UC

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Logoland is a small world after all!

Byuclafaculty

It is said that the upside-down elephant logo for UC – see all of our previous and delightful posts – had to be introduced because the old one can’t be seen well on the web. From the LA Times today:…UC officials were caught on the defensive. They emphasize that the traditional seal, with its “Let There Be Light” motto, a drawing of an open book and the 1868 date of UC’s founding, is not being abandoned and still will be used on such things as diplomas and official letterhead. But they say that the 1910 seal is so ornate that…

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Campus Climate Survey Promotional Materials

Byuclafaculty

Blog readers will know that a UC-wide campus climate survey was developed after various incidents on the campuses.  There has been concern that because of the length of the survey instrument, participation would be low and mainly confined to those with concerns.  According to the promotional materials for department chairs and similar administrators – see the link below – there are lottery-type financial and non-financial prizes available to participants to obtain at least a 30% participation rate. Use the search engine on this blog to find earlier posts on the survey including audio of a presentation by the woman conducting…

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Yet More Clues on the New UC Elephant Logo

Byuclafaculty

In prior posts, we have puzzled over the new UC logo and, particularly, why – when viewed upside down – it resembles an elephant’s behind. Thanks to UCLA Professor Karen Orren, who located the YouTube video below, we may now have a clue as to the designer.[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He7Ge7Sogrk?feature=player_detailpage]Update: Inside Higher Ed reports that 30,000 signatures have been gathered on a petition against the new logo:http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/12/10/u-californias-new-logo-sparks-outrage The petition is at:http://www.change.org/petitions/university-of-california-stop-the-new-uc-logo

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Rebenching: UCLA Academic Senate Prefers More Rather than Less

Byuclafaculty

The benches may be old but we like them. The “rebenching” issue has resurfaced.  Basically, what is at stake is the formula by which UC money is divided up among the campuses.  The Daily Bruin today reviews the issue and the view of the UCLA Academic Senate: The response states that the Senate is “adamantly opposed” to the current proposal – known as rebenching – and outlines the potentially negative impacts it could have on the UCLA campus… …Rebenching aims to equalize funding per student across all of the UC campuses by distributing state funds to each campus based on set student enrollment…

Hindsight on yesterday’s post on the new UC logo; did we get our money’s worth?

Byuclafaculty

…(T)he new design…  was created by an in-house design team at no extra cost to the university.* *From Los Angeles Times blog, HEADLINE: “Critics say new UC logo is not dignified enough,” 12/8/12:Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/12/critics-say-new-uc-logo-is-not-dignified-enough-.htmlAs the headline suggests, there is an issue about dignity.  An observer (who will remain unnamed) has pointed out to yours truly that the new logo, when turned upside-down, resembles the rear end of an elephant.  On the other hand, if you are in close quarters with an elephant, it’s probably better if it is walking away from you than towards you. If – despite the controversy – UC decides to…

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Who Needs Light, Anyway? Or Gravitas?

Byuclafaculty

inShare After 144 years with the same old Victorian seal, the University of California has decided to go mod. The university’s original logo — with its open book, 1868 date stamp and “Let there be light” script — will still be in circulation, appearing on president’s letters and official university documents. But marketing materials and websites will feature a radically simple and more contemporary symbol: a little “C” nesting inside a shield-shaped “U.” “They wanted something that would reflect the innovation, the character of California — just more modern, user-friendly,” said Dianne Klein of UC’s Office of the President. “That’s…

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Please Sir, Can I Have My Med School?

Byuclafaculty

From the Riverside Press-Enterprise: Only hours into the 2013-2014 session, a pair of new lawmakers from Riverside introduced a pair of virtually identical measures to annually appropriate $15 million to UC Riverside’s School of Medicine.  The bills are the first of their kind so early in a legislative year. Their authors, state Sen. Richard Roth, D-Riverside, and Assemblyman Jose Medina, D-Riverside, pledged to secure money for the medical school during their campaigns this year. …University officials have tried since 2008 to secure ongoing state money for the school amid massive budget shortfalls. In 2011, officials postponed the school’s first freshman…

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PPIC Poll Covers Higher Ed Concerns

Byuclafaculty

The latest opinion poll from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) covers a variety of issues including higher education.  It suggests parents are worried about whether their kids will get into a public higher ed institution and what it will cost if they do.  As the table below shows, half want their kids to go to grad school. [Click on the table to enlarge and get a clearer image.] You can find the poll at: http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/survey/S_1212MBS.pdf

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You can guess what grade Peter Taylor gave the Berkeley students for their swap report

Byuclafaculty

From the San Francisco Chronicle op ed by Peter Taylor, UC chief financial officer: The University of California has come under criticism for its finance decisions – specifically three interest rate “swaps” made on funds borrowed over the past 10 years to expand university medical centers. Swaps exist to insulate borrowers such as UC from volatile interest rates. They work like this: The university borrowed money at a variable interest rate, with the payments rising and falling with interest rates. It then swapped those payments for payments at a fixed rate. Thus, if the interest rate rises, then the university pays…

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When the Governor Says Freeze (Professional School Tuition), the Regents Dance to His Tune

Byuclafaculty

In the wake of Prop 30’s passage, the governor has requested that the professional school tuition increases that were supposed to be on the Regents’ agenda today be frozen.  From the LA Times:…UC officials dropped consideration of a possible 20%, or $2,400, mid-year tuition hike for all students after Proposition 30 prevailed. But remaining on the agenda was the separate proposal to raise tuition next year for more than 50 graduate and professional degree programs in such areas as business, dentistry, law and social work. Under the plan, the so-called professional degree supplemental tuition would have increased from 1.2% to…