State Lawmakers Attack UC Compact

Democratic lawmakers charged at a hearing Friday at the International House that a recent deal between UC and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will violate the university's four-decade-old guarantee of accepting all eligible students.

Four state legislators, including the chair of the Assembly's Higher Education Committee, heard testimony from students, parents and administrators on the impact of the budget cuts and fee increases.

The legislators attacked the recent compact struck between UC and Schwarzenegger for raising student fees and neglecting to incorporate the state Legislature into the decision-making process.

"Deals cut in the middle of the night between one or two people do not represent the will of the people," said Assemblymember Wilma Chan, D-Oakland, also a parent of a UC student.

Days before Schwarzenegger unveiled a revision to his state budget proposal, he and UC released a compact that would call for large budget cuts next year in exchange for modest funding increases in following years.

It included a planned 14 percent increase in undergraduate student fees and a 20 percent increase in graduate student fees for the fall.

Assembly members said this placed an undue financial burden on students.

"Its not affordable," Chan said. "A lot of students are working a job already and may now have to work several jobs, and some may just drop out."

The compact also went forward with Schwarzenegger's original proposal to cut UC freshman enrollment by 10 percent, which would defer 3,200 eligible freshmen to a community college for two years.

"For every student that is denied placement at UC, every student that has the door shut at CSU because of this new compact, there will be, if they in fact go down to our already overcrowded community colleges, a young person who will not have a seat at a community college," said Assemblymember Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley.

Legislators said this would violate UC's more than 40-year-old promise of offering space to all students who met the university's eligibility requirements.

"The Master Pla n (Plan for Higher Education) promised access for all Californians to high quality systems for higher education at affordable prices," said Assemblymember Carol Liu, D-Pasadena, chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee.

Panelists said this promise will not be met if the current proposal passes, particularly as California's college-age population booms.

They added that the overall climate will lead to a decrease in research and innovation, and subsequently a drop in the economy.

"California and the United States' ability to compete internationally is deeply linked to our ability to be at the edge of research," said Bruce Hamlett, chief consultant of the Assembly Higher Education Committee.

The California State Assembly must submit its budget decisions by June 15.

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