UC

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The Master Plan at 50: Using Distance Education to Increase College Access and Efficiency

Byuclafaculty

The LAO has a new report out on distance learning in higher education and degree programs under the title above. Below is the Executive Summary of that report. Below that is a video presentation related to the report:Distance Education Provides Additional Tool for Advancing Master Plan’s Goals. Fifty years ago, California adopted the Master Plan for Higher Education, a framework document designed to promote universal access for students and cost–effective coordination among the state’s colleges and universities. At the time, postsecondary education generally required students to travel to a campus for in–person classes with an instructor. Today, many students have…

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What the Latest PPIC Poll Tells Us

Byuclafaculty

The Public Policy Institute of California has released its latest poll data. Jerry Brown seems to be pulling ahead of Meg Whitman. The poll covers the period including the last debate and “whore-gate.” (If you don’t know what that is, it apparently doesn’t matter to voters so forget it.) As far as UC goes, Whitman favors defined contribution pensions for new hires of public employees, but it appears the Regents will select a defined benefit option. Would she insist on DC for UC? As noted in earlier posts, regardless of who wins, there could be a ballot initiative mandating DC….

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Good News/Bad News on UC Budget

Byuclafaculty

The Sacramento Bee reports good news/bad news on the UC budget. Although the article doesn’t say so, part of the funding for UC (and CSU) for this fiscal year is coming from federal stimulus monies which disappear next year. After massive cuts, higher ed funding rises in new California budget (excerpt) Oct. 20, 2010, Laurel Rosenhall A wave of mass student protests, a new lobbying strategy by university leaders, and the governor’s desire to leave a positive legacy in education during his final year in office led to a remarkable turnaround for California’s public colleges in the budget he signed…

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The Downhill Slide of Private Pensions: An Issue for UC?

Byuclafaculty

A report based on U.S. Bureau of the Census data notes that the proportion of full-time, full-year employees in the private sector that were participants in some kind of pension plan (defined benefit or defined contribution) has been dropping over the past decade. The participation rate was about 60% in 1999. In 2009, it was about 54%. There is no breakout of California data. The decline suggests why public pensions have become an issue, even apart from concerns about pre-funding. In an earlier post, I noted that much of the focus in the UC discussion of its retirement plan has…

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Up, Up, & Away With Employee Health Costs in 2011

Byuclafaculty

Open enrollment begins Oct. 25. Employee costs of health care are going to rise. (Surprised?) You may not recall that UC uses a progressive system in four brackets so that higher paid employees pay more for health care. In 2010, the four annual salary brackets ($ 000s) were $46 and below, $46+ to $92, $92+ to $137, and $137+ and above. The brackets adjust upwards in 2011 to $47 and below, $47+ to $93, $93+ to $140, and $140+ and above. As an example, Anthem Blue Cross PPO for the employee only (no dependents) in the four brackets will cost…

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You Might Not Know It But We Are In the 3rd Year of a 4-Year Plan to Raise Faculty Salaries to Market Competitiveness

Byuclafaculty

Nostalgia Department: Just to let you know, below is a letter from then UC-President Robert Dynes to campus chancellors: September 25, 2007 CHANCELLORS Dear Colleagues: I am writing to convey good news with regard to faculty salaries. Now that the California State budget has been passed, The Regents have approved the first year of a four-year plan of faculty salary increases designed to raise faculty salaries to market competitiveness and to restore the integrity of the rank and step system of faculty advancement. In 2006, the Academic Senate systemwide Committee on Academic Personnel prepared a report on the present status…

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UC Manhattan Project Legacy Potentially Blows Up Over Issue of Retiree Health Care

Byuclafaculty

For many years, going back to the Manhattan project, UC Regents were in charge of the “nuclear labs.” Various scandals revolving around lab security arose and the management system was eventually shifted to a consortium involving UC and others. At the time, there was concern about the UC pension implications. Lab employees had been part of the basic pension plan. The question was essentially how the assets of the plan (and the liabilities) would be split off to cover them. There was less attention paid to the issue of retiree health care, an unfunded liability for which, unlike the pension,…

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Evolving Jurisprudence on UC Admissions

Byuclafaculty

Christian schools lose appeal bid in UC case (excerpt) October 13, 2010, San Francisco Chronicle, Bob Elko The U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal Tuesday from Christian schools that want the University of California to grant college-prep credit for courses with religious viewpoints – using textbooks, UC says, that replace science with the Bible. The justices, without comment, denied a hearing to the Association of Christian Schools International, which accused the university of violating freedom of speech and religion with its policy on the classes applicants take in high school. UC requires certain high school courses for admission and says…

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The Final Brown-Whitman Debate: 10-12-10

Byuclafaculty

Audios of the Jerry Brown-Meg Whitman debate are available below. (They are videos with a still picture). The audio is divided into 5 parts due to time limits at video-Yahoo. Click where indicated on the image for Part 1. Click on the urls for the other 4 parts. Of special interest was Meg Whitman’s comment that pensions for faculty and staff at UC were driving out students. The statement occurs in Part 2. In Part 2, the pension discussion starts around the 9 minute mark. The comment on UC is around 11:45 minutes. Brown-Whitman debate 10-12-10 Part 1: Public sacrifices,…

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Spillovers to UC from the SEIU Deal with the Governor?

Byuclafaculty

Are there any spillover effects for UC from the deal between SEIU Local 1000 and the governor as part of the budget enactment? There had been prior deals with some other state unions but Local 1000 was the biggie. The contract has yet to be ratified by union members. Directly, the contract has no effect on UC employees since none are covered by the agreement. Other unions represent UC employees. But indirectly there might be some effects, either positive or negative. Let’s look at the terms as described by the union on its website – actual contract language is not…