<p>babydragon, what you’ve said isn’t really useful or helpful regarding the topic at hand, so I have to second Madden and UCSDfan here :|</p>
<p>^^^AGREE 10 char</p>
<p>20 bucks says babydragon was one of the people who were involved in the computer error way back when and now he/she is bitter</p>
<p>don’t feed the ■■■■■■. it’s simple.</p>
<p>No reason to bash UCSD, but I think this is a silly proposal. There are certainly better ways to fix the situation.</p>
<p>More discussion is going on in general discussion if you guys want to give reason to your argument.</p>
<p>Well, guys, I’d like to get more opinions going, other than what we’ve seen so far (mostly consisting of ucsd bashing, etc).
Though the other two ideas proposed in the letter (yes, there were other ideas proposed) would satisfy the budget, the idea or diminishing or even demolishing at least one UC campus is bold and interesting, and may be one of the best solutions I’ve heard.
I disagree with closing all three of the suggested UC campus, and I do not claim to know which is the most “inferior” campus of the 10, but I, based on other UC student’s opinions and my own un-based, biased judgement would think UC Merced to be the best candidate.
A quick Google search showed that there are about 1300 students enrolled at UCM. By eliminating this university, the 1300 students would be distributed amongst the other UC’s (to be fair, of course… We can’t just kick them out). In doing so, the rest of the UC’s would admit less applicants. Many things benefit from this: potentially and statistically, students that are unprepared for the rigor that is a UC would not be accepted. Not only does this mean less students would undergo emotional stress when realizing they are not UC-material (harsh? Sorry) and drop out, but more students would support their local community colleges, which are also suffering (budget-wise, amongst others). Drop-out rates would decrease. Admittance rates would decrease, as well (only because more people would apply), but technically, UC’s would admit the same number of applicants. This would only add to its prestigiousness.
Now, UC’s will have extra money going around. Sure, UC’s would lose the money that comes from tuition, etc. at UCM, but there would be money that comes from all the professors that will not get paid, amongst other expenses. If the extra money were enough to qualm the budget, imagine the possibilities.
At first I thought perhaps UC’s could decrease tuition, but that would just perpetuate a budget problem. Then perhaps there would be more financial aid to go around. But actually, financial aid is given based on need, and that’s calculated by FAFSA or some other government program. I suppose UC’s could just keep the money. No pay-raises, however.</p>
<p>So what are your opinions? Suggestions? And please, some of my statistics might be incorrect, as they are based off sites that seem unreliable. I would like to hear more ideas about this proposal from users here.</p>
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<p>My apologies, I wrote my reply as this ( ^ ) was posted.</p>
<p>And I don’t think I mentioned this, nor got this across in my message: I don’t want any university to close, but the idea of closing one would be an effective solution, and I have nothing against UCM, but if any campus were to close, I would think UCM to be the best candidate.</p>
<p>Ericsson-</p>
<p>I like that you gave a thorough point of view with well represented thoughts and facts without unnecessary bashing.</p>
<p>“Interesting” is a very good way to put this plan. I do wish people could leave out UCSC and UCR out of this plan. I think that is the overwhelming general consensus, but there were some nasty stuff in the comment section of the article posted. </p>
<p>Anyways, say we do close UCM. First problem is relocating students. I think this would be extremely costly and hard to do. I mean, are we going to make them reapply to the UCs as ‘transfers?’ This sounds difficult. How would we determine which students should be accepted into the system and who would need to go to community college first? </p>
<p>Next, faculty… what do we do with them? The UCs already are overfull. That was the reason for UCM in the first place, the current universities cannot handle anymore students. They definitely are not going to hire more professors.</p>
<p>Another problem is what do we do with that enormous amount of campus and land that the UC system holds in the middle of Merced, California. Would we just leave it there, like a ghost town? </p>
<p>To me, closing down a UC campus looks really bad for the UC system, and their rankings may drop solely because of it. It is unheard of to open a major institution and eight years later close it down. I think cutting programs and whatnot really is the best way to handle things. It is too bad that teachers/specialized majors/programs will need to be cut, but I can’t see a better option.</p>
<p>Cali Trumpet, thank you for the nice words! It’s a good feeling to have a colleague acknowledge your post. And I thank you for sharing your ideas as well.</p>
<p>The first problem you bring up is the relocation of UCM students, a complicated hassle at the least. The most fair solution that I can imagine would be to not have current UCM students re-apply, but rather have some sort of guaranteed acceptance, somewhere. </p>
<p>Students that were accepted at a UC other than UCM would automatically be welcomed there. For example Jane Doe was accepted at UCM and UCSD, Jane is guaranteed a spot at UCSD.<br>
However, what if Jane (and students in her specific circumstance) does not want to go to UCSD (and other UC’s where they were accepted)? Should she (they) be given the chance to go to a different UC? I’m thinking no and yes… Say, whilst in high school, I applied to UCSD, UCD, and UCM, and was only accepted at UCSD and UCM. I don’t think it would be fair to transfer to UCD after one year at UCM, but after two years at UCM, I would think it fine to apply as a transfer student.
Basically, I think it fair to have students a guaranteed spot at UC’s that accepted them and at community colleges, and the chance to apply as a transfer student WITH special preference/priority over other non-UC transfer students or freshmen applicants, only after two years at UCM.</p>
<p>That is my personal, most-likely complicated solution to an equally complicated problem. Another would be to rank every student (somehow… It can’t be just grades… And it should only include UCM-related activities and grades. Perhaps a point-system?) and have a point that divides students into UC-eligible and not. At that point, other UCs look through the ranks and choose what they want. For example, UCB would look at the ranks and guarantee a spot for the top 2% students, UCSD would guarantee a spot for the top 40%, etc. Students then have a choice of what they would like to do. Those not guaranteed a spot would be given special preference as transfer students after going to community college.
This solution seems less of a hassle (after the difficulty of ranking students) and allows more choice and freedom to students.</p>
<p>Faculty… it’s a shame that UC’s can’t take in more professors. Education is one of the most valuable things, and professors, in my opinion, are more precious than even doctors. It is my best solution that they be offered positions at other UC’s as well as other institutions. </p>
<p>I sincerely cringe at the idea of closing a higher-education institution. Imagine the turmoil this would evoke were it to actually occur. Perhaps this may be the cataclysmic event that would change (parts of) California. I could imagine a majority disgusted at the closing of a UC, while hundreds of prisons, etc. continue to exist. Imagine a change for the better provoked by this tragic event… but that’s another thread, ey?</p>
<p>I’m glad we get to share our ideas here. More opinions, fellas?</p>