Category Archives: Editorials

Editorials

No new university

UNIVERSITY ISSUES: A proposed ‘New University of California’ is deeply flawed and fails to truly tackle the real problems state higher education faces.

California’s public higher education system needs innovative solutions to its myriad challenges, but a problematic new university proposed by a state Assembly bill is not the right choice. The so-called “New University of California” — introduced by Assemblymember Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita — is a bad idea on all fronts. Read More…

Editorials

Toward a better Telegraph

CITY AFFAIRS: Turning Telegraph Avenue into a 24/7 business area is a good move, but more must be done to improve the street’s environment.

Imagine a new Telegraph Avenue, vibrant and welcoming at all hours, where students can enjoy Southside businesses 24/7. Such a vision may become a reality in the not-so-distant future now that Berkeley City Council has given the green light to create a 24/7 commercial district in the Telegraph area south Read More…

Editorials

Landgraf’s overreach

CAMPUS ISSUES: ASUC President Connor Landgraf’s executive orders to put two referendums on the election ballot could have been avoided.

ASUC President Connor Landgraf has muddled the proper process of this year’s election. Because he tardily submitted bills to the ASUC Senate to put two referendums before student voters, the senate could not consider the measures until after its constitutional deadline to finalize the election ballot. Accordingly, Landgraf issued executive Read More…

Editorials

SHIP in the right direction

UNIVERSITY ISSUES: The UC SHIP Advisory Board was right to recommend eliminating coverage caps. SHIP should comply with the Affordable Care Act.

Life or death should not depend on one’s ability to pay. The UC Student Health Insurance Plan Advisory Board understands this. In the face of mounting public pressure from students across the university as well as public officials like UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the board Read More…

Editorials

Insufficient honor code

CAMPUS ISSUES: While the new honor code for UC Berkeley is addressing a worthy aim, its vague nature will likely inhibit its impact.

UC Berkeley’s new honor code misses the mark. Its apparent goal, to proactively foster an atmosphere of integrity on campus, is praiseworthy. But the code’s vague language is likely to render it ineffective. The one-sentence honor code plainly states that “As a member of the UC Berkeley community, I act Read More…

Editorials

Creativity catastrophe

UNIVERSITY ISSUES: The UC system needs creative fundraising, but the regents’ plan to use social media and celebrities is an inappropriate method.

If begging for change on social media is the most creative fundraising program that the UC Board of Regents could come up with, the university is in serious trouble. People have been calling on the university to devise out-of-the-box funding schemes for years, but creative campaigns need to be feasible Read More…

Editorials

Bite the surcharge bullet

UNIVERSITY ISSUES: The regents’ decision to extend a $60 tuition surcharge is painful, but necessary to pay for the outcome of old lawsuits.

UC students shouldn’t be surprised that they are shouldering the burden of administrators’ financial mismanagement. The university has a history of solving its fiscal problems by turning to the student body. But in the case of the recently extended tuition surcharge, there appears to be no viable alternative. Students have Read More…

Editorials

Fair ASUC election finances

CAMPUS ISSUES: A new finance commission for the ASUC elections will hopefully make the system more fair, transparent and accessible to outsiders.

The new ASUC Elections Finance Commission will be a welcome addition to this year’s election. In previous years, it was nearly impossible for third parties and independents to get elected to partisan executive offices or to increase their representation in the ASUC Senate. But that could change with the imposition Read More…

Editorials

Deflating academic inequity

CAMPUS ISSUES: Contextual grading at UC Berkeley could be beneficial for many students, but only if the system takes a nuanced approach.

If implemented appropriately, contextualized grades may prove to be a major benefit to UC Berkeley students. Across the country, rampant grade inflation has cheapened the value of high letter grades, and while the campus has generally followed this trend, the average grade awarded to Berkeley students has been noticeably lower Read More…

Editorials

Lessons from divestment

CAMPUS ISSUES: Should the ASUC Senate once again consider an Israel-related divestment bill, it should learn from its 2010 effort.

Israel-related divestment is once again a pressing issue in the UC system. But this time, student governments at campuses other than UC Berkeley are the ones addressing the topic — so far. UC Riverside’s student government recently passed a resolution calling on the university to divest from companies with ties Read More…