Opinion: UC drama-fest
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Trouble seems to come in threes (or fours, or lots) for the University of California. A proposal to raise UC campus chancellors’ salaries by 33% has raised the ire of the state — according to the Sacramento Bee, Lt. Governor John Garamendi snapped:
‘The students get to pay more so the chancellors get to have more,’ Garamendi said Monday. ‘I am really astounded that the administration would propose a salary increase of this size to the highest-paid executives in the entire system.’
I have to say, kudos for having this discussion out in the open, but major minus points for having it so soon after the pay perk scandals of last year.
Meanwhile, UC Regent John Moores abruptly and tersely quit his post — which is too bad, since he was a prominent voice of dissent on the board. He famously called the regents ‘about as relevant as furniture when it comes to governing;’ tried to pass a proposal banning schools from accepting research funds from tobacco companies and wrote an editorial for Forbes supporting anti-affirmative action policies, getting a lot of flak in the process. In a blogpost, Chris Reed thinks UC’s handling of affirmative action sealed the deal. I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if he just reached the end of his tether.
Apparently, the ex-regent sent out a one-line resignation letter. Short, probably not so sweet.
Perhaps the 33% proposal got his goat. Or, maybe it was a possible plan to slash the 12.5% guarantee (that is, the top eighth of eligible California seniors are promised a spot in UC) to 4%. Granted, the plan actually aims to increase diversity at UC campuses, which only serves to make it more controversial.
UC’s got it’s fair share of problems right now. It seems to be wearing some state officials thin: State Treasurer Bill Lockyer recently suggested that the state should cut the university system loose, and let it run itself as a private institution.
That’s unlikey to happen. Still, even voicing that suggestion has to raise UC officials’ blood pressures to critical levels. Sooner or later, someone had to bust a valve.