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#33 Report Post
Old 10-05-2009, 09:41 AM
ilbegone ilbegone is offline
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An opinion piece by Roman Zhuk concerning budget cuts in the University Of California, edited version. Link for full version at bottom.
Quote:
I'm a UC Berkeley student, and I went to class on Thursday rather than joining the campus walkout in protest of proposed tuition fee hikes.
I went because I'm sick and tired of a professional caste of malcontents among the students, faculty and workers that raises a hue and cry every time reality does not live up to their ill-founded sense of entitlement.
I like UC President Mark Yudof - he's an intelligent, articulate leader in difficult circumstances. That said, his commitment to "equity" - that is, budget cuts are to be distributed as equally as possible - is mistaken. It seems to rely on the idea that everything the university does is equally useful. Most reasonable people, however, will agree that this isn't quite true.
UC medical schools and hospitals are on the cutting edge of research - they save the lives of patients throughout the world with their innovations. We are supposed to redirect the bonuses their faculty receives for their fine work so the ethnic studies departments and the like don't lose any funding? No, thank you. I know the benefit of UC medical centers - I'm a bit less clear on the benefit to the general population arising from the ethnic studies department .
You are going to hear a lot of "demands" from the protesters. Pose this question to those making these demands: "There is a budget gap of hundreds of millions of dollars - where do you suggest the money to meet your demands comes from?"
The answer is that there is no easy answer. There is going to be pain and suffering. Students are going to have to figure out how to come up with more money for their tuition. Professors are going to have to make do with some reductions in their pay, as millions of other Americans are doing.
Nobody's happy about this. But higher education can't be isolated from the tribulations of the outside world. Skipping a day of school and pretending that something will magically change is a charade in which nobody should indulge.
http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_13427368
This opinion piece by Roman Zhuk does not constitute either endorsement or affiliation to any organization or cause.