Governor Jerry Brown has signed Assembly Bill 007, which eliminates all forms of state funding to the UC system. During a celebratory speech made at the UCR Bing Center, Governor Brown withdrew the final dollar from the university coffers, with hopes of ensuring a “feasible” academic agenda for the now-privatized UC system.
“This law will shift the funding we need for this state into other areas of interest,” he said. Brown noted that the UC will be able to sustain itself through private funds. “The UC system no longer needs the state’s support, it is practically its own private entity now.”
Due to the lack of state funding, the UCR administration terminated the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Liberal Education (HASSLE) to direct resources to career-oriented majors that receive the most scholarships and private donations, such as engineering and biology.
The implications of the law include the annual tuition increase to $500,000, up from $350,000 for the current 2113-2114 academic year. The university will also have to rely on private donations and effectively eliminate all state financial aid packages such as Cal Grants.
“The privatization of the university system seeks to regulate the fluctuating stream of state funding, which has led to bottleneck enrollment and limited student resources,” said Vice Chancellor of Financial Affairs Ethan Coil. “No longer can the university afford to provide all students with a high quality education, amidst times of increasing state cuts.” Back in 2091, UCR’s tuition reached record high levels of $100,000, matching the likes of Harvard and other Ivy League schools.
Founded in the 20th century, the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences was once known as the most diverse college in the university. The college was condensed into a single university-directed department called HASSLE in 2082. Due to continual disinvestment and lack of interest, the UCR administration consolidated the college in Watkins Hall in 2083. The building is scheduled to be demolished next week.
“Nearly 90 percent of all undergraduates support the removal of the department from the university,” according to a recent study by the Floating Globe of Public Policy Journal—a collection of academic surveys that specializes in collecting undergraduate opinions on campus.
Existing college demographics reveal a breakdown of student majors as 34 percent School of Business Administration (SoBA), 31 percent College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS), 25 percent Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE) and 2 percent HASSLE in an undergraduate population of 100,000 in 2113.
“This is outrageous and completely unfair on so many levels,” said Yo Louis, a fourth-year anthropology major. “I can’t believe UCR chose to eliminate this department of all departments… We contribute so much to society.”
On the other hand, Bill Bufferman, a third-year computer science major, believes the law benefits the UC system. “We no longer have to rely on inconsistent state funding,” he said. “Private donations and tuition are much more stable.”
