State economic crisis cuts funding while students vote for fee increases
As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, the lights are out at Night Powell for the 2009-2010 academic year, though they’ll flicker a little during finals week. So not even the library, the sanctuary for studying students, has avoided the budget cuts. According to the library website, the state funds 90% of their budget, and this year UCLA library faces a 5% reduction, amounting to some $1.8 million. As a result, the library was forced to reassess its budget and reallocate resources.
The controversy between students and the UC regents has increased as students vocalize distress over cuts in services and likely student fee increases. The Sept. 23 student-led “sign” protest, and the Oct. 21 “budget forum” were two public demonstrations designed to draw campus attention to the issues.
In response to student outcry, Chancellor Gene Block posted a “Budget Update” Oct. 21 about some UC budget cut specifics. The state of California, which itself faces a multi-billion dollar deficit, provides the tax dollars on which UCLA relies to supplement what we pay in tuition. Hence, UCLA faces the 2009-2010 academic year with a budget reduction of over $150 million. As a result, administrators are conducting a review of academic programs (i.e. Night Powell, class sizes, etc.). Chancellor Block acknowledges the “difficult times” and thanks students “for their patience” but also reiterates that UCLA will have to make “long-term structural changes.” Among some of the potential changes are student fee hikes. UC President Mark Yudof has two proposed student fee increases to be voted on by the UC Regents in mid-November. Yes, students will pay more, but Chancellor Block states that from these student fees, one of every three dollars will go to the UCLA Financial Aid Program. In other words, those needing financial aid have not been forgotten. Furthermore, we need to pursue more private fundraising; Bruin Scholar Initiatives is ramping up to raise $500 million through fundraising.
No student looks forward to tuition increases (except for the ones they vote for, of course). From the Oct. 22 Daily Bruin, Cinthia Flores, USAC president, has commented that “Student fee increases cannot be a crutch for the university.” She agrees with the president of the UC American Federation of Teachers that the UC systems should avoid raising student fees and find internal solutions. Alejandra Cruz, a graduate student and a key organizer to the forum, promises that this forum is only the beginning and we can all expect continuous efforts from these organizations until the Nov. 18 budget vote.
What is conspicuous by its absence in the battle to protect financially overburdened students was the voice of the Daily Bruin and members of USAC when students were voting to “tax” themselves and raise student union fees. In fact, the Daily Bruin did everything in its (limited) power to fight on the other side of that battle and increase student fees though PLEDGE. There was no call for fiscal responsibility when projects like PLEDGE hiked fees for nonacademic endeavors. It is apparently acceptable to raise fees indiscriminately for supplemental education programs but not academic ones. It would have been refreshing to see some consistency in the shouts of the PLEDGE supporters on Bruin Walk—who are now out there protesting student fee hikes.
Budget cuts weren’t anticipated last spring, but fiscal responsibility should be central to any and all agendas. And how difficult was it to predict belt tightening for anyone who sees what is happening in Sacramento or in Washington? It’s hypocritical and disingenuous to oppose the UC school system’s plight. Chancellor Block and the administration have a responsibility to maintain the high academic standards of UCLA education and the meaning of a UCLA degree. Our education here is a privilege and we share in the economic burden of the school, the state and our country.
So where can we go to find the solution to the library closings? For one, we can return to the libraries across the UC system and see what they’ve done to reallocate funds.
Librarians hope to eliminate wasteful duplication by reviewing the databases and filter out numerous “in print” and electronic articles.
They will reassess the fees they pay to the numerous databases that require membership dues and possibly unsubscribe or negotiate better deals.
They also want to communicate with students and encourage a cut back to on-campus printing and encourage feedback to discover what students find most valuable from the library. To read their extensive and well-detailed goals, students can go to the UC Berkeley Budget Cut Strategies website.
Students have voting power to distribute a wealth of their student fee money. And we can choose, by voting each spring, to review our own budgets and perhaps allocate some of the money we collect to academic projects we deem important instead of raising student fees for non-academic