Nov 07, 2009 | 01:02
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Jan 23, 2009
Students briefed on UCLA's efforts to weather state's financial crisis
Chancellor Gene Block and three senior executives talked candidly to students on Jan. 22 about the realities of the ongoing state budget crisis, UCLA’s strategies for dealing with current and future state funding cuts and their pledge to maintain academic quality and student diversity.
Chancellor Gene Block talks to students at a townhall about UCLA's new fundraising initiative to help students afford access to UCLA.
“This is a very, very tough year,” the chancellor said to those attending a student town hall held at Kerckhoff Hall’s Grand Salon. “We’re trying to respond to it the best we can.”
One major fundraising undertaking is the launch of the Bruin Scholars Initiative, which Block announced earlier that day. “This will be an effort exclusively for students,” he told attendees. The $500-million fundraising drive aims to raise $300 million for graduate student fellowships and $200 million for undergraduate scholarships by June 30, 2013.
To help students and their families at this critical time, UCLA is expanding and extending its successful Ensuring Academic Excellence Initiative, a fundraising effort launched in June 2004 by then-Chancellor Albert Carnesale. That drive reached its goals at the end of 2007-08, one year early, and generated more than $113 million to fund new endowed professorships and more than $137 million for student scholarships and fellowships.
With students and their families caught in the throes of the economic downturn, said Block, it’s imperative to ensure that qualified students can afford to attend UCLA.
“This is something we’re now talking to our main donors about, and I hope we’ll be able to look back in a few years to its success … and more funds to help improve access to this university. I believe deeply in it,” the chancellor told students, who applauded.
Among the first gifts to the Bruin Scholars Initiative was a personal commitment of $100,000 from the chancellor and his wife, Carol.
“If you know some well-to-do alumni who are friends, let them know about this,” the chancellor quipped, “because this is something that
Photos by Seth Odell.
The second important initiative announced Jan. 22 is a proposal by UC President Mark G. Yudof to fully cover systemwide UC fees for financially needy California undergraduates with an annual family income below $60,000. Called the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan, the proposal will go before the regents meeting Feb. 3-5.
The offer of more financial assistance to students comes at a time when more students report having to get jobs in order to cover their college expenses, according to the latest UCLA survey of the nation’s entering students at four-year institutions. The survey, which was released publicly on Jan. 22, is administered nationally by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA’s Graduate School of Education & Information Studies.
In his presentation, Vice Chancellor Steve Olsen of finance, budget and capital programs gave students an overview of the state’s budget situation and UCLA’s strategies for maintaining a sound financial position with a balanced budget for 2008-09, despite sustaining heavy cuts.
While the governor is proposing a $65-million permanent cut for UC in 2009-10 — UCLA’s share would be $12 million — Olsen said he is anticipating that the cuts will almost surely be deeper because of so many uncertainties, including state revenue projections. So he has directed UCLA’s academic and administrative units to plan for state funding cuts ranging from 3 percent to 8 percent.
Of much concern to both UCLA administrators and students is the possibility that Cal Grants may be affected if the state runs out of cash in February, as state officials are predicting.
“I can assure you that the university at the very highest levels is well aware of this problem, and we are committed to solving it,” Olsen said. A disbursement of Cal Grant funds is scheduled for late March. “We are all working together to identify and find a solution to this problem.”
Executive Vice Chancellor Scott Waugh spoke of ongoing efforts to reassess academic priorities to both save money and improve the quality of academic programs. One of the top priorities is to continue to provide the courses students need to graduate in a timely fashion — UCLA has one of the highest graduation rates in the country with 90% of students graduating within six years.
He also reassured students that UCLA is not making any changes in its enrollment pattern, or increasing the number of out-of-state students, for monetary purposes.
Vice Chancellor Janina Montero of student affairs explained how student services are funded through a variety of sources, including registration fees. Her department is planning for state funding cuts in the range of 5 percent to 11 percent.
While the cuts will affect student services, Montero said her highest priority is to protect the quality of students’ experience and services.
Block and Waugh plan to travel to Sacramento next month to talk to state legislators about the financial difficulties that face UCLA and its students.
“We’re going to make it very clear to them about how wonderful our students are, the contributions they will make when they graduate and the important role this campus plays, particularly in Los Angeles,” the chancellor said.
To read more about Yudof’s plan, read this UCLA Today story.
