Despite pleas and protests from students, the University Of California Board of Regents yet again voted to dramatically increase student fees. The 32 percent fee hike comes just two months after the Regents raised student fees 30 percent and handed out exorbitant pay raises to several top administrators.
The move also comes one month after Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed several bills to protect public funds at the university. SB 86 would have prohibited executive pay raises during bad budget years at the UC and the California State University. SB 218 would have brought greater financial accountability to UC and CSU campus auxiliary organizations by subjecting them to the California Public Records Act. SB 219 would have helped rein in waste, fraud and abuse by providing university employees with the same whistleblower protections as other state employees.
Governor Schwarzenegger and Board of Regents are allowing top executives to live high on the hog while students suffer. It is unconscionable for the Governor to cut funds to higher education while allowing the UC administration to act like AIG. In 2009 alone, the UC Regents have approved approximately $9 million in executive compensation increases. Yet, the UC administration only points to the state budget for the need to raise student fees.
Certainly the state needs to prioritize funding for education and that is why I voted against all such budget cuts and will continue to do so. However, it is intellectually dishonest for the Regents to simply blame the state budget for student fee hikes while they are lining the pockets of executives. Executive pay should be the first thing on the chopping block, not students.
In a September interview with the New York Times, UC President Mark Yudof, who receives nearly $1 million in salary and perks was asked, “What do you think of the idea that no administrator at a state university needs to earn more than the President of the United States, $400,000?” Yudof responded, “Will you throw in Air Force One and the White House?”
Unfortunately, this is the type of arrogance and cavalier attitude that plagues the university. California deserves better from their public university leadership.
Russell Gould, chairman of the Regents, today told the Sacramento Bee that student objections do not influence his decision-making and that student fees must be increased. However, students and workers have long called on the Regents and Yudof to use other options rather than student fee hikes. Such suggested options include dipping into the $7.2 billion Short Term Investment Pool; redirecting some of the $1.6 billion that UC received last year in gifts and donations; cutting the salaries of the thousands of UC executives and top administrators earning 6-figures; cutting the $350 million in bonuses given to employees making more than $200,000 annually; or freezing new positions such as “Vice Chancellor of Research” and “Chief Quality Officer” that pay upwards of $420,000 per year.
“UC has reserves in the billions of dollars that could be tapped, or UC could redirect its fundraising abilities, or use other sources of income such as the highly profitable medical centers, or call for a mild pay cut for the thousands of six-figure administrators,” said Jelger Kalmijn, President of the University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE-CWA 9119).
“UC is sounding the alarm bells of financial ruin and rushing to push the economic crisis on the backs of UC students, patients and workers” says Lakesha Harrison, President of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME 3299), which represents patient care and services workers. “But to many of us, this is another example of UC administrators’ misplaced priorities and lack of accountability to the public.”
In a time when many are going through economic hardships, increasing student fees becomes just another burden for many students. While maintaining a full-time schedule in school, many are also forced to take one, sometimes two or three, part-time jobs in order to support themselves and pay for their education. We must continue to let our voices be heard and let the Regents know that these actions are not okay and unfair for students.
The move also comes one month after Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed several bills to protect public funds at the university. SB 86 would have prohibited executive pay raises during bad budget years at the UC and the California State University. SB 218 would have brought greater financial accountability to UC and CSU campus auxiliary organizations by subjecting them to the California Public Records Act. SB 219 would have helped rein in waste, fraud and abuse by providing university employees with the same whistleblower protections as other state employees.
Governor Schwarzenegger and Board of Regents are allowing top executives to live high on the hog while students suffer. It is unconscionable for the Governor to cut funds to higher education while allowing the UC administration to act like AIG. In 2009 alone, the UC Regents have approved approximately $9 million in executive compensation increases. Yet, the UC administration only points to the state budget for the need to raise student fees.
Certainly the state needs to prioritize funding for education and that is why I voted against all such budget cuts and will continue to do so. However, it is intellectually dishonest for the Regents to simply blame the state budget for student fee hikes while they are lining the pockets of executives. Executive pay should be the first thing on the chopping block, not students.
In a September interview with the New York Times, UC President Mark Yudof, who receives nearly $1 million in salary and perks was asked, “What do you think of the idea that no administrator at a state university needs to earn more than the President of the United States, $400,000?” Yudof responded, “Will you throw in Air Force One and the White House?”
Unfortunately, this is the type of arrogance and cavalier attitude that plagues the university. California deserves better from their public university leadership.
Russell Gould, chairman of the Regents, today told the Sacramento Bee that student objections do not influence his decision-making and that student fees must be increased. However, students and workers have long called on the Regents and Yudof to use other options rather than student fee hikes. Such suggested options include dipping into the $7.2 billion Short Term Investment Pool; redirecting some of the $1.6 billion that UC received last year in gifts and donations; cutting the salaries of the thousands of UC executives and top administrators earning 6-figures; cutting the $350 million in bonuses given to employees making more than $200,000 annually; or freezing new positions such as “Vice Chancellor of Research” and “Chief Quality Officer” that pay upwards of $420,000 per year.
“UC has reserves in the billions of dollars that could be tapped, or UC could redirect its fundraising abilities, or use other sources of income such as the highly profitable medical centers, or call for a mild pay cut for the thousands of six-figure administrators,” said Jelger Kalmijn, President of the University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE-CWA 9119).
“UC is sounding the alarm bells of financial ruin and rushing to push the economic crisis on the backs of UC students, patients and workers” says Lakesha Harrison, President of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME 3299), which represents patient care and services workers. “But to many of us, this is another example of UC administrators’ misplaced priorities and lack of accountability to the public.”
In a time when many are going through economic hardships, increasing student fees becomes just another burden for many students. While maintaining a full-time schedule in school, many are also forced to take one, sometimes two or three, part-time jobs in order to support themselves and pay for their education. We must continue to let our voices be heard and let the Regents know that these actions are not okay and unfair for students.
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