UCSB’s Faculty Legislature discussed
budgetary issues and issued Teaching and
Mentorship Awards to distinguished members
of the university at yesterday’s meeting.
The board, which acts as the legislative
branch of the Academic Senate, honored
12 faculty members, teaching assistants and
graduate students who were nominated by
campus community members for outstanding
dedication to the university. The legislature
meets five times a year to counsel university
administrators on current financial and
curricular concerns.
Six faculty members — linguistics professor
Mary Bucholtz, computer science lecturer
Phillip Conrad, black studies professor George
Lipsitz, history of art and architecture associate
professor Laurie Monahan, music assistant
professor Stephanie Tcharos and writing
program lecturer Michael Petracca — received
Distinguished Teaching Awards.
The board also presented awards to
classics TA Laura Behymer, computer science TA Bryce
Boe, religious studies TA Nathan French and history TA
Jason Linn. Divyakant Agrawal of the computer science
department and Aaron Ettenberg of the psychological and
brain sciences department were recognized as outstanding
graduate mentors.
Additionally, the Graduate Council reported to the
board that it unanimously approved a new emphasis in
Pharmacology and Biotechnology for the graduate MCDB
curriculum, effective immediately.
Academic Senate Divisional Chair and economics
professor Henning Bohn then updated the board on Gov.
Jerry Brown’s proposed 2011-12 California state budget.
Bohn said the university is awaiting further updates from
the Capitol regarding state funding for the UC in the
coming year.
“The hope is that the state will fix itself,” Bohn said.
“Hopefully the funding will be there to provide for the
university.”
Bohn said faculty participation in budget planning
is essential to the cohesiveness and future success of the
university.
“I am open to involving the faculty with the budget,”
Bohn said. “Once the budget comes down from Sacramento
we can move forward, and I think that it is important to
involve the faculty in that.”
Bohn also warned the board that if Brown’s proposed tax
increases are not approved, the UC could face unprecedented
tuition increases and potential campus closures.
“On the budget, we don’t quite know what to do,” Bohn
said. “Governor Brown’s plan to hold a referendum in June
on tax increases appears to have failed, so we don’t quite
know what is going to happen; a stalemate has developed.”
UC administrators expects that the 10-campus system
will lose between $500 million and $1.4 billion in state
funding for next year, depending on approval of the state
budget by California’s legislatures.
Chancellor Henry T. Yang was not present at the
meeting as he was attending a reception for incoming
international UCSB students in China.
