UC enrollment

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Audio of Regents Meeting of 3-17-11

Byuclafaculty

At the Regents meeting of 3-17-11, the session started with open comments. (A student from a class co-taught by yours truly in winter quarter was a speaker.) There was then a presentation by the UC-Davis chancellor, Linda Katehi, about developments on that campus, including budget concerns. The Finance Committee approved options for borrowing for the pension fund from STIP and possible pension bonds. Oddly, but consistent with earlier presentations, the primary motivation is described as a kind of interest arbitrage. In fact, the original motivation for these options was the $2 for $1 issue; roughly each $1 of contributions by…

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Unpreparedness: Report by the LAO

Byuclafaculty

The Legislative Analyst’s Office has release a PowerPoint presentation entitled “Are Entering Freshmen Prepared For College-Level Work?” On UC: Unpreparedness rates of freshmen at UC have declined slightly in recent years. * In 2009, about 25 percent of regularly admitted freshmen arrived unprepared for college-level writing. * The percentage of freshmen needing remediation varies considerably across UC campuses. In fall 2009, the unpreparedness rates ranged from a low of 9 percent at UC Berkeley to a high of 59 percent at UC Merced. On CSU: The CSU currently admits many students who are unprepared for college-level writing and math. Of…

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LA Times Editorial Calls for Cutting UC Enrollment Due to Budget Crisis

Byuclafaculty

Editorial: LA Times To save UC, cut enrollment: The options are all grim, but the priority must be to maintain the system’s prestigious standing. (excerpt) Jan. 21, 2011 In response to Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to slash $500 million from the University of California budget, UC President Mark G. Yudof said this week that he might be forced to flout the state’s 50-year-old Master Plan for Higher Education by reducing enrollment by thousands of students who otherwise would qualify for entrance. It’s unclear whether Yudof meant that as a strategic threat or as a plan, but we’re afraid it may…

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Regents Contemplate the Budget & Admissions 1-19-11 – Part 2

Byuclafaculty

This posting continues from Part 1. Please see the text of Part 1. Part 6 UC-San Diego / Holistic Admissions Part 7 Holistic Admissions – continues Part 8 Holistic Admissions – continues Part 9 Holistic Admissions / Student Response to Budget Part 10 Budget Part 11 Budget Part 12 Budget Part 13 Budget Part 14 Budget (end of morning session)

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Regents Contemplate the Budget & Admissions 1-19-11 – Part 1

Byuclafaculty

I am going to be posting the Regents meeting audio from the session of 1-19-11, morning. This session was devoted to the budget outlook and a proposal to expand “holistic” admissions. It takes me some time to get the audios in shape for posting. I am going to post four which deal primarily with the budget and one which gets into the holistic discussion. When I have time, I will continue the posting. However, the budget discussion – although no decisions were taken – may well be significant. If you listen to the speeches by Regent Gould, President Yudof, and…

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UC Undergrad Applications Over 6%, Especially Out-of-State and International

Byuclafaculty

UC sees another big jump in undergrad applications Terence Chea, AP, Orange County Register, 1-14-11 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Despite big tuition hikes, the University of California again received a record number of undergraduate applications for the fall, driven in part by sharp increases from out-of-state and international students, school officials said Friday. They said the number of applications rose 6.1 percent to more than 142,000, with a 5.7 percent increase in freshman applicants and a 7.3 percent increase in transfer applicants. “The University of California experienced record demand,” said Sue Wilbur, director of undergraduate admissions. “With the increase in…

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Mystery Phrasing: Budget Calls for Minimizing Tuition and Enrollment Impacts But What Does That Mean?

Byuclafaculty

Excerpt below in italics from the UC portion of the governor’s proposed budget, page 150. See earlier blog entry for link to budget. What does the statement mean? Minimizing tuition and enrollment impacts is not the same thing as averting them (or trying to prohibit them). Targeted Reductions — A decrease of $500 million in 2011‑12 to reflect necessaryfunding reductions to help resolve the budget deficit. These reductions are intendedto minimize fee and enrollment impacts on students by targeting actions that lowerthe costs of instruction and administration. The Administration will work withthe Office of the President and the Regents, as…

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The Affirmative Action Controversy: Evidence of Strategic Behavior in Texas University Admissions

Byuclafaculty

Under Prop 209, affirmative action in public university admissions is banned in California. As many will know, Prop 209 evolved out of a UC Regents action in the 1990s. (Subsequently, after Prop 209 passed, the Regents dropped their regulation. But the change had no effect since Prop 209 remained in effect.) Over the years, various approaches have been proposed to increase minority representation in UC enrollment. One approach, found in Texas, is to take the top X percent of high school grads by high school rather than in all high schools combined. In Texas, X = 10%. A working paper…

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Court Upholds Prop 209 Ban on Affirmative Action in University Admissions

Byuclafaculty

Federal judge upholds Calif affirmative action ban Dec. 8, 2010, Fresno Bee, Terence Chea – Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge has rejected a lawsuit challenging California’s voter-approved ban on affirmative action in public university admissions. U.S. District Court Judge Samuel Conti on Wednesday ruled against the challenge to Proposition 209, which banned the consideration of race and ethnicity in public education, employment and contracting… Full article at http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/12/08/2190629/federal-judge-upholds-calif-affirmative.html

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Brown and Whitman on Higher Ed

Byuclafaculty

Excerpt from California Watch: …Whitman and Brown agree that higher education needs more money. Whitman says she would get $1 billion from cuts to welfare and other reforms and would look to college officials on how to best spend those funds. Brown says he’d shift spending from prisons. Brown also proposes a new Master Plan, the long-ignored 1960 document that defined the roles of the UC, CSU and community college systems and promised a tuition-free education for all Californians. He would emphasize online classes to expand access to education, he says, and would ease the transfer process from community colleges…