SAN FRANCISCO “”mdash; In its second day of meetings Wednesday, the UC Board of Regents spent the majority of the day discussing budgetary concerns.
On the heels of Monday’s announcement from California State University Chancellor Charles B. Reed’s that the CSU will cut 10,000 enrollment slots for the 2009-2010 academic year, the Regents also debated enrollment limits in the face of state budget cuts.
After heated discussion, the board voted 8-2 to approve some limitations, though no specific numbers were
decided.
Regent George Marcus said there was a need for stronger language in talking about enrollment.
“Freeze is what we have to do, not curtail,” he said about enrollment. “We have to protect the dream ““ the reason young people want to come here is the quality of education. … We’re going to sit here and let it bleed to death. That’s not going to happen on our watch.”
He paused slightly and added, “And we’ll try to get scholarships if we can.”
Marcus’ statements reflected the budgetary concerns and pressures being placed on next year’s prospective students, as well as the cuts that are already affecting current students.
During a discussion of program reductions, UC Student Regent D’Artagnan Scorza said, “We end up losing students and individuals on the back end if there aren’t some stops in place. It’s important that we let them know what’s going on.”
Lt. Gov. John Garamendi called current plans a maintenance budget.
“It doesn’t take us back to where we need to be. … If we don’t ask for the money and say why it’s important, it’s not going to be forthcoming.”
Among other discussions were of budget cuts already in place as well as a proposal to modify entrance requirements to the UC to increase diversity.
“I do believe it will produce a freshman class that is just as qualified,” said UC President Mark Yudof. He added that standard measurements such as SAT scores would remain in place and suggested raising the minimum GPA for admissions from an un-weighted 2.8 to a weighted 3.0.
Earlier in the day, protesters demanded the regents’ attention and broke into chants of “Let them speak!” when told the public comment period was over.
“How can you call this a public university when you won’t listen to the public?” asked Kevin Rooney, chief negotiator of University Professional and Technical Employees Local 7.
As protesters’ shouts continued, the regents asked university police to clear the room and then took a brief recess.
“They’re not going to listen to us. They just walk out,” Rooney said. “They’ve done this before; it’s nothing new.”
Other protesters, including health care workers from the University of California at Irvine, attended the Committee on Health Services’ meeting to protest action item H2, a proposal to create an affiliation between the Children’s Hospital of Orange County and the UCI Medical Center. The UCI medical center would close its pediatric beds and move services for those patients to the children’s hospital.
“Pediatrics beds aren’t as profitable as adult beds. With the closure of 33 pediatric beds at UCI, there will be a shortage of beds in the area right before flu season. Kids will fill emergency rooms or their parents will have to be called when a bed becomes available ““ this may disproportionately affect Latino communities,” said Beth Kean, director of the California Nurses’ Association, UC division.
During the public comment period in the morning, workers from UCI raised concerns with the proposed affiliation; they said the association would negatively affect patient care and that similar efforts at other universities in the past have failed.
Early Wednesday evening, several members of the Committee on Health Services voiced serious concerns with methods of disclosure and the perceived opacity of the action item. However, when the committee voted, it passed the item unanimously to the frustration of the workers in attendance who loudly voiced their opposition.
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