By Andrew Edwards
DAILY BRUIN REPORTER
[email protected]
SAN FRANCISCO “”mdash; Last week the University of California
Board of Regents voiced its concern that legislative plans to
overhaul public education could reduce the university’s
autonomy from the state.
The regents discussed proposals to merge administration of
grades K-12 and higher education under one body and to eliminate
the weighting of Advanced Placement and honors courses for
admissions purposes.
Under the original 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education,
community colleges provide continuing education for all
Californians, the CSU focuses primarily on four-year degrees and
the UC is the state’s primary research institution.
Currently, higher education in California is under the
jurisdiction of the California Postsecondary Education Commission.
The new plan would replace CPEC with the California Education
Commission, which would oversee K-16 education in the state.
The new draft was written by the Joint Legislative Committee to
develop a master plan for education.
Some regents felt the UC would lose autonomy under
reorganization.
“My concern is that this is such a monumental task … we
will have less focus on our primary mission,” said Regent
John Davies.
“We have to be careful how much resources we devote to
problems other than our own,” he added.
UC President Richard Atkinson sent a letter to Sen. Dede Alpert,
D-San Diego, chair of the Joint Committee, outlining the
university’s positions on the May draft.
The UC acknowledges that CPEC could be improved, but maintains
UC interests may not receive enough attention in the new CEC, as
K-12 issues “dwarf” those of higher education.
According to the Joint Committee, these concerns are
misplaced.
“We just think it’s a false expectation that (the
UC) is going to be overwhelmed by K-12 issues,” said Stephan
Blake, spokesman for the Joint Committee.
Despite these concerns, the regents have not yet rejected
Sacramento’s proposal regarding the CEC.
“We are taking a “˜wait and see’
approach,” said Regent Odessa Johnson.
At least one change to the joint committee’s draft has
already been made. According to Blake, an item that allowed
students to “opt out” of college preparation courses
has been dropped.
This change had not been announced prior to the regents’
discussion, and Regent Sherry Lansing worried the original draft
allowed high school students to foreclose opportunities for higher
education.
“I have great concern about opting out at such an early
age,” she said.
Atkinson’s letter addressed the Joint Committee’s
recommendation to eliminate additional weighing of AP courses. The
joint committee’s conclusion was based on the fact that not
all high schools offer equal opportunities to take AP courses.
“The committee’s recommendation with respect to the
weighting of AP courses is an issue of equity,” Blake said,
noting a “remarkable dichotomy” in the availability of
AP courses.
He added that for students who do not have access to AP classes,
weighing AP grades for admissions purposes results in the UC
“disadvantaging them a second time.”
The UC suggested that a better alternative would be to increase
the availability of AP courses throughout the state.
“There is an unfairness … but the key to me is to get
those schools to offer AP classes,” Davies said.
Among the regents, elimination of additional credits for AP
courses would be unpopular, said Regent Velma Montoya.
“I suspect there is a definite sentiment to maintain the
AP,” she said.
Montoya said that it is important for students to take more
difficult classes in high school.
“We want students to take more challenging courses,”
said Montoya.
However, she said policy should be modified to reflect the
disparity in the availability of AP courses.
She suggested the weighting of AP courses be reduced by half
instead of eliminated.
However, the Joint Committee said an elimination of credit would
not negate the incentive to take difficult courses.
The new policy would only affect admissions, students taking AP
courses would still receive course credit and higher placement
within the university, Blake said.
“I don’t think we’re taking anything off the
table,” he said.
The Joint Committee has not yet released its final draft on a
new Master Plan. According to Blake, it should be out this week or
in early August.