Over the weekend UC CALPIRG students rushed up to Jerry Brown at his forum event to ask what him what his plan is for higher education.
This was sent by Ian Magurder, the president of the College Dems in C
As beneficiaries of higher education, it is our job to push higher education onto the state’s political agenda, and one of the ways is by pressuring the gubernatorial candidates.
Email us with ideas for tactics to use on our campaign: student.regent@uci.edu
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(reposted from the public school message board)
For those interested in what’s going on at UCLA in the first week of March:
Right now we are set to have a two day event on March 2nd and 3rd called
NewCLA, an alternative university project, between 12 and 4 on both days.
The emphasis will be on discussions, workshops, art and art activist
works.
Some possible themes to deal with are:
(again, much overlap with the Drift)
Plus if anyone is interested in the official schedule of the protest here
it is:
March 4th Schedule of protest
3-5am Undergraduate Dorms; Grad Student Housing
Dorm Storming
6:30-Noon Campus-wide
Picket set-up and student led pickets at campus entrances.
7-11am Campus-wide
Students reclaim campus with outreach, activist art, chalking, flyering,
drums, music, etc.
11am-Noon Ackerman Turn-Around
Student and Worker Picket
11:30am-Noon Campus-wide
Any students still stuck in class are encouraged to WALKOUT!
Noon-1pm ALL OUT TO BRUIN PLAZA!
Rally followed by March around UCLA campus; Speakers, media coverage,
chanting, opportunities for circulating petitions, etc.
1-3pm Bruin Plaza and Campus Wide
Revolution Dance Party- DJ, musical acts, hip-hop artists, student-led
teach-ins, etc.
3-4pm Bruin Plaza
Teach-in with various faculty members.
4:30-5:30pm Bruin Plaza
Rally; Speakers, media coverage, chanting, petitioning, etc.
UTLA, CFT, CTA, LAUSD, Community Colleges, and California State
Universities join.
5:30pm Westwood
March to Westwood and Wilshire
also…
For those from the public school interested in collaboration, you can
check out NewCLA and these events, the first on Feb. 22, and the next on
March 2 & 3. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=278505619309&ref=ts
The first event will focus on UCLA student based performances & art
activism, but March 2nd and 3rd should be more open to workshops /
critical projects / experiments from outside the university. If anyone
wants to talk more about possible collaboration through NewCLA or
elsewhere, let’s get the ball rolling! Only 4 weeks left.
—-
NewCLA is hope for the UCLA community.
It is a multi-perspective group started by students to provide a free
space to re-imagine the University. It spans from art activism to
alternate models of peacefully demonstrating that we want change. The
budget crisis affects everyone at UCLA and instead of holding us down, it
will bring us together, in the form of NewCLA.
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Long Term Fee Policy Introduced – a step in the right direction?
To quote UCI activists during the Langston study in, “Direct action gets the goods.” However, it is debated whether or not this proposal is a desirable response.
(Posted by UCSA President, Victor Sanchez)
BREAKING NEWS: , Senator Jeff Denham, R-Merced, introduced SB 917 and SCA 26. SB 917 would create the Student Protection Act. It requires any increase in mandatory systemwide fees adopted by the California State University (CSU) to become effective at least 180 calendar days after the date on which the increase is adopted.
It prohibits CSU from increasing mandatory systemwide fees, in any academic year, by an amount exceeding 10% of the mandatory systemwide fees for the immediately preceding academic year and it requests UC to adopt policies that are consistent with these provisions.
SCA 26 requires any increase in mandatory systemwide fees adopted by UC to become effective at least 180 calendar days after the date on which the increase is adopted and prohibits UC from increasing mandatory systemwide fees in any fiscal year by a cumulative amount exceeding 10% of the mandatory systemwide fees charged for the immediately preceding fiscal year.
***distribute widely
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UC Davis students are occupying Shield’s Library over the weekend. The occupation began on Friday at 5pm. Happenings within the occupation include dancing, workshops, banner droppings, meals, and studying. Check out the live blog here: http://ouruniversity.wordpress.com/
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Applications can be found here: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/regents/app11.pdf
Applications are due February 17!
Description:
(http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/regents/studentreg.html)
The student Regent is a voting member of The Regents of the University of California, attending all meetings of the Board and its Committees and serving a one-year term commencing July 1. The Board of Regents meets six times a year, every other month, in two-day meetings. The powers and authorities of The Regents are broadly established in the Constitution of the State of California and are reflected in Bylaw 5 of The Regents of the University of California.
The student Regent is reimbursed for expenses incurred for attendance at meetings of the Board and its Committees. All mandatory University fees and tuition are waived for the student Regent during the academic years in which he or she serves as a Regent-designate and as a member of the Board.
** Student Regent Application Information **
Information is available on the Application form <!–and from your campus coordinator –> for Student Regent recruitment. The application can be completed on line; however, you must submit a signed copy of the application, along with responses to the essay questions and a resume to the Chancellor’s office on your campus.
The student Regent for 2009-2010 is:
Jesse Bernal
1318 Phelps Hall
University of California
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9490
805-680-6333
UC Irvine student Jesse Cheng has been appointed to be the student Regent for 2010-11. He is a non-voting Regent-designate from July 2009 until his term begins July 1, 2010.
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In response to demands of budget transparency, the UC Office of the President encourages people to look here:
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/reportingtransparency/
Description: This page is intended to provide the UC community and the public, including investors, with easy access to a variety of financial information about the University of California, in support of similar transparency efforts undertaken by the State of California. Additional materials will be provided on this page as they become available.
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“If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution.”
UCI student organizers are approaching the movement with the words of Emma Goldman in mind.
Flier:
School sucks, let’s dance!
finally a reason to stay at UCI past 7pm
| Start Time: |
Thursday, February 4, 2010 at 8:00pm
|
| End Time: |
Friday, February 5, 2010 at 4:00am
|
| Location: |
Humanities Plaza
|
Even though we just finished our midterms, finals are just a few weeks away.
We’re paying even more for even less, and our only motivation to finish this year is the unemployment checks and food stamps awaiting us post-graduation.
Let’s dance until we forget about all our problems.
Thursday Feb 4
8pm – ∞
invite your friends
bring your moves
bring whatever you need to have a good time
let’s get crazy
let’s make this the biggest & best dance party ever at UCI
non-UCI students welcome if you can find parking
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How can we put higher education higher on the state’s agenda? How do we make the gubernatorial candidates pay attention to this issue? Please leave suggestions in our comment box or email!
jcregent@uci.edu
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Last week, the OC Register’s College Life blogger, Gary Robbins asked students to comment on Obama’s plans for higher education. The article (posted below) includes Student Regent Designate, Jesse Cheng’s opinion:
Jesse Cheng, an Asian American studies student at UCI, and the incoming student representative to the UC Board of Regents. Photo by Daniel Anderson, UCI.
President Obama called in his State of the Union address Wednesday night for a revitalization of the nation’s community colleges, cheaper loans for college students, and a plan to require students who have graduated to pay only 10 percent of their income on their debt load.
We asked several Orange County college students to watch the speech and see what the President would say on these and other issues. Here’s a sample of their reaction, received via email.
Jesse Cheng, a UC Irvine student Asian-American studies student who will become the student representative to the Board of Regents this summer, said:
“I definitely think the President is right to focus on the number of college graduates (the) U.S. is producing – the State of California is going to be short by a million educated people in our workforce only in a number of years.
“Also, as a Student Regent, I can say that the President’s economic recovery funds have really saved the UC in the past year, but we won’t have that money coming in the future.
“Being in college, what really worries me are the lack of funds in our system – our universities are not being given the needed monies from the state and federal government to continue running. We’re losing professors, which means students don’t have enough teachers or classes to be educated, and become a competent workforce and innovators for the future. I’m really listening for President Obama to speak towards how the federal government is going to help pressure states and his own budget to help fund these Universities – otherwise, even with less tuition, we’re not going to have a quality educated future to keep America going.”
Ivan Contreras
Ivan Contreras, a senior at Chapman University, who is majoring in English and French, said:
1. The fact that President Obama wants to create a $10,000 tax credit and increase Pell Grants for four years of higher education, I think, will encourage parents and students to pursue a university degree more seriously. Sometimes, the cost alone can deter one away from continuing after high school.
2. I have some student loans … and as President Obama said, I didn’t go to college to become broke after graduation. Repaying only 10 percent of my future income towards loans, and having those loans forgiven after 10 or 20 years, is one less worry. I won’t be preoccupied with the struggle of loan repayment, and I’ll be able to focus on my career and future.
George Allen, a junior at Concordia University Irvine who majors in theology, said:
George Allen, Concordia University Irvine
“President Obama rightly identified “world class education” as the best anti-poverty program our government can invest in. His promises to revitalize our community colleges and make higher education more affordable – through increased grants, tax cuts for families financing four years of college, and debt forgiveness initiatives – will surely open wider the paths to more sustaining career options. The cost of higher education can never be too high for the government; it can be too high for working families.”
We also heard from Cindia Velasco, a Cal State Fullerton student who campaigned for Obama , and who will be heading to Chicago this summer to join the Teach for America program. Velasco said, “Last year, President Barack Obama made a pledge to help students attain a higher education. He said that education was a pre-requisite for every American and the best anti-poverty program for this country. He wanted Americans to commit to at least one year or more of college in order to be able to compete in a changing global economy. He said that in order for all Americans to attain a higher education, all lawmakers had to work together in order to make college more affordable. In tonight’s State of the Union Address, President Obama admitted that change has not come fast enough. He made no mention of what his administration has already done for higher education; he only spoke of his hope for the future.
Cindia Velasco
Tonight, President Obama told Congress that he hoped that they would pass a bill to revitalize community colleges, and one that would increase Pell grants for students. He mentioned a $10,000 tax credit for families to make college more affordable and a loan forgiveness program for graduates after 20 years of re-payment; 10 for those with a career in public service. After viewing tonight’s State of the Union Address, it is clear President Obama is focusing on rebuilding the economy and restructuring America’s healthcare system, but he cannot forget about higher education. We cannot compete in a changing global economy without investing in our education system. Education may very well be the solution to our economical problems in America.
We also heard from Peter Karuppiah, a student at Soka University in Aliso Viejo, who said:
Soka’s Peter Karuppiah
“What can I say? Of course I agree that making college more affordable is necessary and I’m happy to see that President Obama is committed to promoting higher education by proposing reforms that will help more people either attend school or finish it. My university (Soka University of America) has been very supportive and has worked to help as many students as possible but I still have friends, both here and attending other universities, that are struggling to pay their college tuition and the living expenses that come with being a student. Many people are either looking to take part-time jobs while being a full-time student or are facing serious issues at home. Just like President Obama though, I can only hope that our elected representatives realize that working together is the only way to create lasting solutions and value for everyone.”
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Disclaimer: UC President Mark Yudof and regents be supporting students on the March 1st UCSA actions, not on the stated March 4th actions, however protests will take place on both dates.
Nanette Asimov, Chronicle Staff Writer
Thursday, January 21, 2010
After last fall’s angry and at times violent campus protests, it seems unlikely that rival students and leaders of the University of California would stand together to speak out on behalf of UC.
But when students hold their big Day of Action in Defense of Public Education on March 4, converging on Sacramento to lobby lawmakers for sufficient funding, several members of UC’s governing Board of Regents and UC President Mark Yudof said Wednesday they’ll be there with them.
“We need to be up there as regents and as students,” Dick Blum told his two dozen or so fellow regents meeting this week in San Francisco. UC chancellors, administrators and students also attended.
Other regents – not all – agreed.
“We all have to join together,” said Regent Leslie Tang Schilling.
“I’ll be there,” said Regent Frederick Ruiz.
“It certainly would be appropriate for us to join the students,” said Regent Charlene Zettel.
Even Yudof, the most frequent target of student fury in recent months, said he would join in.
“I think we can work together,” Yudof said. “We’re on the same wavelength.”
Unexpected words, given the escalating animosity in recent months.
The trouble began last summer with an $813 million hole in the UC budget. Yudof’s austerity plan included deep cuts on campuses: fewer courses, lecturers laid off, and pay cuts through furloughs.
Angry protesters disrupted the September regents meeting, and 14 were arrested. Days later, thousands of students and faculty walked out of classrooms across the state to protest UC leaders’ handling of the crisis.
Then in November, the regents agreed to raise tuition 32 percent for fall 2010, on top of a 9.3 percent increase approved in May.
Angry students threw food, sticks and vinegar-soaked bandannas at the UCLA building where the regents met. Dozens chased after Yudof and the regents as they left, with police in riot gear barely catching up.
At UC Berkeley, students occupied Wheeler Hall for hours, while some 2,000 supporters ringed the building. Helmeted police used metal gates to push the students back and beat some of their hands with batons.
The violence culminated in December, when police arrested eight people among dozens who broke windows and threw torches at UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau’s campus residence.
On Wednesday, perhaps thinking of such incidents, Regent Sherry Lansing said some regents “may not feel comfortable” supporting the students’ agenda for UC.
But Victor Sanchez, president of the UC Student Association, told the regents he hopes “we can meet each other half way.” He described the March 4 event as part of a monthlong effort by students, from elementary schools to universities, to draw attention to the need to better fund public education.
He and the UC leaders agreed they have a common goal: getting lawmakers to look favorably on the stellar public university system as they try to knit together a $20 billion budget gap over the next six months.
“It’s a matter of seeing where we can collaborate,” Sanchez said, suggesting the regents help pay for buses to bring students to the Capitol.
Jesse Cheng, the student regent designate, said, “It’s time we went to Sacramento as a UC family and presented ourselves as a united front.”
The mood on campuses was less genial, in part because today the regents are set to approve millions of dollars of extra pay for a handful of UC executives who met performance goals.
“Yudof and the regents are a major part of the problem,” said UC Berkeley student activist Callie Maidhof. “It was not the state that decided to give these administrators enormous bonuses.
“This is just another attempt to co-opt the student movement when it’s very strong. I can tell you it won’t be successful. We won’t be deceived.”
The regents resume their meeting at 8:30 a.m. today.
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