ATTN: All UC Students

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - GENERAL
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<p>Things aren’t looking too good. </p>

<p>I’m sure most of you have heard of the state dramatically lowering its contribution to the University of California. I think that we as students and faculty at the different UC campuses need to see what’s really at stake and exploring some options on what to do. </p>

<p>I’ll start off by messily kissing up to the University of California. </p>

<p>We’re part of one of the finest educational institutes in the world. Eight of the UC campuses are counted among the top 100 universities in the nation by US News and World Report. According to a press release by the office of the University of California, UC researchers and faculty are responsible for 5,505 inventions and 2,497 patents and create three new inventions everyday! UC faculty includes 389 members of the Academy of Arts and Sciences, 5 Fields Medal recipients, 13 National Medal of Science Laureates, and 32 Nobel laureates. </p>

<p>Not only does the University of California offer a world-class education to its students, it also contributes a tremendous amount to the well-being and prosperity of not just California, but the entire nation. UC Berkeley (1), UC San Diego (2), UCLA (3), and UC Davis (10) were among the top ten schools in an annual ranking by Washington Monthly that measured how much good a particular college or university does for the country. </p>

<p>The editors even took some time to give the UCs a spotlight in the introduction: “UC campuses enroll unusually large numbers of low-income students while maintaining high graduation rates, generating billions of dollars in research funding, and sending a healthy number of students into service programs like the Peace Corp." (For comparison purposes, Harvard was ranked 11th, Yale 23rd, Princeton 28th, Duke 33rd, and USC 41st) </p>

<p>Unfortunately, the very next line reads, “Tragically, steep budget cuts stemming from the current California budget fiasco are putting all of that at risk.” </p>

<p>California recently cut its contribution to UC by $813 million and things aren’t looking all that great.
The UCs are looking at raising undergraduate tuition by 32% to $10,302 a year. While this is still comparable to most public universities and MUCH cheaper than many private colleges and universities, this is still more than 200% what tuition cost only 10 years ago. If things don’t change, the UCs will lose their ability to enroll large numbers of economically challenged students and eventually give them highly respected degrees that will stand out in the job market. </p>

<p>Students aren’t the only ones feeling the pinch: UC faculty are paid salaries 19% below those of their peers at comparable universities, and that’s not even including the 10% furloughs UC president Mark Yudof recently announced. Many extremely talented members of our schools’ faculty are leaving for private schools that will pay them closer to what they really deserve. </p>

<p>Things are looking even bleaker at the CSUs: They don’t have the benefit of large monetary endowments. All together, the 23 schools of the California State University have a combined endowment of $874 million. The 10 UCs have a combined endowment of $10 BILLION. Hell, UCLA alone boasts an endowment of $2.3 Billion. (Just in case you’re interested, Harvard University has an endowment of $26 billion.) </p>

<p>We as students of the University of California have to do something about this. We have to let the public know that decreasing the amount of money going into the UCs and education system is akin to starving our state and country of food and water. We are the future and our schools play a large part in propelling humankind to a more prosperous future. </p>

<p>A few professors at my school (UCSD) recently gave an extremely unpopular suggestion that the University of California allocate more money to its more prestigious schools like Cal, UCLA, and UC San Diego and less money to Santa Cruz, Merced, and Riverside.
While I personally do not believe that cannibalizing each other for funding is not the right answer, at least the professors came up with a (somewhat) feasible solution. </p>

<p>UC students, we have to do something. There is a planned walkout on September 24th that includes many members of UC faculty and students not attending class on that day. I’m going to have to say that unless we come up with some ideas, the “protest” will fall on deaf ears. Merely complaining isn’t going to fix this mess. </p>

<p>What exactly will it take?</p>

<p>-SDTriton
UCSD c/o 2012</p>

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<p>Well that’s all fine, but what you do expect us to do? California is broke and there is no way for the state to allocate more money to the UCs without cutting elsewhere in the budget. The state cant afford all of the higher education in California, so these walkouts and protests are not going to have any effect and likely will not even be televised. </p>

<p>I do agree that the tuition hikes suck, but I believe we all can eat the price of a UC a little bit. Economically disadvantaged students still get a bunch of aid no matter what the situation is. </p>

<p>My feeling is this: If you can’t afford four years of a UC education, you can go to community college for two years and save yourself ~$40k and then transfer. The CSU system is also present for students who do not want to cough up the $28k/year that the UCs charge. </p>

<p>Also, I don’t believe the UCSD proposal was a feasible solution, but merely a chance for the UCSD professors to attempt to be influential, but instead were laughed at by reasonable students and professors who were not elitists. </p>

<p>What are we going to do? Nothing probably. Personally, I would rather take out more loans to pay for my education than watch library hours get cut or lecturers axed.</p>

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<p>SDTriton:</p>

<p>what about the fact that the Chancellor has just announced that they hope to accept fewer instaters so they can bring in more OOS’ers at twice the price. What that means in practice is even less middle income California residents (since the poor receive admission tips) will be admitted. So, what’s it gonna be? Pay more to attend, or not be admitted at all?</p>

<p>Add in the fact, that the University WASTED millions on Merced, and right now, UC political support is falling. Unfortunately.</p>

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<p>Like I said, UC education is still very affordable but there there’s a disturbing trend going on here</p>

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<p>very good point you brought up. lets hope this issue gets resolved soon</p>

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<p>I hope not, tastybeef, because it’s hard to see how they are in any way to blame for this.</p>

<p>It is nothing short of a tragedy that California education, from pre-K through UC grad schools, is being cut. It’s also a tragedy that law enforcement is taking deep cuts. And health care for poor children. And CPS, and aid to the elderly, and the prison system, and funding for local and county services. SDTriton, which of those programs should be cut even further in order to reduce the cuts to UC? California is simply out of money.</p>

<p>ETA: You mentioned the CSUs, which are not taking new students for Spring '10, and which have announced a reduction in enrollment for 2010-11 of 40,000 students system-wide. An administrator at CSU said they they will not be able to provide a quality education with these cuts. I’ve even read speculation that a CSU degree obtained during this time may be viewed as suspect or inferior by employers and graduate schools.</p>

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<p>Yes, it is horrible that our future is being compromised by foolish cuts to education. However, it is here and we will find our way out of this mess. Please have faith in our young people, we are our future.</p>

<p>Write your assemblymen and congress, let them know your thoughts. As well, find a way to keep education strong. We are all part of this and we must all be a part of the solution. </p>

<p>If you are in the Bay area, listen to Bill Wattenburg, he is a strong advocate of the UC system and the importance of education. While you may not agree with his points, please give him credit for taking a stance at pushing back the assumption that education is second place to wasteful spending. </p>

<p>Not saying I agree with all of Bill’s opinions, but his point is we all must push the importance of education to the front.</p>

<p>Here is Bill’s website, fwiw, best of luck everyone, we will find a way out of this mess!</p>

<p>[KGO</a> AM 810 Newstalk Radio, San Francisco.](<a href=“http://www.kgoradio.com/sectional.asp?id=33179]KGO”>http://www.kgoradio.com/sectional.asp?id=33179)</p>

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<p>LasMa,</p>

<p>Sniping as in private schools attracting and recruiting prominent professors away from UC’s.</p>

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<p>To the OP: </p>

<p>There was a FB group about a walk out. I will probably be participating in it at my campus. However, where will the UC get the money? I am lucky enough that my parents can afford to pay everything from pocket my first year. My sister is going to enter college next year in the fall and if the budget cuts are continuing…I maybe forced to take out loans. While I am still better off then most, I feel that there isn’t much that we can do about it. </p>

<p>I really hate how private schools have multi BILLION dollar endowments. It just makes me angry, how much money/power they control in the world of college admissions. </p>

<p>I hope they don’t just fund MORE money to the more “prestigious” schools b/c that’s not helping the other schools at all.</p>

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<p>Oh gotcha, I definitely agree. I bet some top-flight students will also be looking to get out of UC and into a more stable situation.</p>