News

Don’t Beg Her Pardon

Byuclafaculty

UC Prez Janet Napolitano still seems to be carrying out a role for her former employer, the Obama administration. [Is it time to cut the cord?] As an earlier post noted, she is representing the administration at the Winter Olympics in Russia.  See: http://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2013/12/napolitanos-mission-to-russia.html Now, after the New York Times called for some kind of pardon or clemency for NSA leaker Edward Snowden – currently in exile in Moscow – she is commenting negatively on the Times‘ suggestion.  From The Hill: Former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Friday that she “would not put clemency on the table” for NSA…

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UCLA History: Bunche

Byuclafaculty

1966 photo of Bunche Hall by Ansel Adams Indoor-outdoor Bunche Hall tree courtyard; photo by yours truly Bunche at far left in 1927 at former Vermont Ave. campus of UCLA Bunche with then-Chancellor Charles Young at Bunche Hall dedication Given the Israel boycott issue (scroll down for earlier blog posts), here (top) is a photo of Bunche Hall made by Ansel Adams in 1966.  Ralph Bunche was a graduate of UCLA in 1927 at the old Vermont Avenue campus.  He became the chief UN mediator who secured the first Arab-Israeli armistice in 1949. Video shows Bunche shortly after 1949 armistice…

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Block on Israel Boycott

Byuclafaculty

As expected – see earlier posts – now that UCLA has reopened, Chancellor Block issued a statement on the Israel boycott issue: As one of the world’s leading public research universities, UCLA has a steadfast commitment to the principles of academic freedom and open dialogue. In their pursuit of knowledge, our faculty and students must be free to collaborate and communicate with scholars around the world. Institutions throughout the Middle East are no exception, providing a valuable and essential range of ideas and perspectives that should not be excluded. Limiting academic debate and research violates our principles of independent inquiry…

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Upcoming Events in January

Byuclafaculty

Under the state constitution, Governor Brown will release his budget proposal for 2014-15 at the end of next week.  In the past, bits and pieces were often leaked to the news media ahead of the formal announcement.  So far, that hasn’t happened – which might just mean that with the current budgetary calm, there is nothing shocking to leak, including about the UC budget.  There will also be a “state of the state” address to the legislature by the governor which will touch on whatever the governor has in mind – who knows? – in this election year. The UC…

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Alternative Blog Reading

Byuclafaculty

Campbell’s Bookstore in Westwood (long gone) As we do at the end of each quarter (calendar year quarter; not UCLA quarter), we provide an alternative way to read the blog.You can flip through the 2013 fourth quarter’s blog pages at the link below.  However, formatting may be odd and all audio and video will be absent.  Some post titles may be truncated.  However, you can always return to the actual blog for any missing elements.Below is the alternative reading link:

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UC Follows UCLA and Becomes a No-Smoking Zone Today

Byuclafaculty

Following the earlier lead of UCLA, all UC campuses today become smoke-free zones, including such products as e-cigarettes.  According to a UC media release: …Effective Jan. 1, 2014, the University of California will be entirely smoke and tobacco free. Smoking and the use of all tobacco products including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, snuff, water pipes, pipes, hookahs, chew and any other non-combustible tobacco product will be prohibited across all campuses and facilities, including inside buildings, outdoor areas and sidewalks, parking lots, and residential housing areas. This is a major change for many people and will require all members of the university…

New Year Starts Tomorrow…

Byuclafaculty

…And there is not much else to report with UCLA closed and all.  The photo is from the LAPL collection and shows three children welcoming in 1910, although they don’t seem overjoyed about it. In 2014, we will continue to post about the fames and follies of UC and UCLA.  Meanwhile, the Faculty Association at UCLA wishes you a happy New Year. And since we are in an historical mode, below are links to a description of a New Year’s Eve during World War II, roughly seventy years ago.  The recording itself was broadcast about fifty years ago on New…

Clock Is Ticking Towards UCLA’s Reopening on Jan. 2 and What Block Will Say or Not Say on the Israel Boycott Issue

Byuclafaculty

We noted in a previous post that the chancellor at UC-San Diego commented (negatively) on the Israel boycott called by an academic group called the American Studies Assn.  See: http://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2013/12/uc-sd-chancellors-statement-on-american.html Since that time, Inside Higher Ed has run stories on university officials and others who have also commented along with faculty reaction, pro and con.  For example:http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/12/27/trinity-college-faculty-object-presidential-statement-denouncing-academic-boycott andhttp://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/12/30/american-council-education-denounces-israel-boycott The closure of UCLA until January 2nd gives Chancellor Block a temporary period in which he can avoid commenting.  It will be interesting to see he says – or doesn’t say – when the university reopens. Happy New Year Chancellor!====================== Update: From…

Our Fault?

Byuclafaculty

You might have noticed the map on the front page of today’s LA Times that shows that the Santa Monica fault is rather close to the campus. See:http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-earthquake-fault-building-20131230-dto,0,1585622.htmlstory However, unlike UC-Santa Cruz, we don’t get naming rights: [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELDcYugrp3c?feature=player_detailpage]

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Events May Divert the Governor from MOOCs, etc., at the Regents in 2014

Byuclafaculty

Jerry Brown will almost certainly be running for re-election in 2014.  It doesn’t look like there will be much of a contest but there will be at least some effort devoted to the campaign. But apart from re-election, Brown is facing some “legacy” problems.  During his first iteration as governor, he wasn’t big – to say the least – on grand infrastructure, unlike his father Pat.  However, this time around, there is the high-speed rail project and the water tunnel project, both grand and expensive.  These projects are analogs to his dad’s freeways and state water project.  The high speed…