fund raising

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Regents Again Approve a UCLA Building Despite Cost Concerns

Byuclafaculty

Blog readers will recall that at a prior Regents meeting, UCLA produced a very sketchy and high cost plan for a new medical building, a “teaching and learning center.”  The presentation was so sketchy and the costs were so worrisome for the Regents to ask for a revised plan.  At the Jan. 16 meeting of the Grounds and Building Committee, UCLA came back with a revised plan for a $104.7 million project – said to be significantly scaled back – with more details.As with the earlier hotel project, UCLA apparently had offline meetings with Regents after the prior meeting (such…

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He said/she said official rebuttal misses the big issue on the Grand Hotel

Byuclafaculty

An earlier post noted an op ed in the Daily Bruin by Laura Lake on the grand hotel project slated to occupy a location roughly across from Ackerman where a parking structure now sits.  A rebuttal op ed ran yesterday by Steve Olsen, UCLA’s chief financial officer (and a very capable individual).  Here is an excerpt: The Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference and Guest Center will become a reality at UCLA in 2016 thanks to a generous gift from two alumni who share UCLA’s vision of creating a place where academics from all across the world can gather to share…

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UCLA Undergrad Philanthropy Course

Byuclafaculty

The LA Times today carries a story about a fall quarter undergraduate philanthropy course in which $100,000 was distributed to various local charitable groups by students who research such groups. The course was taught by Dean Judi Smith.   Back in May, the Daily Bruin carried a story about the course which was then being announced.  You can find the original story at: http://www.dailybruin.com/index.php/article/2012/05/new_ucla_course_offers_third_and_fourthyears_chance_to_donate_100000_to_local_nonprofits   The LA Times’ story about the outcome of the course is at http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ucla-philanthropy-20121224,0,5878820.story   UCLA put out two media releases about the course outcome earlier this month but apparently the LA Times reserved it as a…

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The Money That Danced Away

Byuclafaculty

USC recently announced a gift from philanthropist Glorya Kaufman to establish a new school of dance.  In a radio interview on KCRW, Kaufman said she had given money for renovation of a dance building at UCLA but the building wasn’t being used as intended.  Excerpt: …Glorya Kaufman, the philanthropist funding USC’s new dance school, won’t reveal exactly how much money she’s putting into it. “That’s not the important part. The important part is what it’s doing … that’s why I’m withholding that amount,” she says. But whatever the pricetag, it’s large enough to pay for a brand new building and at least…

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Radio Interview About David Geffen

Byuclafaculty

Susan Lacy and David Geffen PBS recently ran an “American Masters” episode about David Geffen who just donated $100 million to the UCLA med school.  [See yesterday’s post.]  Yours truly did not see the PBS program but there was a radio interview with the program’s director, Susan Lacy, aired on KPCC on Nov. 20.  One amusing anecdote is that Geffen got his first (mailroom) job by stating (apparently falsely) that he was a UCLA grad.  I’m sure he could have an honorary UCLA degree at this point if he wanted one.  The interview can be heard at the link below.

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The Gift of Human Capital is Good News for UCLA and for the Donor

Byuclafaculty

The Good News By the time you read this posting, you will likely have heard or read about David Geffen’s gift of human capital – in the form of scholarships – to the UCLA med school. From the official UCLA media release: Entertainment executive and philanthropist David Geffen has established an unprecedented $100 million scholarship fund that will cover the entire cost of education for the very best medical students attending the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (DGSOM). The school was named in his honor after his $200 million unrestricted gift in 2002. With this recent gift, Geffen’s total philanthropic support…

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Neon Tommy Report on UC Fundraising

Byuclafaculty

Neon Tommy is an online student news service of the USC Annenberg School.  The service features a news item dated Nov. 28 which reviews UC’s “Onward” fundraising campaign.  That’s right; USC is reviewing UC.  What is interesting about the piece is what isn’t in it.  Back in the day – say, the 1950s or 1960s – any such story would deal with the impact of a public university competing with privates in fundraising.  Private universities would complain about the competition and say UC should be getting its funding from the state.  But despite the traditional USC-UCLA rivalry, no such view…

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The UCLA Hotel Did Not Happen That Way

Byuclafaculty

In a TV interview dated 7/13/12, UC President Mark Yudof talked about donations to UC.  He agrees with the interviewer, Conan Nolan of KNBC, that it is hard to explain to the public why in budgetary hard times, buildings are going up on campuses.  But he offers various explanations, none of which justify the proposed UCLA hotel/conference center. One explanation is that the projects have been in the pipeline 5-10 years and the bonds have already been floated.  That is not true for the proposed UCLA hotel/conference center.  Bonds have not been floated.  And although the planning timeline is fuzzy…

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Bay Area Council Business Group Announces Fundraising Campaign for UC

Byuclafaculty

From the Bay Area Council’s website: A “PERFECT” WAY TO LAUNCH AN EFFORT TO SAVE THE UC SYSTEM Recent years have been unkind to the crown jewel of California’s education system, the University of California.  Budget cutting knives have hit the UC system so hard that new studies show the state will be 1 million college-educated workers short of need by 2025.  This will not be good for our members and not be good for our economy.  Bay Area Council Executive Committee member Larry Baer, who happens to also be President of the San Francisco Giants, hosted a launch event…

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Listen to Remaining Audio of Regents Meeting of March 29, 2012

Byuclafaculty

A previous post on this blog noted that a defective file had been received for the third day session of the Regents after the Public Comments period.  Only part of that session was posted as a result, although it did include the decision officially to withdraw implementation of an exemption from the IRS pension cap.  The complete recording has now been received.  It includes the portion previous posted plus discussion of private budgetary support and fund raising, political advocacy including a request by students to support the governor’s tax initiative scheduled for the November ballot.  There was also discussion of…