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faculty center | UCLA

How Big Would the Hotel/Conference Center Be?
Byadmin May 9, 2011

The consultant’s report for the hotel/conference center proposed to replace the Faculty Center was premised on 276 rooms. Other numbers of rooms in that range have been reported. Most of us are not in the hotel business and don’t have a sense of scale. So how big is that? The LA Business Journal regularly prints tables showing larger businesses in different sectors. The May 2 issue had a listing of LA County hotels so we can look up hotels in the Westwood area. According to that listing, the Hotel Palomar at 10740 Wilshire Blvd. – walking distance to Westwood Village…

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miscellaneous | UCLA

UCLA History: Founder’s Rock
Byadmin May 8, 2011

Founder’s Rock in the 1950s stood in the central area of campus. It’s still nearby but not so central. And, since it’s Mothers’ Day today, here is something also from the 1950s:

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miscellaneous | UCLA

UCLA History: Santa Monica Blvd. in 1922
Byadmin May 7, 2011

Photo shows the laying out of Santa Monica Boulevard in the Westwood area in 1922

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politics | State Budget | UC | uc funding

If You’ve Got a Few Hours to Spare Staring at Your Computer Screen: 2 Suggestions
Byadmin May 7, 2011

The Economist magazine and the Lewis Center of the Luskin School of Public Affairs sponsored a forum at UCLA on April 26 on governance problems in California. You can see a video below (which runs about an hour and a half). Yours truly is at minute 45 to minute 51 and at later points. The forum centered on the Economist issue of that week which focused on California and tended to put the blame for current dysfunction in Sacramento on direct democracy – the initiative process. Earlier, former UCLA Chancellor gave the 2011 Bollens-Ries-Hoffenberg lecture in which he outlined his…

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transportation | UCLA

Parking Coincidence
Byadmin May 7, 2011

You might be surprised to learn from the powers-that-be in parking (who say that “YOUR FEEDBACK” is so important to them – that’s what their latest memo says) that the May 6, 2011 final parking rate increases look remarkably like the April 6, 2011 proposed increases. Who would have thought there would have been such similarity? May 6: Open publication – Free publishing – More parking April 6: Open publication – Free publishing – More parking The similarity can only be a coincidence, I’m sure. P.S.: Don’t park on the sidewalk. http://www.dailybruin.com/index.php/article/2011/05/illegally_apronparked_cars_in_the_north_village_receive_citations_warning_of_future_tickets

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LAO | politics | State Budget | UC budget crisis

State Spending Cap Initiative: Is It for Real?
Byadmin May 7, 2011

Related to the prior post is a second initiative – also one that was submitted in connection with GOP legislative negotiations with the governor – that would cap state expenditures based on a formula linked to inflation and population growth. As with the pension initiative, it is unclear whether there is funding to obtain the needed signatures. This initiative in effect proposes to return to the Gann limit that was approved by voters in 1979 as the “son of Prop 13” that had been approved the year before. The Gann limit on state spending was largely gutted by Prop 98…

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LAO | pension | pensions | politics

Pension Initiative Advances Toward Petition Stage But Is It For Real?
Byadmin May 7, 2011

When initiatives are filed, the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) provides an analysis, primarily of budgetary implications. Readers of this blog will know that an initiative was filed – apparently as part of the negotiations strategy of Republican legislators with the governor – which would put certain limits on public pensions. The LAO has now provided an analysis. The initiative would affect both new hires and current employees with regard to an increase in the minimum age of retirement. It is pointed out in the LAO’s analysis that this provision might well be illegal. The initiative also sets a 60% cap…

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State Budget | UC enrollment | UCLA

Chancellor Block Radio Interview on the UCLA Budget
Byadmin May 6, 2011

On May 4, Chancellor Gene Block was interviewed on “Which Way LA?” concerning the UCLA and higher ed budget. He had written an op ed in the LA Times with the charge that folks in the legislature who had benefited personally from subsidized California educations were not adequately providing funding now. In his radio interview, he took a softer line. You can hear the program at the link below. The Block portion runs from minute 7 to minute 14:17:

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pension | pensions | politics | uc retirement

UC Pension Swept In (and away?)
Byadmin May 6, 2011

As noted in a prior post, an organization known as the “California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility” issued a study yesterday on public pensions. UCRP is included in the study but is not discussed. As often noted on this blog, that has been a general problem of discussions of the pension issue in California. UC is swept in but, at the same time, its special features are neglected and the focus is instead on CalPERS and other plans. In the frenzy over public pensions – with possible ballot initiatives (or possibly some deal on the state budget that would involve pensions…

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politics | Texas A and M | U of Texas

Texas A&M Alumni Complain About Political Interference
Byadmin May 5, 2011

Inside Higher Ed pointed to the development reported below in the Houston Chronicle on the attempt by Texas Gov. Perry (right) and a management consultant to impose a faculty evaluation system at the U of Texas and Texas A&M. Prior posts on this blog have pointed to the issue: Signaling the spread of a roiling controversy, 22 “distinguished alumni” at Texas A&M University on Tuesday criticized higher education reforms advocated by Gov. Rick Perry and an influential campaign contributor as “naïve … proposals from inexperienced individuals.” The “Open Letter to the Texas A&M University Community” criticized the proposals of Jeff…

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News

How Big Would the Hotel/Conference Center Be?

UCLA History: Founder’s Rock

UCLA History: Santa Monica Blvd. in 1922

If You’ve Got a Few Hours to Spare Staring at Your Computer Screen: 2 Suggestions

Parking Coincidence

State Spending Cap Initiative: Is It for Real?

Pension Initiative Advances Toward Petition Stage But Is It For Real?

Chancellor Block Radio Interview on the UCLA Budget

UC Pension Swept In (and away?)

Texas A&M Alumni Complain About Political Interference

UC Faculty Associations

Higher Ed Policy

Labor and Advocacy

UC Faculty Associations

Higher Ed Policy

Labor and Advocacy

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