Each week, the editorial board brings you short opinions on issues we think you might be interested in. The process behind these editorials has been the same for as long as we can remember. We meet and pitch ideas ““ usually drawn from recent news ““ then discuss, conduct interviews, and vote on a stance.
This week we thought we would try something different. We’re interested to hear what you want us to look into and what types of editorials you would like us to tackle more often. We’ve come up with a few possible topics for your consideration.
1) University of California tuition has been climbing at unprecedented rates for several years, and recent proposals could put tuition at more than $20,000 a year by 2015. This is not as much as most private schools, of course, but as public and private tuition become less distinct, is the line between public and private education also being blurred? Should the UC’s state-centric mission be changed to reflect this, and should it explore alternate funding models drawn more from the business sector?
2) In December 2011, UC Berkeley announced it would offer more financial aid to middle-income families, many of whom have struggled to face the full brunt of rising tuition, especially if they hope to send multiple kids to college. Is this something UCLA should look into doing as well, or are there better ways for the university to focus its resources?
3) The new football coach Jim Mora made headlines this week when he kicked three players off the team for violating rules and failing to meet academic standards. Mora has also switched up the staff roster, bringing in new wide receivers and conditioning coaches, with a new defensive coordinator to be announced shortly. Do these changes indicate a positive step for the football program? Or will some of Mora’s decisions backfire, costing the team much-needed talent and organizational consistency?
4) Undergraduate student government officers plan to ask Associated Students UCLA for $100,000 to add to short-term surplus funds. They claim the extra money is needed to continue funding clubs and student groups at current levels. Should the request be granted? Or are there better alternatives, like temporarily reducing funds to student groups or borrowing from other parts of the budget?
5) Have any other ideas? Let us know what issues affect you that we should write about. What’s missing in our coverage of the campus community that your fellow Bruins should know about?
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