A.S. Council, GSA call for new co-op oversight system

The University Centers Advisory Board and co-op members would lose their spots on the campus’ co-op oversight committee under a preliminary plan proposed by Associated Students and the Graduate Student Association, according to University Centers Director Gary Ratcliff.

Explaining the proposal offered during the five-party talks designed to extend the student co-op leases — which the university threatened to terminate in November — Ratcliff asked UCAB members at their Jan. 25 meeting for input and opinions on the board’s role under the plan, which UCAB Chair Jessica Kort could take back to negotiations.

If approved, the plan would establish a body composed of student government representatives to oversee the co-ops, according to Ratcliff. The body would be responsible for a review every two years to certify that the co-ops represent the best “interest of the students.” In addition, it would serve as a forum for resolving disputes with administrators or University Centers, he said.

A conflict-of-interest provision in the oversight committee’s draft charter would prohibit co-op members from serving as representatives.

However, Ratcliff asked UCAB members to delay their comments on the proposal until it received authorization from campus ombudsperson Judith C. Bruner after the board’s GSA representative, Dana Dahlstrom, warned that the details of the plan might be covered by a confidentiality agreement in effect for the negotiation process.

Bruner is moderating the talks between the co-ops, the two student government associations, University Centers and campus administrators.

After the board approved Ratcliff’s suggestion without objection, Staff Association representative Yolanda Leyva pointed out that his earlier statements would be included in the board’s minutes, which are open to the public.

By consensus, the board approved a motion to expunge the previous discussion of the negotiations. However, several members then warned that the recorded vote to remove a portion of the minutes might create a mistakenly nefarious impression.

“Just don’t put it in,” Student Affirmative Action Committee representative Kirsten Bowen said to secretary Dina Randazzo.

On a final vote, the board approved replacing the section in the minutes with a statement explaining that it would seek advice from Bruner before discussing possible co-op oversight changes.

The committee, which has traditionally practiced an informal parliamentary system, maintains brief minutes of its meetings. Ratcliff does not hold a voting position on the board.

Report: More oversight needed for university lenders

Even as more and more universities enter the loan business by lending money to graduate and professional students, a new report from the Government Accountability Office has found that the government does not have enough information to ensure that they are not defrauding taxpayers.

Though universities lent only $1.5 billion of the more than $84 billion in total government-backed student loans distributed in 2004, they are rapidly entering the loan business and expanding their borrowing operations. Much of the growth has occurred among private nonprofit universities, who usually sell their debt notes to other companies shortly after making the loans as a way to raise revenue, the GAO stated.

To correct for a dearth of regulations in the emerging industry, the report recommended that the Education Department’s Office of Student Aid enact new rules requiring colleges to submit regular audits and financial statements.

Superintendent warns of state underfunding school

In his second annual State of Education address, California state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell offered his backing for creating lower thresholds to pass school parcel taxes.

The time has come “to let the voters choose to stop starving our schools,” he said, urging the state to lower its current two-third voter-approval level needed to pass taxes that can pay for ongoing school operations to 55 percent.

O’Connell also criticized Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for failing to include the full public school funding guaranteed by Proposition 98.

“We have created world-class expectations for our students and schools in California, but we simply aren’t funding our schools at the level they need to produce world-class results,” he said. “California is not investing in its future.”

Schwarzenegger, on multiple occasions, has dismissed calls for higher taxes, calling on legislators to reduce unnecessary spending instead.