There was a lot of construction happening at UCLA during the
2002-2003 academic year. But the sounds of jackhammers and
bulldozers throughout campus only scratched the surface of a
university that underwent several key changes in the span of 160
days.
Government and UCLA The political year
effectively kicked off with the November gubernatorial elections,
when California re-elected its beleaguered Gray Davis over
Republican longshot and financier Bill Simon. That same election
night saw the Republican Party unexpectedly gain a majority in both
houses of Congress and left Democrats scrambling to develop a
unified platform. Campus government also saw its fair share of
triumphs and tribulations. The Undergraduate Students Association
Council started off its term by revamping the way it allocated its
programming funds to student groups. But since there was not enough
in the pot to go around, council successfully got a fee referendum
passed that significantly boosted its fiscal resources. The extra
funds were a shiny spot on a council term marred with political
divisiveness and struggles to gain a consensus on key issues.
Graduate students also saw their government become more active than
it had been in recent years, lobbying on several financial issues
key to their constituency, such as the taxing of fellowships. The
Graduate Student Association has also drawn a nominal following as
of late, having broken its minimum voting threshold in consecutive
years.
Rising fees The change that will arguably have
the most direct effect on students at UCLA are recent and pending
raises in student fees. Over winter break this year, the University
of California Board of Regents voted to raise fees for spring
quarter by $135. The regents also are considering an additional
$795 annual increase, but sidestepped student opposition when it
delayed its vote on the matter to wait for Davis’ May
Revision of the 2003-2004 state budget. The state budget has had a
tremendous impact on the future of student fees, where, as of the
current draft, the UC stands to lose $300 million in state funding.
Several key programs, such as outreach, are bracing for the fiscal
impact while serving as the UC’s primary means of increasing
student diversity in the system. Just last week, it was revealed
that graduate students who serve as teaching assistants are facing
possible cuts in their financial assistance. If adopted, this
proposal could drastically hamper the quality of instruction and
research at a campus struggling to attract the nation’s top
grads.
Contracts galore Several facets of the campus
working class spent the year fighting for better wages, benefits,
or in some cases, direct employment by the university rather
through an intermediary. In October, lecturers across the UC went
on strike, effectively halting a majority of teaching on several
campuses. UCLA did not partake in the system-wide strike, which was
intended to increase lecturers’ job security and their
benefits. Lecturers at UCLA did, however, guarantee a January
strike if their contract issues were not resolved by then. The
month came and went, and ultimately the lecturers’ failure to
effectively assemble hampered their ability to later use this as a
legitimate bargaining chip. In May, the university and lecturers
reached a tentative agreement. Other workers continued their
struggles to get more from the university. Efforts on behalf of
subcontracted parking workers have recently surfaced, but no major
breakthroughs have occurred. Clerical workers signed a new contract
with the UC, but fell short in attaining their requested
raises.
The campus and war Even before the school year
officially began, the UCLA community commemorated the one-year
anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World
Trade Center and Pentagon. Protesters had already been swarming the
surrounding community in opposition to increased military presence
in the Middle East ““ just a hint of things to come later in
the year. Debate swarmed campus in the fall and winter quarters,
when teach-ins, panel discussions and expert lectures were a
weekly, if not daily, occurrence. Students and faculty also
participated in various war rallies on the local, state and
national levels. With the brief war now completed, U.S. occupation
of Iraq has become the topic of discussion. The campus has its ears
open as the United States turns its military focus to other Middle
Eastern countries.
Another look back Other events, such as the
UCLA Medical Center’s separation of conjoined twins, have
brought national attention to the campus. The campus and the nation
paused for a day when it heard of the Columbia space shuttle
explosion. New administrators are acclimating themselves to the
university. Several key events have altered in some way the
direction the university is heading. But overall, the campus may
not see the full impact of these changes until well into next year,
or even the next few years.