I was at the UC Regent teleconference on Wednesday in Cheadle Hall. After reading the article in the Nexus, (“UC Cuts Enrollment, Freezes Salaries,” Jan. 15, 2009) concerning the meeting, I felt there were a few key pieces of information that should not have been left out.

First, concerning the whole issue of cutting students, both President Mark Yudof and Regent Eddie Island admitted that this cut would disproportionately affect African-American students. Island, who was opposed to the cut, stated that this action would cut African-American student enrollment by anywhere from five to seven percent. This is a very significant amount since, according to Island, African-Americans only make up about two percent of the student population in the UC system.

Second, service workers on nearly every campus pointed out that their salaries have been frozen since January 2008, while the pay for the top administrators whose salary has just been frozen has been raised twice in the last year. These pay raises do not include bonuses that equate more than the average service worker’s yearly salary.

It also needs to be pointed out that despite the current “economic crisis,” last year we had a $2 million arch and a $30,000 tree put in at the south end of campus. Also, although Yudof’s plan to cut back student enrollment is a five-year plan, the long range construction plans for this campus include adding two more residential buildings – as was revealed in the Ocean Road development plan. Does all this really add up?