Thursday, January 16, 1997UCLA Cancer Center opens in
Bakersfield
In a cooperative agreement made between UCLA’s Cancer Center and
a major Bakersfield clinic, Bakersfield residents will now be able
to enjoy all of the advantages of the West’s leading cancer
center.
A major clinic in the area, the new Bakersfield/UCLA
Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center sees between 130 and 150
patients a day.
Provisions of the agreement will give these patients local
access to most of the cancer treatments that are now available at
UCLA, as well as access to experimental cancer therapies. In
addition, when faced with special circumstances, cancer physicians
in Bakersfield may consult with more than 300 cancer scientists and
clinicians at UCLA by telephone.
Dr. Dennis Slamon, director of research at UCLA’s cancer center,
further guaranteed that patients at the Bakersfield clinic will
also have the exact same access to UCLA facilities and programs
that UCLA patients enjoy.
Regent creates civil right group
In a move to focus on the commonalities of Americans and
eliminate racial, ethnic and gender barriers, Ward Connerly
formally announced the creation of the American Civil Rights
Institute.
According to Connerly, the UC regent who chaired the campaign
for California’s Proposition 209, the ACRI will focus on educating
the public about racial and gender preferences, with a particular
emphasis on states that have ballot initiative and on the nation’s
capital.
Moreover, ACRI will assist federal representatives with public
education on the issue and monitor the implementation and legal
action taken on Proposition 209.
Passed last November by a 54 percent margin, the passage of
Proposition 209 came after Connerly took over the struggling
campaign in December 1995. In July 1995, Connerly persuaded the UC
Board of Regents to eliminate racial considerations as a part of
the admissions process, a decision that has affected higher
education institutions nationwide. As chairman of the ACRI,
Connerly claims that part of its mission is to carry its message of
equal opportunity across the nation.
In expressing his concern over the need for a national civil
rights organization, Connerly added that "Americans have a passion
for fairness and they want their government to treat everyone
equally."
UC regents meeting today and tomorrow
The UC regents will be meeting Jan. 15-17 in San Francisco.
There are several items affecting UCLA on the agenda.
Regent Jess Bravin has proposed adoption by the university of
the state law prohibiting the purchase of foreign-made equipment,
supplies and materials produced by forced, convict or indentured
labor. The Office of the President is reviewing the terms of the
legislation and determining its effect on the university if adopted
as policy.
The Office of Research will make a presentation to the regents
regarding the contributions of UC research to the state’s economic
well-being, focusing on three sectors benefiting California’s
economy: biotechnology, the wine industry and earthquake prediction
and mitigation.
A high priority of the regents is to implement a salary increase
for UC faculty to be within 1.6 percent of salaries at eight
comparison institutions.
Due to significant structural damage caused by the Northridge
earthquake and rapid reformulation of the health-care system, the
UCLA Medical Center and School of Medicine initiated a planning
process to create a master plan for the Academic Heath Center.
Furthermore, they will be discussing UC President Richard
Atkinson’s recommendation to raise the fees for nonresidents and
selected professional school programs for the 1997-98 school
year.
Compiled from Daily Bruin staff reports