let there be light? oh, really?
As a past graduate and current student of the University of California system, the reports of fiscal impropriety in the UC president's office have me rather enraged this morning.
Here's their promise on governance:
For more than a century, shared governance between the Board of Regents, the systemwide president and the faculty has ensured the highest standards of excellence in fulfilling the University of California's mission of teaching, research and public service.
This promise also includes forcing students to foot the bill for undisclosed financial benefits for UC administration and executive staff:
Despite UC's complaints that it has been squeezed by cuts in state funding and forced to raise student fees, many university faculty members and administrators get paid far more than is publicly reported. In addition to salaries and overtime, payroll records obtained by The Chronicle show that employees received a total of $871 million in bonuses, administrative stipends, relocation packages and other forms of cash compensation last fiscal year. That was more than enough to cover the 79 percent hike in student fees that UC has imposed over the past few years.
Higher education, fuck yeah! So the tuition I pay is to subsidize the foolish habits of these rich fucks!
An entire year after these fiscal improprieties were revealed by the SF Chronicle's investigation, the UC Regents have decided to boost their oversight of the budget and compensation process. Thanks guys! It's about time! The UC system was starting to resemble the Bush administration. How about firing this wanker of a president and restoring some honesty to this corrupt system?
The board, meeting at UCLA, decided to take direct control of the operating budget for President Robert C. Dynes and his staff at UC's Oakland headquarters. The vote means that the regents will review and approve that budget in detail each year, apart from their annual approval of UC's overall spending plan. Dynes, who has taken responsibility for the compensation problems, has volunteered to forgo a raise this year because of the controversy.
"I want the compensation issues behind us," Dynes said. "This was a statement to the regents: 'I take responsibility. Let's move forward.' "
Aww, he decided to forgo a raise. That must have been such a difficult decision. It's hard to make ends meet when you're only earning a $400,000 salary and you live for free in a 13,000 square foot abode with annual maintenance costs of $300,000. Mr. President, taking responsibility would be giving your letter of resignation and moving your ass out of that East Bay mansion.
"I think there's a general belief that it can be slimmed down," Regent
Richard C. Blum said, adding that he did not mean to single out the
president's office for criticism. Of both that office and the
university as a whole, he said, "Let's call it what it is — a bloated
bureaucracy."
Ah, no corruption here! Just some bloated budgets that need to be trimmed that's all. As long as the president allows the regents to share in the undisclosed payouts then all is well with the UC system.
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