Wilcox will replace Jane Close Conoley, the interim chancellor, who replaced former chancellor Timothy White in December after White left to become chancellor of the California State University system. Wilcox was announced as nominee for the position on July 25.

While Wilcox’s appointment was approved in a unanimous vote, both Gov. Jerry Brown  and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom spoke out against his compensation package, which includes an annual base salary of $354,000 — an increase of $29,000, or 8.9 percent, from White’s salary.

Brown expressed concerns that Wilcox would receive an increase in salary from the previous chancellor and voted against the compensation package. In November, Brown also opposed an increase in compensation for UC Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks, citing concern with the university’s cost structure and the need for public administrators to exhibit the spirit of “servant leadership.”

Despite Brown’s opposition, the regents approved the compensation package.

UC President Mark Yudof expressed confidence that Wilcox would excel as chancellor.

“Kim Wilcox brings to the University of California distinctive expertise and interests that will serve the Riverside campus and the larger community exceedingly well,” Yudof said.

Bruce Varner, chair of the Board of Regents, served on the search committee and also expressed support of Wilcox.

“Kim Wilcox emerged as the top choice from an outstanding group of candidates,” Varner said. “He has everything it takes to be not only a strong leader and advocate for students, faculty and staff on campus but also a positive force for the larger community.”

Wilcox will begin his position as chancellor of UC Riverside on Aug. 19.

“I’m humbled and honored and excited about this chance,” Wilcox said. “Every university can become better, and great universities can become greater, and that’s what I see happening at the University of California, Riverside.”

Wilcox has served as provost and executive vice president of Michigan State University since 2005. He previously served as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Kansas from 2002 to 2005 and as president and CEO of the Kansas Board of Regents from 1999 to 2002.

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Beginning on July 1, 2014, the “1976 tier” of the UCRP, which consists of the majority of employees hired before 2013, will increase its contribution rates from 6.5 percent to 8 percent, and the university contribution rates will increase from 12 percent to 14 percent. This decision has been met with mixed  reactions, with some faculty members supporting the decision and some unions criticizing the increase in employee contribution rates.

The UC Academic Senate voted unanimously to support the contribution increases, and the UC Board of Regents expressed similar support at its meeting on July 17.

From 1990 to 2010, the university stopped paying into its pension program due to a surplus in funds. Following the economic downturn in 2008, however, UCRP suffered a significant decline in the value of its assets, resulting in an underfunded status that has since propelled increasing contributions, such as this last decision, by the university and employees to the plan.

“A gradual ramp-up will be less detrimental,” said Nathan Brostrom, UC executive vice president of business operations. “The trade-off is reasonable.”

As a part of the approved change to UCRP funding, contributions from members who were hired before July 1, 2013, will be decreased by $19 a month.

Although the total contributions to the UCRP fail to meet the regents’ funding program, they will surpass the plan’s normal cost, which is the cost of benefits earned per year.

“It is absolutely necessary, and more needs to be done,” said Academic Senate chair Robert Powell regarding the UCRP change. “The employer contribution needs to increase to 18 percent as soon as possible.”

Many other faculty members are also in support of the new plan because they said they want to preserve their pension funds.

“Right now, the pension fund has an unfunded liability,” said Christine Rosen, vice chair of the Berkeley Faculty Association and an associate professor at Haas School of Business. “We’re trying to fill the hole, but it’s extremely difficult to do it, because it takes a lot of money.”

However, not all are in favor of this plan. The University Professional and Technical Employees Union is among several unions that have expressed discontent regarding the plan.

“We are for contributions and for increased contributions to the fund, but we are also for accountability,” said Tanya Smith, president of the Local 1 chapter of UPTE-CWA 9119, which represents technical, research and professional health care workers at the university. “Employees who are contributing more also should have increased salaries.”

Similarly, members of the American Federation for State County and Municipal Employees 3299 strongly oppose the contribution increases.

“What happened at the UC Regents meeting is a continuation of a terrible pattern,” said Todd Stenhouse, a spokesperson for AFSCME 3299. “This is about doing everything and anything to avoid doing the right thing, which is capping executive pensions.”

The UCRP media release predicts that UC employer contributions will continue to increase in the future.

“Today’s action is part of a broader effort to maintain financially sustainable pension benefits for employees,” the statement says.

Contact Jane Nho at jnho@dailycal.org.

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The Infill Apartments at Kresge, Porter, Cowell and Stevenson colleges on the UC Santa Cruz campus were constructed in 2004 and have suffered extensive water damage due to faulty exterior waterproofing systems and shower assemblies. The university is currently involved in litigation to recover the money from the damage associated with construction defects.

According to John Barnes, associate vice chancellor for physical and planning and construction, the project will be carried out in two phases. In the first phase, the damage at Kresge and Stevenson colleges will be addressed, and in the second phase, Porter and Cowell colleges will be repaired.

The project has a budget of $32,982,000 and will be funded by the Colleges, Housing and  Educational Services Auxiliary Reserves and external financing.

“Though the fee of this project seems high, I feel it’s necessary to ensure safety and to provide us with the manpower to put together a set of documents that are biddable,” Barnes said.

According to UC Santa Cruz Chancellor George Blumenthal, the project covers about 160,000 square feet and about 246 bath and shower assemblies will be examined.

“While we have done extensive forensic investigation, we may encounter additional damage,” Blumental said. “We need to do this project as soon as possible to prevent further damage. We need to create a safe and healthy environments for students.”

While the project is being carried out, displaced students will be placed in two-person rooms that will be made to accommodate three people, according to Blumenthal.

Repairs at Stevenson and Kresge colleges will occur from August 2013 through June 2014, and repairs at Cowell and Porter will occur from July 2014 through May 2015.

Later in the meeting, the regents approved an increase in funding for UCSD Medical Center East Campus Bed Tower, now called the Jacobs Medical Center, to increase inpatient beds, medical units and operating rooms. According to the agenda item posted before the meeting, the increase in funding was $141,460,000.

Contact Jane Nho at jnho@dailycal.org.

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The 2013-14 budget will increase funds for the UC and CSU systems by 5 percent, about $125 million more than last year. It will also be the first part of a four-year funding plan, in which the UC and CSU systems will receive up to a 20 percent increase in general funds appropriations. The systems will also be granted an additional $125 million increase in funds for 2013-14 for freezing tuition costs in 2012-13.

“California’s finances are in very solid shape for the first time in a decade,” Governor Brown said in a press release. “We’re making significant investments in the things Californians care most about — the education of our children and adequate health care.”

In an effort to make higher education more affordable for students and their families, the budget also establishes an expected four-year tuition freeze for UC and CSU residents — from 2013-14 to 2016-17.

The budget also establishes a Middle Class Scholarship program, which will go into effect in the 2014-15 school year. The plan will slash tuition up to 40 percent for students with annual family incomes up to $150,000

According to a press statement by Patrick Lenz, the University of California’s vice president for budget, the university is hopeful that the new budget will allow it to hire more faculty and staff members and make education more affordable for students and their families.

The budget also shifts general obligation and lease revenue debt service for UC capital improvement projects to the university budget. The university will be able to factor these capital costs into the university’s overall financial projections. Also, the plan states that there are limits to the amount of the university’s budget that can be used for UC capital expenditures, which now need to be approved by the administration and the state Legislature.

“The university now has the authority to refinance existing debt that the state previously issued on UC’s behalf, creating savings that will go toward funding our retirement plan with potential additional savings to address other essential university programs,” Lenz said.

The budget also increases funding for K-12 education by adding $2 billion to California’s K-12 schools through the Local Control Funding Formula, which allocates funds to students with the greatest need based on English proficiency, foster care and income.

Additionally, the budget requires UC and CSU systems to provide reports for graduation rates, number of community college transfer students and number of degrees completed for first-time freshman students, low-income students and graduate students.

“Like other state-supported entities, UC did not receive everything it asked for in this budget, but the funding increase certainly puts the university on a sound financial trajectory,” Lenz said.

Contact Jane Nho at jnho@dailycal.org.

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According to the UCPD crime alert released Tuesday, the two male victims, whose affiliations are unknown, were walking down Warring Street at approximately 10:30 p.m when they were approached by three males, one of which was armed with a handgun. When the armed suspect demanded the victims’ belongings, the victims cooperated and gave the suspects their cellphones and wallets.

Following the robbery, the suspects ordered the victims to walk away from Warring Street, and the victims complied. The victims, who were not physically hurt, later found a UCPD officer and reported the crime. When Berkeley Police Department and UCPD searched the scene of the robbery and the surrounding area, they did not find the suspects.

“Officers will be vigilant and aware of the situation,” said BPD spokesperson Officer Jennifer Coats, who added that the case is under further investigation by BPD.

According to the UCPD crime alert, the suspects are described as:

Suspect No. 1 — A black male, 18 to 22 years of age, 5-foot-7 and 145 lbs., wearing a dark mask and black pants and armed with a gun.

Suspect No. 2 — A black male, 18 to 22 years of age, 6-foot-4 and 180 to 190 lbs., wearing a gray baseball cap and dark clothing.

Suspect No. 3 — A black male, 18 to 22 years of age, 5-foot-10 and 170 lbs., wearing dark clothing.

Contact Jane Nho at jnho@dailycal.org.

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Andrew Kuo/Staff

UCPD is currently investigating the theft of sign lettering from a retaining wall west of Boalt Hall in an act that officers call “grand theft lettering.”

The letters, reported stolen Tuesday, spell out the words “University of California” underneath a sign that reads “Berkeley Law.” According to a UCPD crime report, the theft took place sometime between May 1 and June 14.

The cost of the theft is $1,200, including the cost of installing new lettering more securely. The original letters were held in place with prongs.

Contact Jane Nho at jnho@dailycal.org.

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In Association of Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, the justices ruled that human genes cannot be patented. UC professors responded positively to the unanimous decision.

According to Robert Nussbaum, a professor at the UCSF School of Medicine, the ruling will dramatically decrease the cost of genetic testing and overall expand the ability to do clinical research as testing will be less expensive.

“The problem before was that that the research was contained in one company, and that prevented us from doing more research,” Nussbaum said. “I really think this is a big win for physicians, researchers and patients.”

Some UC Berkeley professors expressed concern that the decision leaves uncertainty about which genes are patentable, specifically in the case of complementary DNA.

Myriad Genetics, the company that long held a patent on two genes linked to breast cancer, set the precedent for forbidding the patenting of a human gene. However, the justices did not prohibit the patenting of cDNA, classifying it as “synthetically created” because it is created in a laboratory through a process called reverse transcription.

“I personally don’t see that there’s any difference between patenting DNA and patenting cDNA,” said Henk Roelink, a campus professor of molecular and cell biology who specializes in genetics. “There’s gonna be some trick in the middle that can circumvent this decision, and a lot of companies will run circles around it.”

Myriad Genetics does not expect an impact on its operations, said Ron Rogers, executive vice president of corporate communications.

“We still have robust intellectual property,” Rogers said. “We view it as positive because the court upheld the cDNA patent eligibility.”

In court, a Myriad Genetics lawyer, Gregory Castanias, argued his defendant’s case by comparing gene isolation to the creation of a baseball bat, explaining that it “doesn’t exist until it’s isolated from the tree.”

“But that’s still the product of human invention to decide where to begin the bat and where to end the bat,” Castanias said.

Five out of the nine claims that the court was concerned with were ruled ineligible.

“Myriad did not create anything,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote to the court. “To be sure, it found an important and useful gene, but separating that gene from its surrounding genetic material is not an act of invention.”

According to Irvin Mettler, an associate director for the campus Office of Technology Licensing, Berkeley has very few patents involving the identification of a gene sequence, so on-campus research may not be directly impacted by the decision.

However, UC Berkeley professor of molecular and cell biology Michael Botchan said the decision will more broadly increase competition, which will lead to better diagnostics than those that currently exist.

“I think it eventually might increase the size of the database for the people who want to increase screenings,” Botchan said. “There will be more sequencing and companies that will be developing new diagnostics.”

Contact Jane Nho at Jnho@dailycal.org

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Despite opposition from some community college administrators, AB 955 passed 5-2, with two senators abstaining, and will now be sent to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Authored by Assemblymember Das Williams, D-Santa Barbara, the bill would allow community college districts to cover the cost of offering more extension courses by raising tuition for in-state residents from an average of $46 per unit to around $200 per unit. Last Monday, the bill was passed in the California Assembly.

Williams said he authored the bill in response to budget cuts that forced community colleges to cut offerings of important courses. Proponents of the bill hope it will permit community colleges to offer courses that would help students to transfer or earn a degree during shorter intercessions. These programs would only be eligible for colleges that have been at enrollment capacity for the preceding two years.

“What is very key about my bill is that community colleges can only add new sections that students often take years getting through the waiting lists for,” Williams said. “We have to urgently look for ways to give students access to the courses they need.”

Brice Harris, chancellor of the California Community Colleges system, was one of the many AB 955 opponents who spoke at Wednesday’s California Senate Education Committee hearing. Harris and others said they worried the bill could create a two-tier system of those who can and cannot afford the increased tuition.

“I think this bill is bad public policy, creating a two-tiered fee system depending on demand or ability to pay,” Harris said. “There are far better ways of dealing with the issue than charging students more and more money.”

Williams said in response to the concerns, the bill was amended to downscale the number of colleges participating to 15 campuses and would have a sunset of six years.

Several other groups, such as the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges, a professional membership association with nearly 10,000 members across the states, have also voiced their opposition.

“We are philosophically opposed to this bill, because we don’t believe that community colleges function to support the haves over the have-nots,” said Jonathan Lightman, executive director of the FACCC.

According to Lightman, members of the FACCC participated in a joint coalition with community college students and faculty members, the California Community College Chancellor’s Office and representative districts to lobby against the bill at the state Capitol on Tuesday.

Community colleges remain divided on this bill. College of the Canyons, along with a handful of other community colleges, are in support of AB 955. Fernando Vasquez, the associated student government president at College of the Canyons, testified in support of the bill on Wednesday at the hearing.

“We can’t afford to wait anymore,” Vasquez said. “We need classes so we can transfer and get jobs.”

Jose Ortiz, the chancellor of the Peralta Community College district, was also among those who spoke at the state Capitol on Wednesday. The Peralta Community College district, which includes Berkeley City College as well as other community colleges in the area, has expressed strong opposition to the bill.

“This bill will push our students to further financial aid and would require them, in my opinion, to move into further debt,” Ortiz said.

Contact Jane Nho at jnho@dailycal.org.

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Andrew Kuo/Senior Staff

The UC Berkeley College of Engineering announced on Thursday a $20 million gift from the Paul and Stacy Jacobs Foundation to launch a new institute that will focus on incorporating design into engineering education.

Former president Bill Clinton helped announce the launch of the design innovation institute at the annual Clinton Global Initiative America meeting in Chicago. Paul Jacobs, a UC Berkeley alumnus and the CEO of Qualcomm Inc., and his wife, Stacy Jacobs, were both present at the event. The design innovation institute aims to integrate design into the engineering curriculum and provide students with studios and workshops to work on design and fabrication.

Fiona Doyle, executive associate dean of the College of Engineering, was among those who expressed their thoughts on the initiative.

“This puts Berkeley in a position to lead the national effort on widening the educational pipeline to provide more grads who will have careers in innovation,” Doyle said. “This obviously is going to have huge benefits for the national competitiveness as well as the general quality of life.”

Clinton chose to showcase the new institute at his Global Initiative meeting, which convenes leaders in the business, foundation, NGO and government sectors to generate solutions for economic recovery and job creation. The event was webcast in Berkeley at a viewing party at the Hearst Memorial Mining Building on campus, where College of Engineering faculty and staff members and a recent graduate spoke.

“This new initiative is something that is very timely and is going to provide a lot more space and resources to enable us to educate and motivate our students to become world-class engineering leaders,” said professor Tsu-Jae King Liu, associate chair of the electrical engineering and computer sciences department.

According to Karen Rhodes, executive director of marketing and communications at the College of Engineering, the initiative is still in the planning stages, although a faculty task force has already been established.

Rhodes estimates that there will be pilot programs in the upcoming school year but that the initiative will not be formalized until the 2015-16 school year.

“It’s really about motivation, because to get the students involved in creating an even larger innovation economy, they need to get the satisfaction early in their educational career,” Jacobs said. “(Students) can know how to build real products that can help real people improve their lives, and that’s what we’re most excited about.”

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The increase will affect nonrepresented staff members at the university — staff unaffiliated with unions — which include librarians, human resources and public affairs staff, among others. Despite the planned increase, staff  members at UC Berkeley have only been authorized a 1 percent increase in salary to account for a 2 percent increase authorized in March as a market adjustment. The universitywide increase will also exempt senior UC management.

A similar universitywide salary increase of 3 percent was authorized in October 2011, but it was merit-based and given only to staff who received satisfactory performance reviews and had salaries of less than $200,000. According to UC spokesperson Brooke Converse, there has not been an unconditional universitywide salary increase in five years.

“We want to make sure that all our faculty and staff is valued,” Converse said. “The president (Mark Yudof) believes the staff deserves it.”

Converse said UC President Mark Yudof wanted to implement the increase now because staff pension contributions will go up from 5 percent to 6.5 percent on July 1. Providing the salary increase could offset some of the costs.

Robert Powell, chair of the UC Academic Senate, said that many of the faculty members he has spoken to about this salary increase are in favor of it.

However, unlike the other UC schools, UC Berkeley will not receive the full 3 percent increase due to a 2 percent salary increase for nonrepresented staff in March.

In an email in March, then-UC Berkeley chancellor Robert Birgeneau said the 2 percent increase at UC Berkeley was an effort to align the compensation of the school’s nonrepresented staff with the marketplace and retain quality personnel.

“In fact, at present our non-represented staff is, on average, 11 percent behind the market as of 2012, and we are experiencing challenges in recruiting Bay Area talent to important positions here on our campus,” Birgeneau said in the email. “My primary goals in this effort are to recognize our staff, strengthen our workforce, and ensure the future of UC Berkeley.”

The funds for the universitywide salary increase will come from each campus’s 2013-14 budget.

The estimated cost of the systemwide program for core funded programs is approximately $54 million, according to Converse.

Contact Jane Nho at jnho@dailycal.org.

Clarification(s):
A previous version of this article may have implied that the UC would be receiving additional funds for the salary increases. In fact, no additional allocations will be made to fund these increases. The funds will come from each campus’s 2013-14 budget.

Correction(s):
A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that a 3 percent increase in salary was approved for faculty and nonrepresented academic personnel. In fact, the salary increase is 3 percent for nonrepresented staff and 2 percent for faculty and nonrepresented academic personnel.

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that staff pension contributions will go up 6.5 percent on July 1. In fact, they will go up from 5 percent to 6.5 percent.

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