CA: University of California board tightens fiscal controls

AP on Bakersfield Californian ^ | 11/16/06 | Michelle Locke - ap

[NormsRevenge]

LOS ANGELES

Embarrassed by revelations that some executives got pricey perks on the quiet, University of California board members are tightening their grip on the system's finances.

UC regents exhibited a new, more activist approach this week as they met at UCLA, asking pointed questions about the budgeting process and voting Thursday to take control of UC President Robert C. Dynes' office budget.

Dynes, who has accepted responsibility for the compensation irregularities, is voluntarily giving up a raise this year because of the controversy, saying "the buck stops on my desk."

Despite the problems, board Chairman Gerald Parsky said Dynes has the unanimous support of regents.

Still, that didn't make him immune to criticism.

"I think there's a general belief that the office of the president can be slimmed down," said Regent Dick Blum, adding that the office and UC as a whole suffers from a "bloated bureaucracy."

The president's office has about 1,800 employees and a budget of $369 million. However, UC officials say much of that involves research and other programs; the total for purely administrative functions is about 500 employees and $81 million.

Dynes told regents he welcomed guidance.

"My view is that there are some substantial changes that we can look forward to in terms of efficiency throughout the entire university," he said.

Outside the meeting, Dynes said he didn't think his office was bloated, but said it could be more efficient, along with the rest of the 10-campus system. Forgoing his raise, he said, was meant to indicate that "from this point on, I want to look forward."

Trouble at UC developed a year ago after the San Francisco Chronicle reported that top executives got millions in bonuses, housing allowances and other perks at a time when student fees were raised sharply to offset state budget cuts.

UC officials point out that their executives are generally paid less than peers elsewhere and say they need to compete for top talent. Still, they admitted the need for reform following internal and external audits that showed pay rules had been bent without authorization and without proper disclosure to the public or regents.

In other financial issues Thursday, regents gave final approval to a $3.3 billion state-funded operating budget that contains no fee hikes provided the Legislature comes up with an additional $71 million. A clearer picture will emerge when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger releases his budget proposal in January.

The budget was the topic of protest Wednesday, with about 200 students marching and rallying to protest dropping enrollment of underrepresented minorities at some UC campuses. At UCLA, for example, only about 100 black students enrolled this fall in a freshman class of 4,800.

Students and some regents questioned why the proposed budget doesn't have more than $31 million budgeted for outreach programs to recruit and prepare disadvantaged students.

Protests continued Thursday, only this time the topic was UC's management of nuclear weapons labs.

The meeting was disrupted briefly when nine protesters linked arms and sat on the floor chanting, "UC, nuclear free," and other slogans. They were removed from the room by police, and the meeting continued.

[EagleUSA]

What? This cannot be -- the corrupt liberal academia cleaning up its act? I am not buying it.

[calcowgirl]

Dynes, Parsky and Blum

Fiscal control.

Uh huh, sure.

[omega4412]

...internal and external audits that showed pay rules had been bent without authorization and without proper disclosure to the public or regents.

And the UC Regents responded to these audits by okaying after the fact the ill-gotten gain of the university administrators. It would be unfair to make them pay it back.

[ketelone]

University administrations are notoriously corrupt. My own school experienced a president decamping after swallowing 15 million dollars. It was quite the scandal.

[georgiarat]

And just where does the UN get its expert advice? From the liberal academic institutions of course!! Guess that explains the fiscal mess of the UN.