What Is To Be Done with the University of California?

What Is To Be Done with the University of California?

By Akos Rona-Tas Sociology, UCSD The Political Reality The referenda in the November elections made one thing painfully clear: most Californians still believe that we can have public services without paying for them. What is quite extraordinary is not that people don’t want to pay taxes. These are hard times and many people are either in financial trouble or have well founded...

Report from the Front at Birmingham University

Report from the Front at Birmingham University

Originally Posted At Campaign for the Public University To the students in occupation, I stopped by to see you today and to offer a talk; I was looking forward to participating in the planned round table discussions as well. I hope they went forward. Unfortunately, as I understand like many others, I was barred from entry – even from speaking to any one of you in person....

Regents Today, Regents Tomorrow

Regents Today, Regents Tomorrow

The budget presentation to the Regents today: did the Regents hear from UCOP that the Brown cut of 20% of state general funds  is a disaster for the educational core that needs to be blocked, and that concessions on budgetary transparency and rationality, and reductions in administrative overhead need to be made?  I criticize Bob Samuels' proposal in a comment on his...

Ending a Bad UC Week: What Points Might Help Turn Things Around?

Ending a Bad UC Week: What Points Might Help Turn Things Around?

This was one of the worst weeks in recent UC,CSU, and CCC history, as the new Democratic governor dished out triple $500 million cuts to all the segments ($400 m to the community colleges), thus matching the cutting record of his Republican predecessor.  Comments on this blog and elsewhere suggest that some people think this is a clever political ploy, but many people are...

Pay Even More to Get Even Less

Pay Even More to Get Even Less

I have updated the chart of the University of California's funding pathways to reflect the budget proposed by Governor Brown this week, as a companion...

It Could Have Been Worse

It Could Have Been Worse

By Michael Meranze Perhaps the best thing to be said about Jerry Brown's proposed budget is that it could have been worse.  Unfortunately, it may still be.  The proposals that Brown has put forth--with their severe cuts to higher education, childcare, in-home services for the elderly and disabled, cal-works, and other social services--depend on the Governor getting...

Brown's Budget--A Preliminary Look

Brown's Budget--A Preliminary Look

Jerry Brown released his proposed 2011-2012 Budget this morning.  The full document (all 266 pages) can be found here.  I hope to have some analysis on the overall budget sometime soon but for now I simply wanted to direct your attention to the Higher Education section of the budget which can be found here.  Much of this section appears, to me at least, to be vague...

Across the Freeway from the MLA: Notes on the Counter-conference

Across the Freeway from the MLA: Notes on the Counter-conference

. . . actually more like tweets, organized around themes not presentations and slighting all sorts of good stuff from a full Merrifield amphitheatre at Loyola Law School: The country has so many problems that need solving and yet many of us are having to spend all our time fighting for a decent wage and benefits.  We have to do it, we have to make sure they respect our profession....

At the MLA: the View from 2020

At the MLA: the View from 2020

Yesterday, I spoke on two of the panels for the Modern Language Association Convention's series, "The Academy in Hard Times."  The first was  Marilee Lindemann's panel, "New Tools, Hard Times: Social Networking and the Academic Crisis." Lindemann types for the excellent Roxie's World blog on academic crises and on culture, and spoke about the use of animation tools and...

The Gilded 36 and What Demoralizing Really Means at UC

The Gilded 36 and What Demoralizing Really Means at UC

By Gregory Levine and Louise Fortmann Crossposted with Sacramento Bee On December 29, 2010 the San Francisco Chronicle reported that, "Three dozen of the University of California's highest paid executives are threatening to sue unless UC agrees to spend tens of millions of dollars to dramatically increase retirement benefits for employees earning more than $245,000." Some of...

Leadership

Leadership

By Carolyn de la Pena and David Theo Goldberg Leadership is --a commitment to the public good  --an ethic of service in principles and actions --care for the institution, students, staff, and faculty first --building effective relationships with one's peers --making wise judgments mindful of the balance of constituencies one represents --getting things done quietly...