San Francisco
A University of California governing-board committee today approved a proposal that would increase undergraduate tuition by 32 percent over the next year, an unusually large jump that was met by student protests at campuses in Berkeley and Los Angeles.
The tuition proposal, which is expected to receive final approval on Thursday by the system's full Board of Regents, will help close a large budget gap, in part by raising undergraduate tuition at the system's campuses by more than $2,500 by next fall. The committee's approval came on the same day that California's legislative analyst predicted the state would face a new $21-billion budget deficit, making it likely that struggling state colleges and universities would soon suffer additional cuts.
Fourteen protesters were arrested at UCLA when they disrupted the meeting and refused to leave. Protesters then stopped the meeting several times, shouting "Whose university? Our university!" and chanting "We Shall Overcome." Hundreds of students and staff members also gathered at Berkeley and UCLA to begin a three-day protest of the tuition increases and faculty and staff furloughs.
University leaders have argued that the fee increases are necessary to compensate for severe cuts in state support. Mark G. Yudof, the system's president, said three out of four students would be shielded from the effects of the tuition increase by additional financial aid.
Comments
1. 11147726 - November 19, 2009 at 09:06 am
Wow!
2. revdude - November 19, 2009 at 10:04 am
In what form will that "additional financial aid" come? Grants or loans? Additionally, where does that leave the "unshielded" 25%? Does anyone have information on the amount of furloughs taken by upper administrators?
3. superdude - November 19, 2009 at 10:49 am
Wow. Students here were irate over a 1.67% tuition increase.
4. tommywalker - November 19, 2009 at 11:15 am
I understood that ALL state personnel were required to take the unpaid furloughs.
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5. ucprof - November 20, 2009 at 12:26 am
@revdude: Upper administrators are taking 10% paycut but can only take 10 days maximum as furlough days. Everyone else gets furloughs on a sliding scale based on salary level, but can take up to 100% of the furlough days as real time off. The sliding scale goes from 4% to 10% with the majority of faculty in a very large 8% bracket. Professors with grants are allowed to pay their furlough salary on grants provided that the agency allows it. Anyone supported 100% on soft money is not furloughed.
6. revdude - November 20, 2009 at 08:38 am
@ucprof: Thanks for the information!