Discussion of fee increases for graduate and undergraduate
students dominated Wednesday’s discussion at the UC Board of
Regents meeting in San Francisco ““ and though student leaders
and members of the board discussed the implications of raising
fees, no decision was reached. In addition to postponing a decision
on whether to increase undergraduate student fees, which had
originally been up for a vote in November, the board named Sung-Mo
“Steve” Kang as UC Merced’s second chancellor.
Brad Hayworth, a University of California spokesman, said the
decision on whether to increase fees was pushed originally from
November to give regents more time to deliberate. He said they were
postponed again Wednesday to allow for consideration of the state
budget, which was issued last week and included an increase in
student fees. Student officials said they are surprised by the
delay since they had expected a final decision on fees to be
announced Wednesday. “We can only hope that student fees will
be discussed in March,” said Tina Park, vice president of the
Undergraduate Students Association Council. And others said they
were concerned about the prospect of increasing fees. If a fee
increase is approved in March, undergraduate and graduate UC
students could pay up to 7 percent more in student fees. Bill
Schiebler, president of the University of California Students
Association, said if the regents do vote to increase student fees
he believes they are not being “stewards of the
university,” since they are not supporting student needs.
Student leaders also said an increase in fees would be harmful to
students, as it would cause an additional burden on top of the
increasing cost of living. The regents also discussed potential
policy changes regarding professional school fees, including
medical, dental, veterinarian and law school fees. The policy
change was small, but was aimed at allowing professional schools to
raise fees to stay competitive while striving to make the schools
affordable. The new policy, which was discussed but not voted on,
would provide increased financial aid in the event of a fee
increase, pairing an increase to fees with an increase of financial
aid through “loan forgiveness programs.” The programs,
which are to be voted on tomorrow, would provide assistance to
graduates in public service careers to pay off their debt.
“This revision tries to maintain and achieve the quality in a
competitive framework while remaining affordable,” said Rory
Hume, provost and executive vice president of Academic Affairs.
HONORING A LABOR ACTIVIST: A committee of the regents voted to
name the UC Labor and Employment Research and Education program
after Miguel Contreras, who was a labor worker who played an
important role in the California farm workers’ labor
movements and worked alongside Cesar Chavez. Until his death at age
52, Contreras was the head of the Los Angeles Federation of Labor,
and has also worked in farm and hotel workers unions.
REGENTS APPOINT NEW CHANCELLOR OF UC MERCED: The board appointed
Kang, dean of the School of Engineering at UC Santa Cruz, to
replace Carol Tomlinson-Keasey as Merced’s chief executive.
“Steve did a wonderful job of building engineering at UCSC
and fostering relationships with the community and local
industry,” UC President Robert Dynes said in a statement.
“He has the skills and the energy to successfully lead the
continued development of UC Merced.” Kang received his
bachelor’s from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck,
N.J., a master’s from the State University of New York at
Buffalo, and a doctorate from the University of California at
Berkeley, according to a UCOP spokesman. Kang is expected to take
office around March 1.