The UC Board of Regents met this week to discuss further progress in finding the next UC president for the 2013–2014 fiscal year and to address issues regarding the UC SHIP deficit. Although there were no major controversial ideas on the agenda for the meeting, held yesterday and today at the Mission Bay campus of UC San Francisco, the regents discussed imperative changes needed for facilities on campuses to adjust to the growing enrollment rate of students.
Opening the meeting to order, Chairperson Shelly Lansing stated that the special search committee, which the Guardian reported on March 3, has already met twice to discuss the selection of the next UC president. According to the Daily Californian, UC Merced Chancellor Dorothy Leland commented on the need to expand existing facilities on the Merced campus to adapt to the growing enrollment rate. Leland and UC President Mark G. Yudof expressed concern regarding the possibility of enrollment flatlining if such expansions are not made. UC Merced has seen increases in its student population of over 500 per year.
In response, the college and the UC system collaborated to create a UC Merced 2020 Project, or development plan, to double the campus in size from 104 to 219 acres. The majority of the land would be used as space for the addition of academic laboratories, student services and residential spaces. Other steps to improve facilities include approving of funding for UC Santa Barbara apartments and the construction of the Teaching and Learning Center for Health Sciences at UCLA.
UC Student Association President Raquel Morales spoke next to support increased state funding and push for Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to freeze tuition. However, Morales, also an undergraduate at UCSD, disagreed with Brown’s call to have a lifetime cap on coverage for UC SHIP. “These caps do not reflect the values of our university and should be lifted immediately,” Morales said.
Regarding the SHIP deficit, Morales called on the UC Office of the President to close budget gaps with emergency or discretionary funds. Morales also advocated for instituting a hybrid model for online education by using learning technology in the classroom — an idea that is supported by students.
The Committee on Finance discussed the Working Smarter Initiative, which is a long-term project to gain $500 million in five years by saving administrative costs and streamlining the funds for academic purposes. With currently 34 projects underway, the project has received positive feedback. Another policy that the regents plan to initiate is the social fundraising program, with which students can use social media to raise money for the UC system. For example, students could make promises or deals with friends in order to gain funds. This program would provide a creative alternative to the traditional student tuition. The plan is scheduled to start on Oct. 1. The meeting will close today after further discussions from the Committee on Compensation and the Committee on Finance.
