University of California President Janet Napolitano joined a panel of
five UC students in a Google Hangout Tuesday to discuss university-related issues ranging from student veteran resources to online education.
Napolitano participated in a virtual question-and-answer session with UC Student Regent Cinthia Flores, UC Student Association Board Chair Safeena Mecklai, UC Riverside graduate student and UCSA Secretary and Finance Officer Lewis Luartz, UC Santa Barbara Student Veterans Organization President Paul Malone, and UCLA Daily Bruin assistant news editor Kristen Taketa.
The webchat was live-streamed to the public and lasted an hour as panelists questioned Napolitano and expressed their opinions on selected topics. Anyone logged into a Google account watching the webchat was also able to post their own questions to the forum.
Napolitano introduced the chat by expressing that the idea originated from students’ desire to stay in touch with goings-on at the UC and its new leader.
“This is part of our ongoing efforts to be in touch with students,” she said during the chat. “We need to constantly be challenging ourselves about not only what we’re doing, but what we can and should be doing for the future.”
Flores began the chat by asking Napolitano about the future of academic preparation programs at the undergraduate level, to which Napolitano cited a $5 million allocation to both resources for undocumented students and ongoing efforts to bolster relations with surrounding community colleges.
When Malone asked about in-state tuition for veterans, Napolitano said she has been looking into the issue and that it requires legislative action. She added that she wants to sit down with a group of student veterans and discuss in-state tuition and other issues. A student veterans council has also been created, she said.
The panelists also discussed the future of online education at the UC.
“I think we have to begin with the fundamental premise that the academic activity of the campuses of the University is the province of the faculty,” she said. “That is their role under our system of shared governance.”
She said that under the current “pilot” program of UC online education, individual provosts and faculty members should evaluate what works and what doesn’t, allowing the UC to come in later to help facilitate changes within the system.
Panelists also asked how the UC will deal with receiving less funds from the state than it had hoped. Earlier this month, Gov. Jerry Brown outlined his state budget proposal, which included an expected $142 million increase for the UC system. University officials requested an additional $120 million, which was not met.
On Tuesday, Napolitano said the UC will continue to press Sacramento on the issue of state funding, but emphasized that there are still several months until the governor’s budgetary “May Revise” comes out.
At the end of the discussion, Napolitano said she wants to do more Google Hangout chats in the future and hold similar discussions with UC staff and faculty members.
Compiled by Katherine Hafner, Bruin senior staff.