarm and dismay at the degree to which…

  • |

    Tobacco Tax Ahead in Poll for June Has Indirect Implications for November

    Byadmin

    The USC-LA Times poll is reporting that the initiative that would raise tobacco taxes with the funds earmarked for cancer research is supported by 62% of voters. Since the funds raised by the tax would not go into the general fund, there is no direct benefit for UC (except perhaps for future UC cancer researchers).  However, a defeat of this tax, especially since it affects only the minority of Californians and voters who smoke, would be taken as a symptom of an anti-tax mood of voters more generally. Obviously, the tobacco industry opposes the initiative and is spending a lot…

  • | | | | |

    Listen to Updated and Complete Audio of May 16 Regents Afternoon Session

    Byadmin

    Our earlier post of the May 16 Regents meeting did not include the full afternoon session.  Readers of this blog may recall that the meeting was disrupted in the morning and thus created uncertainty as to when the afternoon session would resume.  The Regents cleared the room and went into closed session elsewhere.  As a result, yours truly – who was recording from the live stream – did not know when the afternoon session would begin. [And a repeat of question made several times on this blog before: If the Regents can live-stream and record their sessions, why can’t they…

  • | | | |

    The Great Gazbee

    Byadmin

    “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…

  • |

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

    Byadmin

    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…

  • | |

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

    Byadmin

    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…