UC board endorses tax initiative, freezes tuition
The University of California’s Board of Regents has voted to freeze undergraduate tuition this fall and endorse Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax initiative. But UC officials warn the 10-campus system will need to consider unpopular actions, including a steep midyear tuition increase, if voters reject the November ballot measure. The resolution was approved by the full board after its finance committee voted for the measure earlier Wednesday. Under the recently adopted state budget, funding for the 10-campus system will remain stable this fiscal year and increase by $125 million next year—if UC doesn’t raise tuition and voters approve Brown’s plan to temporarily raise income and sales taxes.But if the initiative fails, the university will face a midyear budget cut of $250 million.
It’s time to fix University of California. Campus Chancellor’s and Provost ‘s tuition increases make it impossible to keep the promise of equality of opportunity: access, affordability is farther and farther out of reach. Self-absorbed Chancellor, Provost are outspoken for elete public UC Berkeley ‘charging Californians much higher’ tuition. Cal. Chancellor Birgeneau, Provost Breslauer leave an indelible legacy on university access, affordability.
Cal. tuition is rising faster than costs at other universities. Number 1 ranked Harvard is now less costly. Birgeneau, Breslauer decision to ‘charge Californians higher tuition’ for eletist Cal. make it the most expensive of the expensive public universities!
Birgeneau ($450,000) Breslauer ($306,000) like to blame the politicians, since they stopped giving them every dollar demanded. The ‘charge Californians higher’ tuition skyrocketed fees by an average 14% per year from 2006 to 2011-12 academic years. If Chancellor Provost had allowed fees to rise at the same rate of inflation over the past 10 years they would still be in reach of most middle income students. Breslauer Berheneau increase disparities in higher education and defeat the promise of equality of opportunity. An unacceptable legacy for all Californians.
Additional funding should sunset. The sluggish economy and 10% unemployment devistate family education savings. Simply asking for more taxes to fund self-absorbed Cal.senior leadership, old inefficient higher education models and fund excessive faculty staff compensation, burdensome bonuses, is not the answer.
UC Berkeley is to maximize access to the widest number of Californians at a reasonable cost: mission of diversity, equality of opportunity. Birgeneau’s Breslauer’s ‘charge Californians higher’ tuition denies middle income families the transformative value of Cal.
The California dream: keep it alive at Cal. Birgeneau resigned; fire (honorably retire) Provost George W Breslauer.
Opinions? UC Board of Regents marsha.kelman@ucop.edu Calif. State Senators, Assembly members.