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©2004
The Regents of the University of California
 

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

UCLA saved $250,000 in energy costs during the winter campus closure, Dec. 24-Jan. 2, by switching off lights, shutting down heating and air conditioning systems and cutting out hot water. That was about $50,000 more than the campus netted during a similar closure a year ago. During the closure, ventilation, air conditioning and hot water systems were turned off to buildings that did not require continuous temperature control. Normal conditions, however, were maintained in buildings where ongoing research, the safety and comfort of patients or the care of animals were considerations.

UC BOARD OF REGENTS

UC regents overwhelmingly approved a plan to improve communication with staff by appointing two staff representatives to two regental committees for one year. In the second year, UC will develop a method for selecting two representatives from among eligible staff and non-Senate academic employees. In both cases, these would be non-voting, advisory roles only. “This is an historic opportunity for UC staff to provide thoughtful input at the highest level of the university,” said UCLA’s David Miller, who, as chair of the Council of UC Staff Assemblies (CUCSA), will take his place July 1 as a staff adviser on the Educational Policy and Grounds and Buildings committees. Leaders of the organization have spent more than a decade trying to gain a place at the board’s table. “Past CUCSA chairs, including UCLA’s own Al Aubin and Jani Quintero, did much of the heavy lifting that brought us to this exciting moment,” Miller said.

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION & INFORMATION STUDIES

The divisiveness that surfaced during last year’s presidential election is showing up on campuses, according to UCLA’s annual survey of the nation’s students entering undergraduate classes. A record number of students are now identifying themselves as being far right and far left, according to the fall 2004 survey, conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA’s Graduate School of Education & Information Studies. While 3.4% of students said they are far left, 2.2% said they are far right. “Although these percentages are small, the change between 2003 and 2004 numbers — concurrent with the presidential election year — reflects the largest one-year shift in students’ political orientation in the 35 years that it has been included in the survey,” said Linda J. Sax, associate professor of education and survey director. About 46% identified themselves as middle of the road.