You have a university that enrolls 31 percent of low-income kids and which is simultaneously one of the great research universities in the world. It would not take much to make this a mediocre place. All it takes is some key professors to leave. Remember, I’ve cut their salaries around 5 – 10 percent this year. And all it will take is your inability to get your degree in a timely fashion, or for the student services to fall. So to me, the challenge is to not accept mediocrity for the University of California. I am not going to do it. I hate raising fees. I think it is horrible that we are going to lay off 2,000 people. I think it is horrible that our faculty and staff are taking furloughs. But we are living in a very difficult time… It would be a thrill if the state would live up to its responsibility and allow us to reduce fees. Realistically, what I’m hoping to do is to slow the rate of increase beyond 2011.

Read full article [here].
by David Lumb, The New University.

Posted: October 5th, 2009, by: admin. Categories: . Awaiting Comments.