Soaking Students
Conventional wisdom says the UC and CSU funding crises are the inevitable result of recession-driven budget shortfalls, and the only solution is to soak students and their families. But it’s bunk. Shifting costs from the public to students is a deliberate act of public policy… This is a radical reversal of the spirit that built California. But what’s been done can be undone. In fact, it would not cost much to push the “reset” button on California’s entire higher education system, from community colleges to UC’s graduate programs. We can roll fees back to 2000 levels, restore state funding and accommodate the students who’ve been forced out. And it would only cost the median taxpayer $49. To today’s jaded sensibilities that sounds far-fetched. But it wasn’t so long ago that a passion for that kind of thinking built California in the first place.
Read full article [here].
by Stanton Glantz, KQED Radio.
University of California Berkeley (Cal) picks the pockets of Californian students and their parents clean. (The author has 35 years’ consulting experience, has taught at Cal where he observed the culture, way senior management work and was not fired)
University of California Berkeley Chancellor Birgeneau ($450,000 salary) has forgotten that he is a public servant, steward of the public money, not overseer of his own fiefdom. Stunning misguided waste: Tuition fee increases exceed national average rate of increase; Recruits (using California tax $) out of state $50,600 students who displace qualified Californians from Cal; Spends $7,000,000 + for consultants to do his senior management work (prominent East Coast university accomplishing same 0 cost); Pays ex Michigan governor $300,000 for lectures; Procuring $3,000,000 consulting firm failed to receive proposals from others; Latino enrollment drops while out of state jumps 2010-11 (M Krupnick Contra Costa Times); Ranked # 70 USA best universities Forbes; Tuition to Return on Investment drops below top 10; QS academic ranking falls below top 10; Only 50 attend Birgeneau all employees meeting; Campus visits down 20%; Absence Cal. senior management control NCAA places basketball on probation.
It’s all shameful. There is no justification for violations by a steward of the public trust. Absolutely none!
Governor Brown, UC Board of Regents Chair Lansing must vigorously enforce stringent oversight over Chancellor Birgeneau who uses Cal. as his fiefdom.
Email opinion to marsha.kelman@ucop.edu