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online education | UC

UC Calls for Faculty Volunteers for Online Education Project
Byadmin November 3, 2010

UCOP announcement reproduced below: UC Online Instruction Pilot Project Today the University of California finds itself confronting a tremendous challenge: In recent times, there has been a transformation in how students learn. Increasingly, technology and the computer play central roles in their lives — affecting everything from how they gain knowledge to how they communicate with others. In response to this transformation, UC seeks to reach out to this new breed of students, enriching their academic experience with all that technology offers and at the same time maintaining the superb caliber of undergraduate education offered at UC campuses. As part…

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State Budget

Government by (Hot) Checks and (Im)Balances: California’s State Budget from the May 2009 Voter Rejection to the October 2010 Budget Deal
Byadmin November 2, 2010

The sad tale of the California state budget over the past year and a half – as told by yours truly – is available at http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/documents/areas/fac/hrob/mitchell_2011budgetchapter.pdf At over 60 pages, it may be more than you want to know. This item is a forthcoming chapter in California Policy Options 2011, an annual volume of the UCLA School of Public Affairs. The volume will appear in paper format in late December or early January. It will be webified towards the end of winter quarter. Earlier volumes – including chapters on the state budget – can be found at http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/x2195.xml (Scroll down…

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CalSTRS | pension | pensions

CalSTRS May Lower Expected Investment Return to UC Level
Byadmin November 2, 2010

The large CalSTRS pension fund has used an expected investment return of 8% per annum. That figure is higher than the 7.5% assumption in the UC pension system. Apparently, CalSTRS may soon go to the UC level. Excerpt from the Sacramento Bee: CalSTRS faces prospect of lowering forecast Nov. 2, 2010, Dale Kasler CalSTRS once again faces the controversial task of cutting its investment return forecast, a move that could put more pressure on the Legislature to increase its annual contribution to the teachers pension fund. At its meeting Friday, the CalSTRS governing board is scheduled to vote on a…

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miscellaneous | UC Regents

UC Regents Join Stanford in Lawsuit Over Patent Rights
Byadmin November 2, 2010

Inside Higher Ed reports on a lawsuit over patent rights to an invention of a Stanford medical researcher. The case is on appeal and will be heard by the US Supreme Court. The Regents of UC have filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of Stanford. Stanford lost at a lower level and the case is reported to be significant for patent rights more generally of US univerities. Excerpt from the report: In a ruling last October, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit had directed a lower court to dismiss a lawsuit Stanford had brought accusing the pharmaceutical…

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faculty pay | UC pay

Further Adventures in Invasion of Privacy & Encouragement of Identity Theft: OC Register Database of UC Salaries
Byadmin November 1, 2010

The Orange County Register joins the Sacramento Bee and San Francisco Chronicle in making available an online database of UC salaries. Although the headline reads “Find out who makes more than $200,000 at UC,” in fact it appears all salaries are in the database, including those below $200,000. See http://www.ocregister.com/articles/-273430–.html?data=1&appSession=90482558695490#article-data

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pension | pensions | UC

Plan for UC Employer Contribution to Pensions: 2011-2037
Byadmin November 1, 2010

Above is a chart, which I am told is not confidential, showing UCOP’s plan for the employer share of the contributions to go into the pension plans (existing plus lower tier) until 2037. The image may not be clear; the lower line is the plan with STIP borrowing which maxes at 18.5%. The higher line is what would happen without STIP borrowing and it maxes at 20%. The note on the bottom of the chart reads: “Assumes new tier with 15.% (sic) total normal cost in place by FYB2013, 8% contribution for employees that stay in the current UCRP plan….

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pension | pensions | Yudof

All in the Same Boat on New Pension Plan?
Byadmin November 1, 2010

One of the elements of the Academic Senate’s reaction to the two-tier pension proposals has been that faculty and staff should remain in the same plan. (See earlier posts.) President Yudof rejected Options A and B and went along with a version of C. It was unclear (to me) what staff unions were going to say about the proposal. At least on the issue of “all in the same boat,” AFSCME appears to agree with the Senate. From a recent article in the Santa Cruz Sentinal: “The proposal is not good enough,” said Lakesha Harrison, president of AFSCME Local 3299,…

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miscellaneous

UCLA History: Large Anti-Vietnam War Campus Demonstrations in May 1970
Byadmin November 1, 2010

The extension of the Vietnam War into Cambodia led to large anti-war demonstrations in early May 1970. Photos from LA Public Library collection.

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uc retirement

An Offering for Halloween: Scary Things – Past, Present, & Future – As We Deal with the Retirement System
Byadmin October 31, 2010

The Regents have to decide soon about the future of the UC retirement system. A bad decision could turn UC INSIDE OUT. A scary prospect for Halloween:

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UC budget crisis | UC-Riverside

UC Med Schools Poppin’ Out All Over!
Byadmin October 30, 2010

The article below deals mainly with cutbacks at an adjunct Palm Desert campus of UC-Riverside. But note the last sentence. Merced ain’t alone in grand plans. Local UCR campus slashes budget by 40 percent: Executive director, five administrators laid off (excerpt) Michelle Mitchell • The Desert Sun • October 30, 2010 Full article at http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=201010300321 The executive director of the University of California, Riverside, Palm Desert campus, and five other employees were laid off effective Monday, the school reported Friday. The cutbacks, which represented 40 percent of the graduate center’s budget, should not impact academic programs and were caused by…

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News

UC Calls for Faculty Volunteers for Online Education Project

Government by (Hot) Checks and (Im)Balances: California’s State Budget from the May 2009 Voter Rejection to the October 2010 Budget Deal

CalSTRS May Lower Expected Investment Return to UC Level

UC Regents Join Stanford in Lawsuit Over Patent Rights

Further Adventures in Invasion of Privacy & Encouragement of Identity Theft: OC Register Database of UC Salaries

Plan for UC Employer Contribution to Pensions: 2011-2037

All in the Same Boat on New Pension Plan?

UCLA History: Large Anti-Vietnam War Campus Demonstrations in May 1970

An Offering for Halloween: Scary Things – Past, Present, & Future – As We Deal with the Retirement System

UC Med Schools Poppin’ Out All Over!

UC Faculty Associations

Higher Ed Policy

Labor and Advocacy

UC Faculty Associations

Higher Ed Policy

Labor and Advocacy

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