Pay no attention to the funding crisis behind the curtain. That’s the message California lawmakers are trying to send by relentlessly criticizing the University of California Office of the President for allegedly mishandling funds. In the wake of a report released earlier this month by the Huron Consulting Group, UCOP may cut its budget in […]
Author Archives: William Bleveans
William Bleveans: Fund the UC must refocus campaign around preventing tuition hikes
For a campaign with such a simple name, Fund the UC’s operations have become dizzyingly complex in recent years. Fund the UC is an advocacy campaign under the umbrella of the University of California Student Association, an organization that lobbies on behalf of UC students. The initiative pursues both grassroots organizing and state-level lobbying strategies […]
William Bleveans: UCLA must provide subsidized internships to remedy inequity
UCLA may claim it’s committed to ensuring that its students start their careers with internship experience, but it’s fallen short in supporting students as they enter the job market. The university has failed to keep up with other institutions of comparable prestige when it comes to subsidizing internships for its students. Unlike the University of […]
UCLA’s CAPS should receive more funding to accommodate student needs
Given the prevalence of stress and mental illness among college students, it seems reasonable to assume UCLA would prioritize its mental health services. But recent issues at UCLA’s Counseling and Psychological Services office suggest otherwise. CAPS remains woefully understaffed and underfunded, even though 17 percent more students requested the office’s assistance with mental health issues […]
William Bleveans: Surplus of Bruin alert programs creates confusion, wastes resources
Conventional wisdom holds that smartphone apps make our lives easier. But a confusing glut of apps and digital programs designed to enhance safety at UCLA has done the exact opposite. UCLA offers three separate digital campus safety programs: Bruins Safe, BruinAlert and Bruins Safe Online. Each program supplies essential information about campus safety, yet none […]
William Bleveans: UCLA should mandate service hours, expand Volunteer Day
Ask any New Student Advisor and they’ll tell you service is one of the three pillars of the university and a crucial element of UCLA’s mission. Given that sentiment, you would be forgiven for thinking UCLA has consistently demonstrated its support for community service and outreach programs. In fact, the opposite is true. The UCLA […]
William Bleveans: UCLA must reform grading policies to reinvigorate learning on campus
Finals week has us all stressed, and UCLA’s grading policies are to blame. UCLA’s letter grading model is nothing novel. Students are required to take their major-required classes for a letter grade, and those in good academic standing can take a limited number of nonmajor classes as pass/no pass per quarter. A grade of C […]