Arthur Wang: Next UC chancellor selection process should account for student input

The search is on for fresh leadership at two University of California campuses, but what some hope to be a shake-up will probably be one of those tiny temblors that everyone sleeps through. Chancellors Nicholas Dirks of Berkeley and Linda Katehi of Davis both announced their resignations in surprisingly similar circumstances in August, in light […]

Arthur Wang: UCSD fundraising campaign demonstrates favorability for UC privatization

UC San Diego, the University of California campus built for the Cold War, has been getting the cold shoulder from its alumni lately. It’s proven to be more than a minor snag for the university, which is preparing to embark on a $2 billion capital campaign next year – the donor-driven mechanism in which large […]

The Quad: UCLA’s David Geffen Square proposal is a cry for money

UCLA, in an innovative and bold move in higher education, isn’t even waiting for the donation before doing the renaming anymore. Naturally, it involves David Geffen. The ever-growing list of things named after the “World’s Worst Philanthropist” is poised to expand again if the city of LA approves a proposal – which has been met […]

Throwback Thursday, Week 5: Admissions backdoor

What sets UCLA apart from USC, we tell ourselves, is that this campus provides education for all, while that other school does so for the privileged. Indeed, there is perhaps no greater insult to a public university’s stakeholders than it adopting the most-maligned practices of private institutions – namely, compromising the admissions of deserving students […]

Arthur Wang: Larry Fink as commencement speaker is a fitting real-world choice

The commencement ceremony is the capstone and conclusion of our college careers and one of higher education’s most treasured rituals. Most of us want someone “important” to speak at ours. This is, after all, why we make such a big deal out of the keynote speakers at these ceremonies. And some of the most notable […]

Arthur Wang: Peter Liang protests show Asian-Americans must unite against injustice

For once, a “killer cop” has been brought to justice in America – and how Chinese-Americans have reacted speaks volumes about the multiplicity of racial divides in this country. In 2014, rookie New York police officer Peter Liang killed Akai Gurley, a black man, when conducting a patrol in a pitch-black stairway; an accidentally-discharged bullet […]