Posted on 09/21/2005 8:10:50 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SAN FRANCISCO - The fiscal forecast for the University of California is bleak, and administrators said Wednesday some tough decisions are ahead.
"This is really a critical time," UC President Robert Dynes said. "The erosion has been going on for decades."
UC administrators gave the long-term financial rundown to the system's governing Board of Regents at their meeting Wednesday, saying the need and demand for a UC education is going up at a time when state funding continues to decline.
Since 1984, California has increased spending for prisons by 126 percent and boosted spending on K-12 education by 26 percent. But spending on higher education dropped 12 percent, said Bruce Darling, UC senior vice president for university affairs.
Early signs of trouble include a student-faculty ratio that has risen above the goal of 17.6:1 to roughly 19:1 and staff and faculty salaries that have fallen behind comparable institutions, said Larry Hershman, UC's budget director.
Meanwhile, student fees have increased sharply in recent years, now approaching $7,000 a year including various campus fees. However, UC is still cheaper than other major public institutions and increases in financial aid have kept percentages of low-income students high, Hershman said.
Some regents were frustrated by the presentation, saying they're familiar with UC's state funding slide and want to see more solutions.
"Our plan, it appears, is that we whine a lot about the inability of the Legislature to fully fund," said Regent John Moores, who questioned whether UC's long-term strategy is "hoping that something magic is going to happen."
But UC administrators said the point was to open a discussion on some of the big issues; more detail will be presented when regents formally take up the 2006-07 budget in November.
Looking at UC's short-term finances, the 10-campus system is pledged to hike undergraduate fees 8 percent and has been promised a 4 percent increase in state funding under a multiyear agreement with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Long-term strategies include everything from limiting enrollment and implementing significant fee hikes - unpopular and unlikely options - to boosting private fund-raising, something officials are already engaged in.
"We cannot rely on the state as we have in the past," said Darling. "We're going to face some very stark policy choices."
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On the Net: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu
Pass me my hanky.
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So while illegals now heavily populate the K-12 schools and prisons at significant and increasing levels, universities where they also receive special treatment "suffer".
Pass me my hanky.
University bigwigs need a good thrashing.
Yay! Break off and sink! There's a few other schools that need to slide off as well.
Cry me a river. First off, shut down all remedial education. If someone is not qualified to get into college, let them educate themselves to that level before being accepted. Force the secondary schools to do the job of getting their graduates to college-level proficiency. If a student is already out of school, let them work and pay for private secondary education to make up for their slacking-off during high school.
Second, shut down all the "politically correct" classes like Latinos in California History, or Queer Theory, or car repairs for ladies, or other classes which lead only to educated waiters and waitresses.
Third, shut down the textbook mills where books are updated every couple of years and cost $150 each and can't be resold.
Fourth, stop promoting college for everyone. It's getting now the same respect a high school education used to have, i.e., anyone with half a wit can get a degree. Keep college for those willing to work hard for their higher education.
Fifth, and this will be controversial, stop spending tons of money serving as farm teams for the pros. Professional level sports don't belong in universities. (Yes, I know, some sports bring in money but I highly doubt that now with Title IX and the spending restrictions that make one money-winning sport support the money-losing sports. I doubt the sports bring much to the general fund of the university.
Finally, stop playing the affirmative action games and recruit students who are prepared and committed to a rigorous academic program. And, of course, stop educating illegals as if they were state citizens.
Do that and then, if not enough money is saved, go before the Senate and Assembly and explain yourselves.
Maybe Ol' Pakistani Lanny will have to take a pay cut...
Can you say mismanagement? Classroom teaching is secondary to research. They depend on money from the Gov and spend it on things other than teaching. Most big universities are like this. Are they ever held acocuntable for their spending? NO!
And what will be the response to counter act this? Increased taxes!
Too bad we don't have a real limited government Republican President to tackle this and all the other big gov problems. Instead we have a borrow and spend republican. I never in my life thought I'd be part of a party that would remold itself as the Democratic party
Hmmm! Why is there is less money available for public colleges?
Could it be because the state has done such an excellent job of chasing businesses out of state, or into bankruptcy, with insane taxes and regulations? Bye bye tax base!
Could it be, because Governor Davis gave public workers astronomical retirement sums which will drastically reduce discretionary spending for the forseeable future?
If every tenured faculty member actually taught, instead of doing everything but teach, then the student:faculty ratio would improve and there wouldn't be a "financial crisis."
A blueprint for the Ivies, too. Well done.
The whole business model for our universities needs a good thrashing. There is no reason it should cost as much as it does, and produce such poor results. Teachers who barely speak English, politically correct majors like Chicano Studies. It's ridiculous.
I would add no illegals, especially at in-state rates. Increase the tuition fees and make the university more self serving. The university should be for the best of the best. Let the others go to CSU and community college.
I don't like the liberalism on campus, but the univeristy of Cal should be competitive in salaries and benefits. The state benefits from a good university system.
uh self-funding, not self-serving
It could help to cut the pension benefits, a professor I know retired at full salary. I like that. My company gave me a pension after 26 years that amounts to about 20% of my regular salary. So how does one get on the faculty or a major university? and tell me about the professors being paid poorly compared to other colleges.
Actually "car repairs for ladies" is the only course in that list I'd keep. At least it teaches some real life practical skills for women. Um... in that case I'll bet they DON'T offer it. Maybe they should. Good ideas. Especially the textbook one.
Call them a Waaaahmbulance.
Oh, yes, wasn't it UC who used to have the contracts for all the scandal-ridden nuclear labs like Los Alamos? Are they in the process of losing those too?
Cheers!
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