In a move defying years of precedent, the UC Board of Regents
shocked students and the state as a whole Wednesday when it voted
against a proposal to raise University of California student
fees.
The close vote to reject the proposed UC budget for the
2006-2007 academic year, which included yet another fee increase
for undergraduates, goes against a trend that has been in place for
the past four years. During that time, student fees have increased
79 percent, and average fees at UC campuses are now $6,141 per
year, up from $3,429 four years ago.
Until now, the regents had submitted to political pressure from
Sacramento, placing the financial burden for dismal state funding
levels largely on students.
But on Wednesday, the regents finally stood up for their
university.
“Today is a great day for all UC students,” said
student regent Adam Rosenthal, who spearheaded the fight against
the increases. “We’ve shown that we won’t
tolerate decreasing accessibility any longer.”
The move also stands as an act of defiance against an agreement
made with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2004, known as “the
compact.” The compact set terms for budget cuts and the
amount by which regents would increase fees.
UC President Robert Dynes came under fire from some officials
and students when the compact was made, and some accused him of not
fighting enough for the UC.
The governor ““ who was dealt a political blow with the
defeat of all eight propositions in the recent special election
““ was in China and unavailable for comment.
The regents’ discussion was sparked after the 20-minute
public comment period, during which hundreds of student protestors,
bussed in from seven different UC campuses, laid copies of the San
Francisco Chronicle’s Sunday edition in front of the board.
The paper carried a lead story detailing $871 million received in
bonuses and compensation by top UC officials.
Students demanded to know how the university could justify
raising fees by nearly $2,000 per student when it paid some top
employees an extra $20,000 last year, and why these employees did
not have to accept the same amount of financial punishment that
students and other career staff have had to endure.
After university police cleared the vocal protesters from the
room, one regent picked up a copy of the Chronicle.
“This is probably something we should be talking
about,” he said, as student chants drifted in from
outside.
With this vote, the regents could force the Legislature and the
governor back to the negotiating table to determine how much
funding the UC should receive. But even if such discussions do not
occur, the regents have sent the firm message that they think the
students have endured enough.
Disbelief, more than anything else, was the theme of the
day.
“I never thought they would stand up for us,” said
one student protestor. “Never in a million years.”
(The editorial board acknowledges the chance of a story like
this appearing in Thursday’s Daily Bruin ““ or any other
newspaper ““ isn’t good. But we can still hope.)