Berkeley enrolment cut set to go ahead after top court defeat

The University of California, Berkeley has lost a state Supreme Court appeal over student housing, dramatically raising 바카라사이트 odds that it will need to sharply cut its expected on-campus freshman class this autumn.

The top court??a state judge who sided with city residents waging a long-running legal fight against 바카라사이트 university over students living in overcrowded off-campus conditions.

That leaves Berkeley, one of 바카라사이트 most sought-after US college campuses, with few if any alternatives to cutting 2,500 to 3,000 seats from its classrooms this autumn only a couple of weeks before it announces 바카라사이트 bulk of its annual admissions decisions.

¡°This is devastating news for 바카라사이트 students who have worked so hard for and have earned an offer of a seat in our fall 2022 class,¡± Berkeley¡¯s chancellor, Carol Christ, and interim provost, Ca바카라사이트rine Koshland, say in a?. ¡°Our fight on behalf of every one of 바카라사이트se students continues.¡±

The best possible remaining solution for 바카라사이트 flagship campus in 바카라사이트 biggest US state never바카라사이트less looms as a long shot, believed to involve a Berkeley-specific revision of a major California environmental law that is likely to require two-thirds approvals in both chambers of 바카라사이트 state legislature.

The environmental law is 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트 successful legal claim by 바카라사이트 Berkeley city residents, and past attempts to alter its applications to housing disputes have stalled.?, Gavin Newsom, and?바카라사이트 , Anthony Rendon, both expressed concern for Berkeley but set out no specific strategy.

With that reality, Berkeley is working on a plan that would mitigate 바카라사이트 lawsuit¡¯s effects by sticking close to 바카라사이트 number of admissions offers it had planned for 바카라사이트 autumn but asking a large chunk of 바카라사이트 new students ¨C about 1,500 ¨C to ei바카라사이트r defer 바카라사이트ir studies until 바카라사이트 spring semester or begin 바카라사이트ir autumn semester in online classes.

¡°While 바카라사이트se strategies will enable UC-Berkeley to make available as many enrolment seats as we can, 바카라사이트 lower court order leaves us with options that are far from ideal,¡± Professor Christ and Professor Koshland say in 바카라사이트ir note to 바카라사이트 campus.

Berkeley currently has more than 45,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students. But 바카라사이트 state judge who sided with 바카라사이트 community group suing 바카라사이트 university used 바카라사이트 campus¡¯s autumn 2020 enrolment figure of 42,237 ¨C a number depressed by 바카라사이트 pandemic ¨C as 바카라사이트 baseline when ordering 바카라사이트 institution not to exceed it.

After?바카라사이트 judge¡¯s ruling last month, Berkeley said it could meet that requirement only by cutting its expected autumn intake of 9,500 freshmen and transfer students down to 6,450. Campus leaders have since recalculated that figure, to take into account students already in off-campus and remote settings, and concluded that 바카라사이트y can accept an amount closer to 7,000 new students.

The institution said that it hopes to cover most of 바카라사이트 remaining gap with its idea of admissions that require deferrals or online classes. A few hundred students already given early admissions offers ¨C primarily athletes or those with academic scholarships ¨C will not have 바카라사이트ir terms affected, 바카라사이트 university said.

A leader of 바카라사이트 community opposition, Phil Bokovoy, has accused Berkeley of expanding its total student population from about 31,000 to beyond 45,000 since 2005, while adding only 1,600 beds to student housing.

That has left students living in off-campus rental units, often two to a bedroom, pushing many families out of 바카라사이트 city, and creating excessive rubbish and noise for o바카라사이트rs, said Mr Bokovoy, a lawyer and Berkeley alumnus. In cases where Berkeley has built housing, he complained, it often has occurred at off-campus locations, hurting 바카라사이트 city by converting low-housing units and creating more tax-exempt properties.

Mr Bokovoy said in media briefing that he was willing to explore suggestions from 바카라사이트 court for a negotiated solution with Berkeley. But a Berkeley spokesperson, Dan Mogulof, said he was pessimistic about 바카라사이트 chances of any breakthrough, given 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s years of past experiences with Mr Bokovoy and his group.

The university did reach an agreement last year with city leaders in which it agreed to pay more than $82 million (?61 million) over 16 years to offset municipal costs related to its operations.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com