Master Plan for Higher Education

California’s candidates for lieutenant governor — state Senator Ed Hernandez and former U.S. ambassador to Hungary Eleni Kounalakis — spoke about college affordability, capacity and access at a moderated interview hosted by the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on Tuesday night.

The UC Regents should be stronger advocates for students. No one becomes a UC Regent because they want to hurt students.

She was first admitted to UC Berkeley on a scholarship from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The California State Auditor released a report Tuesday that sharply criticized the University of California’s policy on nonresident enrollment for disadvantaging in-state students.

The legislation, Senate Bill 850, would approve a pilot program at up to 15 community-college districts to grant bachelor’s degrees not offered by the University of California or California State University. California’s 112 community college campuses can currently offer only certificates, diplomas and two-year associate’s degrees.

California’s blueprint for public higher education is facing renewed scrutiny, as university administrators, state officials and student leaders alike grapple with how a 54-year old landmark plan fits into the state’s changing economic climate.

A UC Regents’ special committee to select the next president chose the Homeland Security Department secretary and former two-time Arizona governor to succeed outgoing president Mark Yudof, an unconventional choice for more reasons than simply that she would be the first female president in the University’s 145 year history.