News

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    More on Growing Public Pension Issue In California

    Byadmin

    As noted in previous posts on this blog, the UC pension funding issue may be difficult to isolate from the more general issue in California, particularly if the Regents don’t have a policy in place when the next governor takes office. Below is an excerpt from a piece reporting on a variety of local ballot initiatives on the pension topic, especially a high-profile San Francisco ballot measure. Pension cost cuts on ballot in eight cities (excerpt) Ed Mendel, calpensions.com, 9/30/10 Proposals to cut public employee pension costs are on the November ballot in at least eight California cities and one…

  • Interesting Study on Diversity in Higher Ed

    Byadmin

    The study described in the article abstracted below was based on a data set from Berea College in Kentucky and the authors are duly cautious about generalizing to all of higher ed. However, the results are interesting. Interracial Friendships in College (Abstract) Braz Camargo, São Paulo School of Economics–FGV and University of Western Ontario;Ralph Stinebrickner, Berea College; Todd Stinebrickner, University of Western Ontario and National Bureau of Economic Research Journal of Labor Economics, 28:861–892, October 2010 We use unique longitudinal data to provide direct evidence about interracial friendships at different stages of college and to provide new evidence about some…

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    Bill Signed by Governor to Ease Path from Community Colleges to UC and CSU

    Byadmin

    I attended a talk yesterday by Chancellor Block at which he indicated that about 40% of UCLA undergrads are transfers from community colleges. Coincidentally, the governor signed some related legislation. One bill mandates some steps by CSU. Respecting its constitutional autonomy, a second bill urges similar action by UC. The text of the governor’s press release is below: 09/29/2010 GAAS:618:10 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Gov. Schwarzenegger Signs Bills to Guarantee CSU Admission to Community College Graduates To increase access to the California State University (CSU) system, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today signed SB 1440 by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) and AB 2302…

  • Erosion of the Master Plan? CSU Doctorates

    Byadmin

    Once upon a time, UC president Clark Kerr gave the Master Plan to Governor Pat Brown which set up a division of labor between the three segments of higher ed. That was then; this is now: CSU to offer doctorate in physical therapy, nursing Sep. 29, 2010, Sacramento Bee Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation Tuesday to allow California State University campuses to award a doctoral degree in physical therapy and, at three campuses, a doctorate in nursing practice. Assembly Bills 2382 and 867 are exceptions to the state’s current practice of giving the University of California system exclusive jurisdiction to…

  • There Was Also the Lt. Governor Debate

    Byadmin

    Hidden in the news about the Brown-Whitman gubernatorial debate was the fact that there was a Lieutenant Governor debate on KQED radio between San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and incumbent Lt. Governor Abel Maldonado. The Lt. Governor is not a powerful position (understatement!), but whoever holds that office is an ex officio Regent. There was some mention of increases in UC and CSU tuition in the debate. A very brief write-up is at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/29/BA0O1FL47O.DTL But you can listen at Haven’t had enough political debates? As an added bonus, you can hear the senatorial debate, Boxer vs. Fiorina, at http://media.scpr.org/audio/upload/2010/09/29/boxer-fiorina-KPCCdebate.mp3

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    Students: Don’t Get Sick at UC-Berkeley

    Byadmin

    The previous post on this blog outlined cutbacks in UC-Berkeley athletics. Apparently, for those student athletes who remain and who are covered by the Berkeley health insurance plan, injuries should be avoided. From a Wall St. Journal story on health plans at various universities: Paula Villescaz, a senior at the University of California at Berkeley, says she never looked closely at the Anthem Blue Cross insurance policy she got through her college. The plan has a $400,000 ceiling, but also has some important limitations, as Ms. Villescaz found out recently. The political-science major had always been healthy—until March, when doctors…

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    UC-Berkeley Chancellor Cuts Back on Athletics

    Byadmin

    UC-Berkeley’s chancellor announced cutbacks yesterday in the athletics program, which has been subsidized by the campus. In doing so, he followed UC-Davis in a similar move (which has brought controversy). Excerpt from the official press release: Chancellor announces new plan for Cal Athletics’ future 28 September 2010 BERKELEY — University of California, Berkeley, Chancellor Robert J. Birgeneau announced today… a comprehensive plan for the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics that will result in a broad-based yet sustainable program that continues to support the campus’s commitment to excellence. At the end of this academic year, baseball, men’s and women’s gymnastics, and women’s…

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    Audio of Jerry Brown – Meg Whitman Debate of 9-28-10

    Byadmin

    The first debate between Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman in the 2010 gubernatorial contest was held on Sept. 28. Although video via internet was promised, I found that one feed did not work at all and another was sporadic and often froze. Although public radio stations KCRW and KPCC did carry the audio, local TV stations did not. (I note in that respect that KCET – which now has 4 digital over-the-air channels – did not bother to carry the debate.) Bottom line: Only audio could be recorded. There may be other sources for the audio. But I have posted…

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    State Budget Negotiations Reportedly Hung Up on Pensions Issue

    Byadmin

    Supposedly, a “framework” for a state budget deal was worked out last week by the “Big-5” (governor + 4 legislative leaders). News reports suggest that public pensions remain a key issue (although the immediate effect of creating a two-tier pension system, etc., on the state budget for this fiscal year is small.) Democrats want the governor to use collective bargaining with state unions to cut a pension deal. The governor wants the legislature to impose a deal. Note that a budget could be passed that on paper assumes the governor bargains a deal with the unions. Whether the governor would…

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    Yes, Virginia: There Is No Santa Claus

    Byadmin

    Virginia is often cited as a state which followed the “Michigan Model” in which the public system becomes semi-privatized. According to Inside Higher Ed, all is not well in Virginia as the state there seems to be grabbing money from the universities. False Ideal? (excerpts) September 28, 2010 Virginia’s “restructuring” agreements, which provided select universities greater autonomy over finances in exchange for less state support, have emerged as a model that some public institutions in cash-strapped areas of the country would like to emulate. But to hear it from finance chiefs at Virginia universities now covered by restructuring, the agreements…