News

Electronic Real-Time Signage for Santa Monica Bus to UCLA

Byuclafaculty

The Santa Monica City Council is likely to approve real-time electronic signage that would indicate when buses will arrive. Improved bus stop shelters are included. Several Big Blue Bus lines serve UCLA. The proposal is described as follows: “The Big Blue Bus (BBB) plans to implement electronic real-time signs and a mobile transit application, as part of its bus stop improvement project. These two systems will provide the public with several methods of accessing real-time bus service information. In addition, the systems will work seamlessly with BBB’s existing fleet management electronic infrastructure, as they will utilize the information from the…

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This Lecture Brought to You By…

Byuclafaculty

Californiawatch reports UC-Davis deal with US Bank at: http://www.californiawatch.org/watchblog/01-uc-davis-offers-marketing-76-access-perks-us-bank-exchange-royalties Excerpt This fall, University of California Davis students, faculty and staff will get new photo ID cards emblazoned with the US Bank logo. They can use the cards to check out books from the library and, if they choose, withdraw money at an ATM from a new US Bank checking account… The university stands to gain millions of dollars in cash for student services from US Bank by giving the bank exclusive access to marketing opportunities, free advertising and signage and other perks. Under the 10-year agreement, the more people at…

New Report on Public Higher Ed Across the U.S.

Byuclafaculty

An elaborate statistical report on state funding of higher ed across the US (with individual state data) is available at:http://www.sheeo.org/finance/shef/SHEF_FY_2009.pdf The report is put out by the nonprofit State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO). A cautionary note is that higher ed in California in many respects is dominated by the community colleges which have a much larger enrollment than UC or CSU. Data in the report go through fiscal 2009-10 which for California ended June 30, 2010. Apart from its historical data, the report looks ahead with data for fiscal 2010-11 (starting on page 49 of the report – not…

California High School Grads Entering UC

Byuclafaculty

CPEC has released figures on the demographics of entering UC freshmen as percent of Calif. high school grads by various cuts. Highlights: White 5.7%; Black 4.4%; Latino 4.0%; Asian 23.1%; Male 6.4%; Female 7.7%; Total 7.1%. Note that these data do not take account of community college transfers and do not include those who entered private colleges. Details at:http://www.cpec.ca.gov/StudentData/CACGREthnicity.aspMusic at:

State Budget Update: Stalemate Continues

Byuclafaculty

Legislative Democrats produced their own budget proposals yesterday, although Republicans and the governor have said they are not acceptable. There is an oil severance tax, done in a complicated way in an attempt to avoid the 2/3 vote requirement for taxes (from Prop 13 of 1978). It appears to be legally dubious. There is an increase in the state income tax and the vehicle license fee with a cut in the sales tax. The net at the state level is a tax increase which would require a 2/3 vote. It has a carrot for Republicans because the state income tax…

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LA Times Editorial Calls for Easing Transfers to UC & CSU

Byuclafaculty

The LA Times editorial refers mainly to transfers from community colleges to CSU but then notes: Another bill, AB 2302, introduced by Assemblyman Paul Fong (D- Cupertino), asks the University of California to study and report back on what it can do to streamline the transfer process for community college students. (Unlike CSU, UC cannot be forced to make such changes via legislative mandate.) As the state’s elite public university, UC must of course maintain a higher standard for admission, and its schools should be given more leeway on setting their own requirements. Still, there are too many disconnects. Students…

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Post-Doc Union at UC Reports Tentative Contract

Byuclafaculty

The UAW-affiliated union representing post-docs at UC reports reaching a tentative agreement (must be ratified by the members) with the administration. Press release at:http://www.prouaw.org/news/files/Tentative_Agreement_Press_Release20100802.pdf The union’s website describes the contract details elsewhere on the site as: NIH/NRSA (National Institutes of Health – National Research Service Award) pay scale as a minimum wage for all new Post-docs. Phasing in over the next four years the NIH/NRSA step system for all existing Post-docs (and those appointed before June 2011). Post-docs on NIH steps will have their pay increase annually by the percentage that the NIH steps increase and by advancing to the…

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More on the Edley Online Plan for UC

Byuclafaculty

Insider Higher Ed has a lengthy story today on Dean Edley’s proposal for an online UC degree program at: http://www.insidehighered.com/layout/set/print/news/2010/08/03/california Excerpt: California DreamerAugust 3, 2010 Much of the news surrounding the University of California system has involved whether the network of universities will be able to survive its current budgetary crisis without shrinking in size or quality. In that context, it is no surprise that Christopher Edley Jr.’s plan to use online education to expand the university’s footprint “from Kentucky to Kuala Lumpur” has turned some heads — and churned some stomachs. Edley, dean of the law school at the…

Rising Bus Fares to UCLA: The Whole Story?

Byuclafaculty

The Daily Bruin has a rather benign story today about fares rising for trips to UCLA on the various bus lines that reach it. In a sense, it is the usual tight budget story. See: http://www.dailybruin.com/articles/2010/8/2/local-buses-raise-price-to-ride/ One issue is the role of UCLA Transportation in providing the subsidized BruinGO! program for students, staff, and faculty. Several years ago, Prof. Donald Shoup did an evaluation of the program at an earlier stage. The picture he painted was less benign:http://www.sppsr.ucla.edu/calpolicy/Shouprev.pdf