UC student Regent Jesse Cheng’s premature resignation leaves his tenure incomplete after a term marred by controversy.
The scandal he faced is enough to make most public officials resign immediately, but his waiting for two months to pass after receiving a student conduct violation for sexual battery by the UC Irvine Student Conduct Office in March makes Cheng’s decision to resign questionable.
Cheng’s resignation is nearly inconsequential at this point. His decision to resign comes too late after his initial controversy to be a sign of the scandal’s effect on his job performance — Cheng was apprehended by the Irvine police for sexual battery in November, though the DA did not charge him with any crime.
But the remainder of his term should have been used to more thoroughly train the student Regent-Designate, Alfredo Mireles Jr., so Mireles could have started the job in July with the highest level of preparation possible.
Cheng said that the reason he stayed on as long as he did was because he was “working on a project (he) wanted to finish.”
But fulfilling the responsibilities of student regent goes beyond individual projects.
Cheng should have remained engaged with other university-wide issues, giving the students a voice on the Board of Regents. His job was, after all, to be the only representative the students have in a body that makes major decisions for the university, affecting all of the students.
Though Cheng credited part of his decision to a lack of understanding of the duties that go along with the office, he spent a year as the student Regent-Designate shadowing his predecessor.
We imagine that Cheng knew most of what the job entailed before he took office, so his decision to resign so late after the controversy cannot be heavily blamed on a misunderstanding of the duties of the student Regent.
The legacy that Cheng is leaving behind is one that will be overshadowed by scandal and controversy. Unfortunately, his early resignation does nothing to help his already tarnished image. Rather, it leaves his tenure as student regent incomplete and is an unsatisfying end to an ignominious term.
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come again? what exactly is the problem DC editors?
they pick a student regent nearly a year in advance, and the new guy starts a month early because of this business w/Cheng stepping aside
http://www.dailynexus.com/2011-05-24/regents-restore-order/
the student regent is a non-voting position, i.e. has no power whatsoever,
a tip-off to the fact that the voting regents don’t have to pay any actual respect to students’ views – only lip service
the dismantling of the university continues unabated b/c this matter is a tragicomedic farce, a distraction from real issues, a manufactured bit of slight of hand.
This would be deserving of praise to whomever dreamed it up and pulled it off, except for the fact that Cheng has to get his name smeared in a case with no evidence. UCI uses a burden of proof so low that “he said/she said” allegations are taken as though they were fact.
The accusation was quite serious in nature but the DA didn’t even bother to indict, the public is left to conclude that there’s no evidence that meets the standard of “beyond a reasonable doubt”. Last time we had that situation 7 people were arrested outside the chancellor’s house and charged with 7 felonies each. The DA declined to indict, but the UC still put the screws to the two students involved in a conduct hearing. The only difference is that the current case is about sex so everyone assumes he did it, whereas the previous case was about property damage and everyone assumes the cops are willing to lie on the stand when they don’t know which person is responsible.
New student Regent agenda includes faculty removing eampty gestures for deeds to save university costs.
Californians face foreclosure, unemployment, depressed
wages and higher taxes: it’s time the Governor, UC Board of Regents, President
Yudof showed leadership by curbing costs, particularly wages, benefits. As a
Californian, I don’t care what others earn at private, public universities. If wages
better elsewhere, chancellors, vice chancellors, tenured, non tenured faculty, UCOP
should apply for the positions. If wages commit employees to UC, leave for
better paying position. The sky above UC will not fall.
California suffers from the
greatest deficit modern times. UC wages, benefits must reflect California’s ability to
pay, not what others paid elsewhere. Campus chancellors, vice chancellors,
tenured & non-tenured faculty, UCOP are replaceable by the more talented.
UC eases pressure for additional funding:
No furloughs
18 percent reduction in UCOP salaries & $50 million cut.
18 percent prune of campus chancellors’, vice chancellors’ salaries.
15 percent trim of tenured faculty salaries, increased teaching load
10 percent decrease in non-tenured faculty salaries, as well as increase research,
teaching load
100%
elimination of all Academic Senate, Academic Council costs, wages.
Rose
bushes bloom after pruning.
The Governor, UC Board of Regents, whining President can bridge
the trust gap to public by offering reassurances that salaries reflect depressed
wages in California.
The sky above UC will not fall.
Californians are reasonable people. Levy no new taxes until
an approved balanced budget: let the Governor/Legislature lead; make the
tough-minded (not cold hearted) decisions of elected leadership. Afterwards
come to public for continuing, specified
taxes.
Thanking
you in advance for advocating for all Californians, University of California
Cheng was never charged by the criminal justice system, and is entitled to a presumption of innocence until proven guilty. There was on reason for him to resign.
The fact that he was “convicted” by a leftwing campus kangaroo court is laughably irrelevant. Perhaps even a badge of honor.