2012 in Review: Major Higher Ed Trends

2012 in Review: Major Higher Ed Trends

2012 was like all years full of heroic efforts and thoughtless abetting of great evil.  In American higher education, it was the year in which...

A College Christmas Carol: Restoring the Bankruptcy Option

A College Christmas Carol: Restoring the Bankruptcy Option

As Scrooge leaves his counting-house on Christmas Eve, he encounters his cheerful nephew, who tells his Uncle Scrooge that Christmas is one of those...

The Knowledge that Dare Not Speak Its Name

The Knowledge that Dare Not Speak Its Name

For some time now, the humanities and the interpretive social sciences have been the canaries in the mineshaft of higher education.   Language...

Humanities Infrastructure 1

Humanities Infrastructure 1

I agree with Mark Yudof: one of many reasons never to leave Austin Texas is the "easy access to breakfast tacos."   After an excessive helping...

Let There Be Confusion

Let There Be Confusion

As part of the continuing effort to remake UC in the vision of modern advertising and finance where the only important activity is the constant exchange...

The Governor’s Thinking Has Become Very Uptight

The Governor’s Thinking Has Become Very Uptight

PART 2  of GOVERNOR BROWN GOES ONLINE By Toby Higbie, Department of History, UCLA Mulling over Jerry Brown’s recent comments on the disruptive...

Jerry Brown, Vanguard of the Digital Revolution: He Googled It

Jerry Brown, Vanguard of the Digital Revolution: He Googled It

by Toby Higbie, Prof. of History, UCLA At the last Regents meeting, Governor Brown mounted the digital barricades and sent a shot across...

Online is not a Siphon to Keep the Public U Running on Empty

Online is not a Siphon to Keep the Public U Running on Empty

I understand why Gov. Jerry Brown went to the University of California and California State University board meetings this week. He wants to protect...

Tallahassee Two-Step

Tallahassee Two-Step

Florida Governor Rick Scott's "Blue Ribbon Task Force on Higher Education Reform" has finally issued its final report.  Designed "to advance the...

Regents Budget in Progress

Regents Budget in Progress

About 10 minutes ago, I dropped into the Finance Committee discussion (streaming here), to hear either Peter Taylor or Nathan Bostrom, UCOP's finance chiefs, talking about savings to campuses from e-purchasing and strategic sourcing in the hundred of millions of dollars.  The published figure is $20 million. A comment from President Yudof clarified that the $300 million or...

The UC Regents' Budget: the Trouble with the Prop 30 Norm

The UC Regents' Budget: the Trouble with the Prop 30 Norm

Since the passage of Proposition 30 prevented another 10% cut to state funding for the University of California, blocked similar cuts to CSU, and blocked...

Prepare to be Uninspired: Some Regental Wisdom for the Weekend

Prepare to be Uninspired: Some Regental Wisdom for the Weekend

The Regents are meeting this week.  Among the central issues they will discuss are the short- and long-range budgetary situation of the University...

UC Berkeley Announces Next Chancellor

UC Berkeley Announces Next Chancellor

"University of California President Mark G. Yudof announced today (Nov. 8) that he has selected Nicholas B. Dirks, Columbia University’s executive vice president and dean of the faculty of  Arts and Sciences, as UC Berkeley’s 10th chancellor." The rest of the official statement is her...

Bullet Dodged by Ballot

Bullet Dodged by Ballot

With close to 99% of precincts reporting, Proposition 30 has won with 53.9% of the vote, or nearly a 7 point spread.  KCET's map is at left, with...

Yes on Both of California's Education Propositions

Yes on Both of California's Education Propositions

Both of the education propositions on the California ballot may lose today.  The higher ed communities have focused on Gov Jerry Brown's Proposition...

W(H)ITHER PROP 30

W(H)ITHER PROP 30

Two recent polls, one by the Public Policy Institute of California and one by LAT/USC offer dispiriting news about the prospects for Proposition 30. ...

The Election and Higher Education

The Election and Higher Education

As with the Presidential contest, the California elections offer the choice between continuing the dispiriting new normal and an accelerated descent...

UCSB Budget Forum, or California After Apple

UCSB Budget Forum, or California After Apple

1970s California was no utopia, but I do get whiplash going from giving a UC budget talk yesterday at a UCSB Faculty Association forum to preparing...

Pro Prop 30 rally Tuesday at UCSB

Pro Prop 30 rally Tuesday at UCSB

Please come to the Arbor at noon Tuesday to support UC-AFT's UC Day of Action for Prop 30 and Against Prop 32.  UC-AFT President, Bob Samuels,...

The Undercover Chancellor

The Undercover Chancellor

By Pat Morton, UC Riverside Timothy White, Chancellor of UC Riverside, announced yesterday that he will become Chancellor of the California State...

Obama Takes a Dive

Obama Takes a Dive

Cross posted from the Huffington Post Mitt Romney had two simple jobs in the first presidential debate. First, he had to be the defender and not...

Systems Failure

Systems Failure

As Chris pointed out, there was a striking gap at last week's Regents' retreat.  On the one hand, there was a new discourse of educational decline--but...

Progress at the UC Regents' Retreat

Progress at the UC Regents' Retreat

The most important statement of the morning session of the UC Regents’ retreat came from President Mark Yudof, who for the first time that I have heard...

Anderson A-No-No

Anderson A-No-No

As you have probably seen (since it has been covered by the Financial Times, Business Week, the LA Times, Inside Higher Education, the Chronicle of...

Closing the School Door

Closing the School Door

Just in time for the two major political parties to offer their different visions of austerity, the California Community College system released a...

Back to School...If They Need You

Back to School...If They Need You

Just in time for the fall rituals of orientation and enrollment, the Center for the Future of Higher Education in conjunction with the New Faculty...

Links for Monday July 30, 2012

Links for Monday July 30, 2012

Bain passes judgement on UC.  CA Democratic party formally opposes Prop 32--the measure designed to weaken unions. Some reflections on "leaving...

Links for Thursday June 26, 2012

Links for Thursday June 26, 2012

Is UC "starving the humanities"? In another display of leadership, UC Berkeley scrambles aboard the MOOC bandwagon.  Bousquet offers thoughts...

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in Bain's Higher Ed Funding Report

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in Bain's Higher Ed Funding Report

A recent Bain & Co report on higher ed, on sustainable funding, has irritated some people as much as their equally flawed analysis of admin costs...

Links for Friday July 20, 2012

Links for Friday July 20, 2012

The latest on the Colorado movie theater assault.  The alleged shooter graduated from UC Riverside. Campuses outline the effects of the funding cuts.   The Regents--with the exception of Russell Gould--vote to support Brown's tax initiative.  But they still raise professional school fees. The Regents cave on UCLA hotel.   UCLA Committee on Academic...

Where's UC Online Now and How Will We Get Our $7 Million Back?

Where's UC Online Now and How Will We Get Our $7 Million Back?

By Wendy Brown Outgoing Co-Chair, Berkeley Faculty Association On July 16th and 17th, The New York Times featured stories on the launching of...

UC's Zero-Degree State Budget, and What the University Should Do

UC's Zero-Degree State Budget, and What the University Should Do

The central facts about UC's budget for next year are first, that tuition will not go up, and second, that the state will provide no new operating...

Rebenching: Coming to a Campus Near You

Rebenching: Coming to a Campus Near You

As those of you who read Jim Chalfant and Susan Gillman's recent post will remember, the systemwide task force on Rebenching recently completed their...

Links for Thursday July 12, 2012

Links for Thursday July 12, 2012

Protesting the July Regents Meeting. Some info on the California Ballot Propositions. California cities slashing services, looking towards bankruptcy. UC...

Links for Wednesday July 11, 2012

Links for Wednesday July 11, 2012

Yudof to tell Regents:  If Tax hikes don't pass, tuition may go up 20%. Community Colleges consider new enrollment priorities. San Bernardino...