UCLA

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The 250-Room Whatchamacallit is Back on the Regents Agenda

Byuclafaculty

The Regents’ agenda for the July 17-19 meeting is now posted.  The UCLA hotel/conference center is back on the agenda as item GB2.  It is now called a “conference and guest center.”   UCLA still is in denial that a 250-room establishment is a hotel.  Perhaps it should be called a No-Tel in view of the denial.  The material the Regents will consider is not attached to the agenda in keeping with no tell; at least it is not attached as of 9:30 AM today but the link is: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/regents/regmeet/jul12/gb.pdf Other items of interest: As expected, the proposal for tuition…

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Judge Calls Regents “Duplicitous” in Hannah Carter Japanese Garden Affair

Byuclafaculty

The Beverly Hills Courier is carrying an online story about a court proceeding related to the proposed sale by UCLA of the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden: (excerpt) Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lisa Hart Cole today postponed judgment on the fate of the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden until July 27. Cole directed attorneys for the heirs of Hannah Carter, who filed a preliminary injunction opposing the sale of the Kyoto-style Garden on June 13, to prepare a supplemental five-page brief on whether the UC Regents are a government entity or a charitable trust. Cole said determining whether the University is a…

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Steve Poizner and UCLA Extension in Joint Online Venture

Byuclafaculty

Many blog readers will remember Steve Poizner, the former California insurance commissioner who ran for the Republican nomination for governor unsuccessfully in 2010. The Wall St. Journal reports that he has a joint venture now with UCLA Extension to provide online education: A Silicon Valley entrepreneur and the University of California are combining ready-made software, rented Web services and Apple Inc.’s iPad tablet computer in a high-tech effort to bring career training to baby boomers looking to upgrade their skills. Empowered Careers last week began enrolling students in 10 certificate programs to be taught by instructors at the UCLA Extension, the…

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UCLA Drops Opposition to Athletes’ Bill of Rights After Amendments

Byuclafaculty

After amendment, UCLA has dropped its opposition to a bill pending in the legislature containing a “bill of rights” for student athletes.  UC-Berkeley and USC have also dropped opposition.  Stanford is still opposed. …Sen. Alex Padilla, of Los Angeles, agreed to amend Senate Bill 1525 amid opposition from Stanford, UC-Berkeley, UCLA and the University of Southern California.  This bill now requires the four schools to continue scholarships for injured athletes and athletes who have exhausted their athletic eligibility, but have not finished their degree. The schools would also have to pay for health insurance for low-income individuals and tell a student athlete within seven days whether…

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Do We Really Want to Roll Straight Ahead on the Hotel Project?

Byuclafaculty

UCLA seems to be rolling along on its hotel-conference center project without looking to the right or left.  That approach can get the university into trouble. Yours truly received two items from a neighbor group that has been raising concerns about the project.  Below you will find links to two documents that were submitted in connection with the recent environmental hearing on the hotel that UCLA was required to hold.  One document is essentially a cover letter from a law firm summarizing points made in the longer written submission of the group. The objections range from procedural – it appears…

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UCLA History: Watergate

Byuclafaculty

H.R. Haldeman, future Watergate conspirator, and – in this 1964 photo – future UCLA Alumni Association President, holds a check related to fundraising for Pauley Pavillion. The semi-official recent coffee table book history of UCLA – “UCLA: The First Century” – has very little else about Haldeman and nothing about John Erlichman, another Watergate conspirator and alum. Indeed, UCLA seems to have been a farm team for Watergate’s major league in a less boosterish article that was highlighted in LAObserved today: See the article at:http://www.guardian.co.uk//commentisfree/2012/jun/17/richard-nixon-watergate-conspirators-40-anniversary.  [Title: “How a dead dog came back to bite Richard Nixon’s Watergate conspirators: Nixon operatives…

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Cheer Up! We Could Have Worse Traffic Problems

Byuclafaculty

The News from LACMTA: Ramp Jam work to begin Posted on June 21, 2012 by Steve Hymon        The demolition of the first two Wilshire-405 ramps begins this weekend. There’s no way of sugar-coating it: there will be significant traffic impacts.  That said, the status quo in the area has been pretty much horrible for as long as I can recall — way too many cars competing for space while trying to enter and exit the freeway. The reconstruction of the ramps should greatly improve the way that traffic flows in the area, but there’s no getting around the pain that…

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UCLA History: Update on Rodney King

Byuclafaculty

We posted the picture above on the blog during the recent 20th anniversary of the LA riots.  It shows students at UCLA gathering in the central plaza area after the Rodney King verdict.  With the death of Rodney King being reported today on the news, you might be interested in the two videos below.  The first is the “get along” interview – which is substantially more than the widely-quoted soundbite.  The second is an interview with King 18 years after the event. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgiR04ey7-M&w=320&h=195] [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKWlBuENl6Y&w=320&h=195]