Comments on: UC Budget Challenges Start At Top

By: Cal Cal

Cal Cal — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 22:26:18 +0000

Sorry Tale of UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Office: easily grasped by the public, lost on University of California’s President Yudoff. The UC Berkley budget gap has grown to $150 million, & still the Chancellor is spending money that isn’t there on $3,000,000 consultants. His reasons range from the need for impartiality to requiring the consultants “thinking, expertise, & new knowledge”.
Does this mean that the faculty & management of UC Berkeley – flagship campus of the greatest public system of higher education in the world – lack the knowledge, integrity, impartiality, innovation, skills to come up with solutions? Have they been fudging their research for years? The consultants will glean their recommendations from faculty interviews & the senior management that hired them; yet $ 150 million of inefficiencies and solutions could be found internally if the Chancellor & Provost Breslauer were doing the work of their jobs (This simple point is lost on UC’s leadership).
The victims of this folly are Faculty and Students. $ 3 million consultant fees would be far better spent on students & faculty.
There can be only one conclusion as to why inefficiencies & solutions have not been forthcoming from faculty & staff: Chancellor Birgeneau has lost credibility & the trust of the faculty & Academic Senate leadership (C. Kutz, F. Doyle). Even if the faculty agrees with the consultants’ recommendations – disagreeing might put their jobs in jeopardy – the underlying problem of lost credibility & trust will remain. (Context: greatest recession in modern times)
Contact your representatives in Sacramento: tell them of the hefty self-serving $’s being spent by UC Berkeley Chancellor Birgeneau & Provost Breslauer.

By: Cal Cal

Cal Cal — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 03:14:31 +0000

The hefty price of University of California Berkeley OE Program. The UC Berkley budget gap has grown to $150 million, and still the Chancellor is spending money that isn’t there on $3,000,000 consultants. His reasons range from the need for impartiality to requiring the consultants “thinking, expertise, and new knowledge”.
Does this mean that the faculty and senior management of the UCB world-class research & teaching institution lack the knowledge, integrity, impartiality, innovation, and professionalism to come up with solutions? Have they been fudging their research for years? The consultants will glean their recommendations from faculty interviews & the senior management that hired them; yet $ 150 million of inefficiencies and solutions could be found internally if the Chancellor and his & Provost Breslauer were doing the work of their jobs.
The victims of this folly are Faculty and Students. $ 3 million consultant fees would be far better spent on students & faculty.
There can be only one conclusion as to why creative savings & solutions have not been forthcoming from faculty & staff: Chancellor Birgeneau has lost credibility & the trust of the faculty & the Cal Academic Senate leadership – C. Kutz/F.Doyle. Even if the faculty agrees with the consultants’ recommendations – disagreeing might put their jobs in jeopardy – the underlying problem of lost credibility and trust will remain.
Contact your representatives in Sacramento: tell them of the hefty $ being spent by California Berkeley Chancellor Birgeneau and Provost Breslauer.

By: CMartel2

CMartel2 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:55:12 +0000

All of this is a charade to make up for the failings of non-performers. The UC system would be devoid of Hispanics and blacks were it based strictly on merit, and the regents know this. So in order to feel better about themselves, the regents, the boards, and the professors have invented ways of funding their little schemes through financial aid (because heaven knows these affirmative action admits can’t pay for their own schooling. And heaven knows all administraters and faculty need massive bonuses. And pretty new buildings).

Forcing people to “get along,” while it sounds nice, is not in the best interest of this nation. We need to be producing skilled workers if we are to compete in the world. Indeed, the US should be producing a lot more scientists, engineers, and the like if it is to at all maintain any economic footing. So all the while, our nation is playing the politically correct game when we should be about the business of securing the future. Oops.

There’s a reason tuition at private universities increased from about $19,000 to $36,000 in less than ten years. And it ain’t due to inflation or increased costs, either. Same thing with the UCs.

By: William Thurston

William Thurston — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:39:20 +0000

I attended UC Riverside for a short time, but was turned down from the two UC schools I actually applied to. It was quite a shock since the UC system was required to accept me because of being in the top 2% of graduating seniors. My taxes go to subsidize a portion of the cost of tuition for current students, and maybe it’s selfish on my part because I didn’t get into the school I wanted, but frankly my tax money should be going to educate the best and brightest at the college level and those from my state. I agree completely with programs in our k-12 schools that put more focus on lower performers to get them up to par than pushing the folks in the middle to reach the top, but wish we could do both. When it comes to college, those at the top should be pushed even further, and as many as possible from the middle should be brought along.

By: Jim Durkin

Jim Durkin — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:19:31 +0000

Here is the problem. The UC system has both domestic and foreign students standing in line to take the place of students who cannot afford the increased tuition. Until the regents feel the pain of their poor decisions (decreasing enrollments), they can continue to live the high life. It’s not about students, instructors and learning, it’s about making money and caring for the politically elite.