Campus Climate Survey Promotional Materials

Blog readers will know that a UC-wide campus climate survey was developed after various incidents on the campuses.  There has been concern that because of the length of the survey instrument, participation would be low and mainly confined to those with concerns.  According to the promotional materials for department chairs and similar administrators - see the link below - there are lottery-type financial and non-financial prizes available to participants to obtain at least a 30% participation rate. Use the search engine on this blog to find earlier posts on the survey including audio of a presentation by the woman conducting the survey, Susan Rankin.

Open publication - Free publishing - More ucla

Yet More Clues on the New UC Elephant Logo

In prior posts, we have puzzled over the new UC logo and, particularly, why - when viewed upside down - it resembles an elephant's behind. Thanks to UCLA Professor Karen Orren, who located the YouTube video below, we may now have a clue as to the designer.


Update: Inside Higher Ed reports that 30,000 signatures have been gathered on a petition against the new logo:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/12/10/u-californias-new-logo-sparks-outrage

The petition is at:
http://www.change.org/petitions/university-of-california-stop-the-new-uc-logo

Just a Reminder: This is Final Exam Week

Lots of tension for students but they can always take in a movie to relax:

Rebenching: UCLA Academic Senate Prefers More Rather than Less

The benches may be old but we like them.

The "rebenching" issue has resurfaced.  Basically, what is at stake is the formula by which UC money is divided up among the campuses.  The Daily Bruin today reviews the issue and the view of the UCLA Academic Senate:

The response states that the Senate is “adamantly opposed” to the current proposal – known as rebenching – and outlines the potentially negative impacts it could have on the UCLA campus...

...Rebenching aims to equalize funding per student across all of the UC campuses by distributing state funds to each campus based on set student enrollment targets.  The goal of rebenching is to increase state funds that are allocated to each UC student up to UCLA’s level of funding over the next six years. Prior to rebenching, UCLA received the highest amount of state money per student, at $6,413...

Full article at http://www.dailybruin.com/article/2012/12/ucla-academic-senate-opposes-rebenching-proposal

We have blogged about this issue before.  There are arguments that the new formula will phase in so that no campus loses anything in some nominal terms.  Fact is, however, that in any given year - now or ever - there is a fixed budget pie to be allocated.  And despite Prop 30, UC and UCLA remain in a constrained budget environment and will remain in that environment going forward.  If the allocation formula is changed as proposed, UCLA will get less than it otherwise would have gotten.  Beneath all the rhetoric about "fairness," that is the issue.  Getting more in the future always looks fair to those who will benefit.  And it looks unfair to those who will get less.  It really isn't more complicated.

Yours truly suspects that whether it is formalized or not, a process in which UCLA gets less will lead to UCLA powers-that-be, and ultimately the campus Academic Senate, pushing for more autonomy from UC, including on tuition.

Remember, no one writes songs about the virtues of "Less."  To be Frank, "More" is better:

Hindsight on yesterday's post on the new UC logo; did we get our money's worth?

...(T)he new design...  was created by an in-house design team at no extra cost to the university.*

*From Los Angeles Times blog, 
HEADLINE: 
"Critics say new UC logo is not dignified enough," 12/8/12:

Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/12/critics-say-new-uc-logo-is-not-dignified-enough-.html

As the headline suggests, there is an issue about dignity.  An observer (who will remain unnamed) has pointed out to yours truly that the new logo, when turned upside-down, resembles the rear end of an elephant. 

On the other hand, if you are in close quarters with an elephant, it's probably better if it is walking away from you than towards you.

If - despite the controversy - UC decides to stick with the new elephantine logo, it might also consider developing an official song.  A modest proposal: There is already a song available that could be adapted:

Who Needs Light, Anyway? Or Gravitas?

inShare After 144 years with the same old Victorian seal, the University of California has decided to go mod. The university's original logo -- with its open book, 1868 date stamp and "Let there be light" script -- will still be in circulation, appearing on president's letters and official university documents. But marketing materials and websites will feature a radically simple and more contemporary symbol: a little "C" nesting inside a shield-shaped "U." "They wanted something that would reflect the innovation, the character of California -- just more modern, user-friendly," said Dianne Klein of UC's Office of the President. "That's not to take away from the gravitas of the original seal." ... Full story from the San Jose Mercury-News at: http://www.mercurynews.com/education/ci_22141280/university-california-introduces-modern-logo

It's all explained here:

Whoops

No, things are not as bad as the picture suggests. But the state controller reports that through November, receipts are about $800 million below the original budget estimates (which include Prop 30).  About half of the missing revenue is attributable to corporate profits tax net receipts.  The controller also notes that Facebook’s IPO produced less for the state than expected.  And expenditures are up more than $2 billion above estimates. 

The state isn’t running out of cash.  And there are 7 months to go in this fiscal year.  But note that these numbers are coming in at a time when the governor and the Dept. of Finance are preparing next year’s budget for presentation in early January.  So don’t expect great windfalls for UC when that budget comes out.

You can find the controller's report at http://www.sco.ca.gov/Files-EO/fy1213_nov.pdf

Like the song says: