The UC Board of Regents will convene today in San Francisco for a bimonthly conference which will continue through Thursday.
At the conference, the budget for the 2009-10 school year is expected to take center stage, due to the pressures of the ongoing economic crisis.
“It will definitely be important to understand the budget in the context of the economic crisis, with the main goal being to make sure students and families are not affected too harshly by the crisis,” UC Student Regent D’Artagnan Scorza said.
According to next year’s proposed operating budget, both revenue and expenditure are expected to increase by $815.4 million in the upcoming school year.
The increase in revenue will come from various sources, including a 10 percent raise in educational fees and a 4.2 percent rise in registration fees, according to the proposal.
Of these additional funds, $10 million will go to the new UC Riverside medical school, while $60.8 million will be used for financial aid. Additionally, the proposal accounts for an 11 percent increase in health benefits for employees, and a 9.5 percent increase in retirement contributions.
The UC budget, however, cannot be solidified until Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger approves the 2009-10 state budget later this year.
In addition to the budget, other topics on the UC Regents’ agenda were various building initiatives that will directly affect the UCLA campus.
On Tuesday, the Committee on Grounds and Buildings will discuss a proposal to begin design for a renovated and expanded Pauley Pavilion, as well as a plan to increase funding for the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
Additionally, the committee will also vote on whether or not to approve funding to upgrade the fire and safety systems in UCLA’s Hershey Hall.
On the second day of the meeting, the Committee on Health Services will vote on the proposed move of pediatric services from the UC Irvine Medical Center to the Children’s Hospital of Orange County.
If approved, UC Irvine inpatient general pediatrics, surgery and intensive care will be relocated to the children’s hospital, a plan which has drawn protests.
Last Wednesday, a group of legislators and members of the Orange County community led a protest at the UC Irvine Medical Center to oppose the move.
In a letter to UC President Mark Yudof, Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero said that the proposal to close the pediatric unit at UC Irvine was a concern for low-income families who rely on the medical center for care.
However, Cathy Lawhon, director of media relations at UC Irvine, said, “The affiliation of the large number of pediatric patients at the children’s hospital with the students from UC Irvine will result in better health care for the children of Orange County.”
She further noted that the children’s hospital and UC Irvine serve the same demographic, so the move will not negatively impact low-income families.
Another controversial topic to be discussed at the meeting Wednesday is the future of the UC Retirement Plan.
At the finance committee meeting last week, it was reported that although some areas of the UCRP have had positive growth, in the past quarter there were negative overall earnings.
“The University of California has done a good job providing for its employees, but because of the recent economic crisis, there is a large deficit,” Scorza said.