Students Demand State Support for Cal Grants in Sacramento

University of California students made their voices heard at both the state capitol in Sacramento and at Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office in Los Angeles on Wednesday, May 12. They rallied in support of state funding for higher education and Cal Grants, in anticipation of the governor’s May budget revisal.

The governor’s new budget, expected to be released Friday, May 16, is a revision of the budget that was released in January.

This year, California is facing a $20 billion budget deficit. The governor’s press secretary recently stated that this new budget will contain “absolutely terrible cuts.”

The rally in Sacramento was sponsored by the University of California Student Association, and was attended by around 20 UC Santa Cruz students. The students at the state capitol were met by State Senator Leland Yee and Assembly member Warren Furutani, who recently proposed to annually adjust Cal Grant awards to the Consumer Price Index, a measure of inflation.

Although the January budget contained an increase in state funds for the UC, the governor proposed funding cuts for competitive Cal Grants.

“We are trying to let the governor know we are still here,” said Victor Sanchez, UCSC fourth-year and president of the UC Student Association.

“Ultimately, he made a promise [in the January budget],” Sanchez said, talking about Schwarzenegger’s commitment not to cut state funding to public higher education this year.

“After six years of failed promise, we are optimistic and apprehensive at the same time,” he said. “We need him to come full circle this time.”

Reported by Ben Gevercer

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UCSC Faculty and Alumnus Vie for Executive Vice Chancellor Position

Chancellor Blumenthal recently named four final candidates for the vacant executive vice chancellor position. The finalists include three UC Santa Cruz faculty members and one Berkeley faculty member, a UCSC alumnus. Each finalist will participate in a two-day visit to the University.

Finalists will meet first with Chancellor Blumenthal, principal officers, members of the Academic Senate, Student Union Assembly, Graduate Student Association and representatives of the Staff Advisory Board. On the second day, each finalist will meet at the Stevenson Event Center from 2-3:30 p.m. to address the topic “A Vision for the Future of UCSC: A Strategy and Leadership Style That Will Get Us There.”

The Candidates:

Alison Galloway is a vice provost of academic affairs and a professor of anthropology at UCSC. She served as chair of the academic senate from 2003-05. Galloway is a UC Berkeley and University of Arizona graduate with M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in anthropology. Galloway is one of the nation’s leading forensic anthropologists. Galloway will be at the Stevenson Event Center on May 18.

William Ladusaw is vice provost and dean of undergraduate education and a professor of linguistics at UCSC. Ladusaw served as the provost of Cowell College from 1997-2003 and is a graduate from the University of Kentucky and the University of Texas at Austin, with M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in linguistics and syntax and semantics. Ladusaw will be at the Stevenson Event Center on June 2.

Tyler Stovall is dean of the Undergraduate Division of the College of Letters and Sciences and a professor of history at UC Berkeley. Stovall served as the executive director of the France-Berkeley Fund for the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate. He was also vice chair of the Senate’s committee on women and ethnic minorities. Stovall earned his B.A. in history at Harvard and his M.A. and Ph.D. in modern European and French history at the University of Wisconsin. Stovall will be at the Stevenson Event Center on May 27.

Stephen Thorsett is dean of the Division of Physical and Biological Sciences and a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz. Thorsett served as chair of astronomy and astrophysics, associate dean of Physical and Biological Sciences, and parliamentarian of the UCSC Academic Senate. Thorsett earned his B.A. in math at Carleton College and his M.A. and Ph.D. in physics at Princeton University. Thorsett will be at the Stevenson Event Center on May 25.

Reported by Sarah Naugle