Students

Tragedy – A Reminder That We Need More Proactive Attention to Mental Illness –

Unfortunately, the sad episode of Linnea Lomax, a 19-year-old UC Davis student, has come to an end, probably in the worst and most excruciating way one could possibly imagine, with her mother finding her body hanging from a tree next to the American River on Friday.

The story hits painfully home for all parents, for I’m sure it’s one of many worst nightmares.  That this one might have been prevented only makes it all the worse.

Or Advocacy Masquerading As Research?

Last week John Ellis and Charles Geshekter, part of the California Association of Scholars who you might remember published a report that attempts to warn us against a rising tide political activism at the University California, wrote an Op-Ed published by the LA Times.

They argue that political advocacy corrupts academic institution because it promotes a mindset of conformity rather than independent thought and analytic skills.

The heat is slowing being turned up on the leadership of Cal State University (CSU) as State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson Monday called for a freeze on executive compensation when hiring for five open California State University (CSU) campus president positions.

In recent weeks, Governor Jerry Brown and Senator Leland Yee have criticized the timing of executive pay increases as they coincide with tuition increases on students, along with proposals for tax increases to aid higher education.

Former Westling Coach Alleges Judge in Case Had Conflicts of Interest

By Paayal Zaveri

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 states that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance”

UC Davis was found in to be in violation of that by not providing adequate athletic opportunities for women during the years 1998 and 2005. This was found when former UC Davis students and women wrestlers, Arezou Mansourian, Christine Ng and Lauren Mancuso, filed a claim against UC Davis in 2003 because they cut the women’s wrestling program, while continuing to expand other male-dominated sports teams. A settlement was finally reached last Thursday by a payment of $1.35 million to the plaintiffs’ counsel for legal fees. This means that the damages phase of the trial that was scheduled to start March 5^th will no longer happen.

Two of the major planks of the unrest generated by the Occupy Movement have been foreclosures and rising college costs.  Earlier this week, Attorney General Kamala Harris announced a huge settlement that promises to provide relief to people who have been caught in the mortgage foreclosure crisis.  Just as bold is a plan unveiled on Wednesday by Speaker John Pérez to cut college fees by two-thirds for middle class Californians.

However, the plan would rely on funding from the closure of a tax loophole that benefits out-of-state corporations, something that would require a two-thirds vote and something that Republicans, at least at the outset, seem reluctant to do.

While the protests dominated the news regarding the UC Board of Regents meeting last week, they met to discuss savings from cost-cutting and development of new revenue to fill a looming budget gap.

During the two days of meetings, senior administrators outlined for the board the latest state funding proposal and discussed a variety of initiatives now under way, including efforts to pare operational costs and enhance revenue opportunities from new inventions.

Last week, the Orange County Register ran an article arguing that criticism by students over UC salaries has fueled the student protests that exploded in the late fall of 2011.

A lot of people have questioned the anger of students over fee hikes and their targeting that anger toward the chancellor, the regents and UC President Mark Yudof.  After all, it can be argued – as many have – that the real culprit in the fee hikes is not the University of California but rather the state legislature.

Entomology Professor Walter Leal’s letter, signed by over 206 other professors, backed Chancellor Katehi in the face of strong public and student sentiment that she ought to resign, sentiment bolstered by those such as English Professor Nathan Brown, the English and Physics Departments and the board of the Davis Faculty Association.

During a time when the University of California is reeling from the mishandling of student protests by campus police on multiple campuses – protests spawned by increasing fees – it is appalling the degree to which the university is completely tone deaf to the concerns of students, many of whom believe that their fees are going to line the pockets of already wealthy and highly-paid administrators.

In the world of innovation, I see three possibilities – good ideas, bad ideas, and I don’t get it ideas.  In some ways, the UC Davis plan that was unveiled this week fits into all three categories at once.

This week UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi unveiled a major campus initiative that would increase the number of students and faculty by large numbers in the next five years.

by Eric Lee
Special to the Vanguard –

BART actions to inhibit free speech activity isn’t new to University of California students who earlier this year uncovered internal documents showing officials have conspired to monitor and control constitutionally-protected fee hike protests at UC Davis.

It has been a busy week, but we have to note with stunned amazement the continued audacity of the University of California, who announced this week that they will spend approximately 140 million dollars that was raised from increasing student tuition to give merit raises to thousands of faculty members and nonunion employees earning up to 200,000 dollars.

President Yudof disagrees but vows to improve transparency –

A report from the state auditor has criticized the University of California, in part for a lack of transparency in the ability to explain the differences in funding levels per pupil from university to university within the system.