Submission: Deflating UC administrative bloat better than hiking tuition

On Jan. 9, Gov. Jerry Brown’s newly proposed budget for the next fiscal year disappointed University of California officials amidst a standoff over tuition increases. Gov. Brown decided to increase state general funds to the UC by $120 million, falling short of an additional $100 million demanded by UC President Janet Napolitano to stop the […]

Ara Shirinian: Transfer events should be student-run, creating sense of community

In the opening presentation at my transfer orientation session, there was an emphasis on the fact that at UCLA, you are not just a number. It’s unfortunate then that I spent the rest of the excruciatingly long day feeling like the opposite was true; throughout the day, I came up with more questions than answers […]

Submission: Opposition to undergraduate diversity requirement is justified

In a recent editorial, the Daily Bruin Editorial Board condemned the actions of 59 professors who urged a revote on the College of Letters and Sciences diversity requirement proposal. This condemnation is a mischaracterization. First, the board criticizes any expansion of the vote beyond Letters and Sciences professors as illegitimate. What the Daily Bruin fails […]

Kunal Patel: Master Plan must account for higher resident demand

Once upon a time, California’s public higher education system was the golden crown of all the services that the state provided. But without proper maintenance, public higher education today vaguely resembles the ideals that were envisioned by the 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education in California. The Master Plan unified California Community Colleges, the California […]

Alexandra Tashman: LET’S ACT! press release of campaign finances lacks transparency

The Undergraduate Students Association Council is no stranger to debate – from divestment to surplus funding to election codes, there’s no shortage of tough topics for the council to tackle. The latest issue of controversy comes courtesy of LET’S ACT!, one of several slates that run candidates for USAC elections. On Monday, current LET’S ACT! […]

Ryan Nelson: Low gas prices are fueling poor economic choices

The first step to solving any problem is admitting that there is one. For drivers in the United States, it’s finally time to come clean: We love big cars, and we cannot lie. The SUV has long been the symbol of American suburbia – big enough for the nuclear family, the pets and all the […]

USAC must change election code to protect democracy

Student elections are often won by the most visible candidates. The hefty financial backing necessary to create this visibility in turn creates a bottleneck effect that shrinks the pool of potential student leaders to those who are well-connected enough to run. Last month, The Bruin published an article revealing just how important donors have been […]