Message to Regents: Mo' Money, Mo Problems
I haven't followed this issue very closely, but congratulations to some of our Boalt Hall predecessors for early success in their lawsuit against the UC Regents for fee increases (after they promised not to raise fees). Mo Kashmiri, a Boalt grad, has been the real leader of this effort, and though no one in the class of 2007 is affected, I think we should all be grateful that he decided to stand up to the Regents and tell them that UC should not bail itself out of its financial woes at the expense of current and future students. (How 'bout those alumni-California taxpayers who REALLY benefited from low fees?)
Compared with what I guess would be considered its "peer institutions", Boalt Hall (and UC Berkeley as a whole) is still a relative bargain, if you pay the in-state tuition. That's great, and I think we should recognize that all sides -- university and Boalt administration, even some of the Regents -- really have tried to control fee increases. But Kashmiri's court challenge is a nice reminder to the Regents and administration that they should find more creative solutions to handling the university's financial pressures than simply raising tuition and/or fees every time a budget problem arises.
Thanks to GG for reminding to post on this. Also, check out what Seemachine, who has followed the issue closely, has to say.
Compared with what I guess would be considered its "peer institutions", Boalt Hall (and UC Berkeley as a whole) is still a relative bargain, if you pay the in-state tuition. That's great, and I think we should recognize that all sides -- university and Boalt administration, even some of the Regents -- really have tried to control fee increases. But Kashmiri's court challenge is a nice reminder to the Regents and administration that they should find more creative solutions to handling the university's financial pressures than simply raising tuition and/or fees every time a budget problem arises.
Thanks to GG for reminding to post on this. Also, check out what Seemachine, who has followed the issue closely, has to say.
Labels: Kashmiri, Legal Education Costs
posted by Anonymous at 3:04 PM
6 Comments:
Armen,
Here is an announcement that will run in in the BBB, but I thought you could run it as well.
regards,
John Steele
***********
Join an Inn of Court for Next School Year.
Joining an American Inn of Court (http://www.innsofcourt.org/) is a terrific way to meet local judges and lawyers at once-per-month evening meetings during the school year, at which substantive presentations, role-playing, and other professional programs occur. We have eight slots for Boalt students next school year in The Earl Warren American Inn of Court in Oakland, for a very low cost. We probably can place a half dozen students with other local Inns. If you are interested in volunteering or just curious about the Inns, send an email to John Steele at john.steele@fr.com no later than March 24. If we have more interested students than slots, we'll conduct a lottery.
****************
I'm a big fan of John Steele and am really glad to see that he posts on this site. I'm happy knowing that he might even be reading these comments and hearing our unplugged complaints/praises/musings. So, you go John Steele!
Although it's kind of fitting that the Regents got hit with this, where do we think that $33 million payment is going to come from? I doubt the money is just sitting around somewhere waiting to be redistributed to the ripped-off students. The Regents will have to come up with it from somewhere, and I would guess the next crop of professional students (who will be explicitly informed that there is no contract and their tuition will rise) will make a pretty good source. Past students win, future students lose, and the Regents look bad, but unfortunately, I'm afraid the only consequence will be more explicit language regarding tuition increases instead of more responsible spending habits.
5:52, the money is, in fact, sitting somewhere. I'm too lazy to look up, but the students actually succeeded in obtaining a preliminary injunction forcing the regents not to use their money. The regents had to obtain the money by other means (rest of us). So yeah, it's sitting around somewhere.
I'd be very happy if the $33.8 million were, in fact, sitting somewhere. However, this article leads me to believe that it is not:
http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?id=36359
They've already increased our fees to pay for the costs of the lawsuit, and UC is talking about increasing fees again to cover the judgment if their appeal is unsuccessful.
Who knows where to download XRumer 5.0 Palladium?
Help, please. All recommend this program to effectively advertise on the Internet, this is the best program!
Post a Comment
<< Home