MANDY CHAPMAN Casey Wasserman, UCLA
alumnus and owner of the Los Angeles Avengers, speaks at a training
workshop Saturday.
By Kevin Lee
Daily Bruin Contributor
Soon-to-be University of California lobbyists participated in a
delegate training workshop Saturday to learn how to advocate for UC
funding in the state budget.
The workshop, sponsored by the UCLA Office of Government and
Community Relations, was largely in preparation for UC Day, when UC
advocates from every campus will convene in Sacramento March 5
through 6 to lobby for UC funding.
“For me, attending UC Day is a way to contribute back to
higher education,” said Juli Huynh, a fourth year political
science and communication studies student. “Just like how
UCLA students show their pride at football games, this is my way of
showing pride.”
Based on projected estimates by the UC Office of the President,
the university needs $500 million of funding per year to
accommodate for enrollment growth and facility
maintenance. Currently, the state supplies UC $210 million per
year through Proposition 1A, a 1998 education bond measure.
UC receives 24 percent of its total funding from the state; the
rest comes from the university’s own fund-raising
efforts.
The university is pushing for a 2002 education bond to cover the
rest of its expenditures.
But with the California energy crisis a top issue in Sacramento,
it will be a challenge for UC advocates to make their voices heard,
said Michael Altschule, assistant director of UCLA State Government
Relations.
In addition, certain legislators may hesitate to allocate
funding to UCs for one reason or another, Altschule said. Some
may think UC already receives enough money, while others
don’t feel any real connection to the university.
“We don’t contribute money to the legislators, so
all we have is the power of persuasion,” said Steven Arditti,
UC director of State Government Relations.
The UC system expects to have enrollment growth of 3 percent per
year ““ or 5,000 students ““ according to
Arditti. This year, the growth is already 8 percent.
This dramatic enrollment increase is commonly referred to as
Tidal Wave II.
To handle the influx of students, some campuses may increase the
unit-worth of certain courses to better reflect their course load,
as well as speed up the graduation process. Â Currently,
full-time UCLA students take on average 13.8 units per quarter,
which translates to 5.2 years before graduation, while the desired
number proposed by the college is 15 units per quarter for four
years before graduation, according to the workshop’s
organizers.
The UC will work on expanding its off-campus extension and will
put more resources into summer sessions.
To keep increased enrollment from adversely affecting the
surrounding community, the university will abide by the 1990 Long
Range Development Plan, a set of regulations that limit traffic
congestion and land use, according to university officials who
attended the workshop.
Officials want to make known the benefits that UCs provide to
the community.
“We have to show that UCLA is not just a campus secluded
up on the hill,” said Max Benavidez, assistant vice
chancellor of university communications. “Every aspect of
UCLA education does outreach in the community, from the arts to
medicine to public policy.”
An advantage of having UC students lobby in Sacramento is that
legislators enjoy meeting actual constituents affected by their
education funding decisions, according to Tom Umberg, a former
Orange County representative and Bruin alumnus.
“Oftentimes, personal stories make the biggest
impact,” Umberg said.
UC advocates learned the “60-second rule,” which
refers to the way lobbyists should be able to introduce themselves
and state their main points to the legislator in a small amount of
time, or in the words of the workshop leaders, “from the time
it takes to walk from the legislators’ office door to the
elevator.”
Also, the advocate must be truthful at all times to the
legislator, lest their credibility go down the tubes, Umberg
said.
“The biggest mistake an advocate can do is give inaccurate
information,” Umberg added.
UCLA, in particular, requires funding for its new Nanosystems
Institute, which is to conduct revolutionary research in medicine
and high-technology. Some discoveries expected to be made at the
institute to include “smart” drugs that target the
genetic origin of a disease, organic-based computer chips,
super-efficient light bulbs, and stronger and lighter building
materials.
The state has agreed to provide $25 million to the institute per
year, given 2 to 1 matching funds from private sources for a total
of $75 million. The institute is in its preliminary stages of
construction, as architects are currently mapping out the structure
and environment impact tests are being conducted.
The same state funding policy applies to two other institutes
located on the UCSD and UCSF campuses, and possibly a fourth
institute at UC Berkeley.
Most of the UC advocates who will be at UC Day are participating
as a way to give something back to their school.
“I wanted to make a difference for UCLA,” said Floyd
Prince-Benn, a third-year international development studies
student. “There are some issues that I am not satisfied with,
and instead of being passive, I wanted to be part of the
solution.”
UC FUNDING ALLOCATION Total $500 million
required funding UCLA requests funding for:
- Nanosystems Institute
- Dance Building (seismic renovation)
- Kinsey Hall (seismic correction)
- Electrical distribution system
UC requests funding for:
- Enrollment growth (Tidal Wave II)
- Facility restructuring/maintenance
Source:UCLA Office of Government and Community Relations CONNIE
WU/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Web adaptation by SHARIF ELCOTT and
TODD SHINTANI