The University of California checked out a book about fairness from its librarians 10 months ago. It doesn’t seem intent on returning it – or paying any late fees. The University Council-American Federation of Teachers Unit 17, the union representing UC librarians, and the UC Office of the President have been in contract negotiations for […]
Author Archives: Editorial Board
Editorial: The Agora is an overwhelming mirage with an underwhelming delivery
Affordable housing is yet again a dashed hope in Westwood. The Agora, a proposed private 16-story apartment complex, came to town in November, claiming to offer affordable student housing in Westwood. The two physicians behind the project had filed plans with the Los Angeles Department of City of Planning, promising amenities such as a farmed […]
Editorial: USAC’s questionable spending of excess money puts students on back burner
You would hope managing a multimillion-dollar budget would teach you a thing or two about fiscal responsibility. It’s only made the Undergraduate Students Association Council spendthrift, though. The council broke political and economic tradition Jan. 22 by refusing to tally the amount it wanted to spend in surplus funding, some of which went to student […]
Editorial: Lack of diversity in Geffen hiring process leads to lack of excellence
This post was updated Jan. 28 at 4:10 p.m. The only thing worse than a lack of commitment to diversity is a lack of commitment to looking diverse. The Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior is struggling to show even that. The acclaimed institute, which jointly conducts research and provides clinical services to Angelenos […]
Editorial: USAC’s poor outreach results in overdependence on student attendance
Representative democracies have a simple formula: Voters cast their ballots for candidates who represent their interests. Those representatives then make decisions aligning with the interests of their constituents. UCLA’s undergraduate student government seems intent on different calculus: Voters decide everything. This year’s Undergraduate Students Association Council has hardly been up to the task of making […]
Editorial: UCLA abandons investment in mental health care, leaves students to struggle alone
When students are welcomed to UCLA during orientation, they’re told to save the phone number for the university’s Counseling and Psychological Services center in case of emergencies. They’re reminded we need to continue destigmatizing mental illnesses. They’re reassured the university has trained counselors who can tend to their needs. What they aren’t told is limited […]
Editorial: Faculty EDI statement is half-baked solution for diversity, inclusion
UCLA’s diversity and inclusion strategy is inclusive of a lot of diverse ideas – even troublingly bad ones. Earlier this academic year, the university began requiring all prospective faculty hires to fill out an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion statement, which involves applicants mentioning their past, present and future contributions to diversity and equity, which are […]