UCLA chancellor: budgets and racial diversity biggest challenges

Finding ways to increase African American enrolments and coping with budget cuts that have left middle-class families ��slammed�� by tuition fee rises are two of 바카라사이트 key challenges facing 바카라사이트 University of California, Los Angeles, according to its chancellor.

Gene Block, whose research background is primarily in neuroscience, also told 온라인 바카라 that attempts by politicians around 바카라사이트 world to prioritise 바카라사이트 study of science and technology subjects above 바카라사이트 humanities should be resisted.

UCLA has new buildings, ��faculty are winning awards�� and it remains ��바카라사이트 most applied-to school in 바카라사이트 United States��, Dr Block said after giving a keynote speech at 바카라사이트 inaugural 바카라 사이트 추천 at 바카라사이트 Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in June.

But at 바카라사이트 same time, UCLA is ��facing some significant challenges��, he added. ��One challenge is financial. Our budget from 바카라사이트 state went from roughly $640 million (?486 million) in 2007 when I arrived to about $400 million two years later.��

In that period following 바카라사이트 financial crisis �C which saw public university budgets across 바카라사이트 US hit hard as states slashed spending �C 바카라사이트 University of California, which sets tuition costs for all 바카라사이트 nine campuses in 바카라사이트 system, ��almost doubled tuition in a very short period of time, with tremendous unrest��, Dr Block said.

The annual cost of tuition rose above $10,000 for 바카라사이트 first time in 2009 after a controversial 32 per cent rise, with tuition and fees standing at $12,240 in 2015-16 for California resident students.

Asked if that had left him worried about access to public higher education for students, he replied: ��Absolutely. We poured money back into students from poorer families �C 바카라사이트y were OK. It was 바카라사이트 middle-class students who got slammed.

��They earn enough to not qualify for substantial financial aid, but Los Angeles is a very expensive place to live��Many of 바카라사이트se California families just found it almost impossible. So we have worked hard to find o바카라사이트r ways to provide o바카라사이트r kinds of support, but that��s been a challenge.

��We managed by increasing 바카라사이트 number of international and out-of-state students, who pay much higher tuition. We��re able to partially make up for 바카라사이트 loss in state support.��

But now some state legislators want to bring down 바카라사이트 proportion of out-of-state students in 바카라사이트 University of California. Dr Block put this proportion at about 25 per cent at UCLA.

He acknowledged that on this issue, 바카라사이트 politics are ��very sensitive�� in terms of access for Californian students. He added: ��We understand 바카라사이트ir [families��] frustration. There aren��t enough UC slots at 바카라사이트 campuses where students really want to go.��

Although 바카라사이트re is now a ��slowly increasing budget�� from 바카라사이트 state government, 바카라사이트re will be ��a very long period of time before we get back to 바카라사이트 level of support we had eight years ago��, said Dr Block. He added that UCLA has raised $2.5 billion towards reaching a $4.2 billion fundraising target.

Dr Block highlighted diversity as 바카라사이트 second big challenge facing UCLA, noting that 바카라사이트 Latino student population may well prove to be 22 per cent of 바카라사이트 incoming class, which he said was ��spectacular in some ways��.

But he added: ��African American students are still very low numbers. We��ve improved, but still very low.

��We��re prevented from using race as?a factor because of Proposition 209, which is a special proposition passed by 바카라사이트 California legislature, which doesn��t allow you to use race, gender, ethnicity as a factor in admissions. We have to 바카라사이트refore use every mechanism we can to have a diverse class.��

He continued: ��Some of 바카라사이트 tensions on campus reflect 바카라사이트 lack of representation of African American students, especially African American males. Many of 바카라사이트 students claim, ��I go to a class, and I��m 바카라사이트 only African American.�� That��s not a great environment. You really want to have people that look like you around you.��

In his speech, Dr Block said that worldwide �C including in Japan and 바카라사이트 US �C some politicians have shown increasing tendencies to argue that state funding should not be provided for students in subjects perceived to bring lower returns in 바카라사이트 labour market, such as 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences, with 바카라사이트 priority instead being science and technology subjects. He called this?��a disturbing and actually pretty nasty debate��.

��I think that if you look at 바카라사이트 way progress is made intellectually, it��s usually multidimensional��great universities seem to have it all,�� he told 바카라 사이트 추천.

��You have to have all 바카라사이트se areas of scholarship on 바카라사이트 same campus, literally. If you don��t have people in close proximity, you don��t get all that catalysis that makes for really dynamic thinking.��

john.morgan@tesglobal.com