Wednesday, 5/28/97 Professors, chancellor praise funding system
Faculty: Allocation proposal draws few concerns during Academic
Senate hearings
By Mason Stockstill Daily Bruin Contributor The Academic Senate
met Tuesday to hear faculty recommendations on Responsibility
Center Management (RCM), UCLA’s new and strikingly different fund
allocation system. Academic Senate Chair and education Professor
Aimee Dorr hurried through the other items on the agenda, which
included the appointment of next year’s executive board, in order
to open the floor for questions on the new system. Faculty concerns
were addressed by English Professor Thomas Wortham and education
Professor James Catteral, of the Faculty Executive Committee, while
anthropology Professor Dwight Read gave his report on the program
from the Senate’s Council on Planning and Budget. Read raised the
point that UCLA is "learning things we didn’t know before" about
the spending process, because RCM forces schools and departments –
dubbed "academic centers" by RCM – to take a closer look at their
expenses. When questioned about specific instances, though, Read
could only say that the experience of learning new things about
"utilizing resources" was important, and that any specific
instances would not be the important part of RCM thus far. The
committees raised some concerns about the program, including
whether there are other, less costly ways of achieving what RCM
intends to accomplish and whether RCM’s benefits will exceed its
costs once put into place next year. While most concerns about RCM
came from faculty representatives, the panelists had few negative
remarks about the program other than the concerns raised in their
presentation to the senate. But not all members had such approval
for the program. Music Professor David Lefkowitz mentioned the fact
that many other universities use a similar system of allocation –
to their peril. "I know that some universities in Canada have tried
a similar system, with disastrous results," he said. But panelists
did not feel that other schools’ experiences reflect the future for
UCLA. "Different universities are using different forms of RCM,"
Read said. "Other universities use a more mechanical model than we
do," he continued. Chancellor Charles E. Young was also on hand to
defend UCLA’s version of the program, saying that RCM at UCLA is
unique and should not be compared to similar systems at other
universities. "No other school has made even one-tenth the effort
to research RCM’s implications and to involve the faculty in the
(implementation) process that UCLA has," Young said. While some
faculty representatives expressed concern that most faculty members
are unaware of RCM’s imminent implementation, Wortham was wary of
these claims. "I think most faculty don’t understand RCM, and I
think that most faculty don’t need to understand RCM," he said.
"Most faculty members will be able to go about their jobs in the
same way as before." Also on the Senate’s agenda was a resolution
calling for the UC Board of Regents to divest itself from companies
that have business dealings with Burma in light of "human rights
abuses by the Burmese military government," according to the
meeting agenda. The resolution, which passed unanimously with a
minor amendment, was presented by Professor Paul Torrens of the
School of Public Health. Last on the agenda was a valedictory
address by Chancellor Young, who used the opportunity to reflect on
his days at UCLA, including many Academic Senate meetings. "I have
many fond memories from my 28-plus years," Young said. "I have some
not-so-pleasant memories too, some of which even took place in this
room, but in totality, the memories I have are pleasant." "I wish I
could stay chancellor throughout the implementation of RCM, because
I know it is going to make a big difference in the way things here
are run." JUSTIN WARREN/Daily Bruin Anthropology Professor Dwight
Read (left) and other panelists make the case for Responsibility
Center Management before the Academic Senate on Tuesday. Chancellor
Charles E. Young was among those present in support of the new
funding system. Previous Daily Bruin story: Administration, faculty
debate merits of new funding system