Committee to rule on status of candidate

The status of the lone candidate running to fill the position of commissioner of athletics — Revolution! slate’s Nate Jones — is in limbo, pending review by the A.S. Elections Committee.

Though Jones had completed all necessary paperwork to run for the office a day ahead of the Feb. 28 deadline, a family emergency took him off campus on the day everything was due, according to Revolution! presidential candidate Kevin Hanson, the current A.S. vice president of finance.

“We turned in the paperwork for him,” Hanson said. “We had all of the signatures, and all of the paperwork filled out, but he wasn’t there in person.”

An unofficial candidate list maintained by A.S. executive assistant Azizi Stephens included three stars next to Jones’ name, indicating that his status was under review by the Elections Committee, Stephens said. She said she could not provide more details on the matter prior to the committee’s ruling, expected this week.

If Jones’ candidacy is thrown out, the position would be filled by appointment, as specified by the A.S. constitution.

Berkeley sues UC over campus expansion

The city of Berkeley has sued the UC Board of Regents in hopes of stopping UC Berkeley’s planned expansion. Last week, city officials filed a suit challenging the university’s environmental impact reports, which accompany the long-range plan that maps out growth for the campus through 2020.

In particular, administrators and local leaders have been at odds over the predicted increase in city services used by the university, such as sanitation, and the compensation for the services.

At the UC Board of Regents’ January meeting of the committee on grounds and buildings, a large number of community groups spoke out during the public input portion of the session, expressing outrage with the proposed campus expansion plan. The regents unanimously approved the document.

A day after the lawsuit was filed, the university denied that its planning process violated environmental protection procedures, stating that the current plan “does not preclude further environmental review of any specific project.”

“The university is sympathetic to the financial challenges facing the city, and, as a member of this community, the campus wants to enhance the city’s neighborhoods,” the university stated in a written response to the lawsuit. “The university, whose educational mission is supported by taxpayer funds, is dealing with financial constraints of its own. UC Berkeley believes that our offer was a generous one.”

Report chides Ivy Leagues’ efforts

The nation’s most prestigious college campuses remain stratified by race, class and gender, according to a critical new report examining Ivy League campuses.

Titled “The (Un)Changing Face of the Ivy League,” the report states that the exclusive schools have lagged behind the national average in acceptance of students from minority ethnic groups. The number of Hispanic and black faculty at these campuses grew only slightly from 1993 to 2003, it found, increasing from 3 percent to 4 percent of all tenured faculty over that time period.

In addition, women faculty members are paid almost 25 percent less than their male counterparts, on average, the report found.

The report backs unionization among campus workers and laws that require private campuses to disclose racial data to the public, including a new bill currently in the Connecticut Legislature.

Rady School opens Washington, D.C., office

Rady School of Management’s Beyster Institute has announced the opening of a new office in the nation’s capital, marking UCSD’s first presence in Washington, D.C., and on the East Coast.

“Our goal for the Rady School is to have a truly global focus,” Rady School Dean Robert S. Sullivan stated in a university press release. “Being in Washington gives us access to business and government leaders on the East Coast and internationally, which is imperative for us in reaching this goal.”

Chancellor Marye Anne Fox said the location would help the newly created management program find access to clients and government leaders.

In January, Rady School broke ground at its UCSD location, becoming the first building to be completely funded by private donations.