About the Council:
The Council of UC Faculty Associations (CUCFA) is a voluntary coalition of approximately 1500 dues-paying members of the University of California Academic Senate. The Council meets regularly with the University Administration to exchange views on selected issues, but it is not a trade union. The mission of the Faculty Associations is to support and safeguard the principles of University governance embodied in the Academic Senate; to improve the economic status and general welfare of the faculty; to consult with the University Administration about salary, benefits and working conditions; and to provide external advocacy on matters pertinent to the interests of the faculty. CUCFA works with the various branches of State government to improve and protect the terms and conditions of employment of Academic Senate members. Council representatives monitor legislative activity and meet with legislators to discuss pending bills and other relevant matters.

CUCFA Position on the UC Budget:

At the moment the Council position on the UC budget is very simply stated: we see the one submitted by the Governor in January as a highly encouraging departure point, but not necessarily the last word. We will very likely wish to revisit certain of its elements when the State's revenue picture becomes clearer in May.
In the meantime, the Council is sorely troubled by the recent report of the Legislative Analyst, who recommended huge cuts in the Governor's proposed budgets for higher education in a fiscal year for which State revenues are predicted to outstrip budgeted demand by more than $4 billion.

The most puzzling and damaging recommendation is one to shift some $83 million from the budgets for UC and Hastings College of Law to the K-14 systems. The stated reason--to equalize the percentage base budget increases for "higher" and "lower" education--is surely without precedent, and a truly absurd approach to budgetary policy making. At the proposed marginal cost of instruction ($8554 per FTE student) this cut would be tantamount to eliminating the funding for 9,700 FTE students. The University could not and would not take the cut that way, but instead would greatly reduce or even eliminate faculty and staff salary increases, further defer some critical maintenance projects, pare equipment and library expenditures to the bone, etc.

Within UC the net effect of these actions would be seen as a return to the difficult budgetary climate of the early 1990s at exactly a time when the State is well known to be flush, not strapped. Faculty recruitment would be nearly impossible and retention would be problematic at best; all this when Tidal Wave II is just beginning to break over our heads.

We are also troubled by the LAO's recommendation to reduce the funding for enrollment growth to a figure equivalent to an additional 4000 FTE students rather than the 6000 FTE students called for by the Governor.

We realize that there are discrepancies among the enrollment increases projected by various State agencies, but what is not arguable is that UC's budgeted enrollment has never been equal to or greater than the actual enrollment at any time in the 1990's. It is also true that the ratio of students to faculty across the UC system is the highest in American universities of the first rank. Enrollment funding at the higher figure mentioned above would either maintain the status quo ante if the projection of 6000 is correct, or lower the systemwide student:faculty ratio from 18.7 to 18.5 if it is not. We ask the Legislature not to heed this recommendation.

CUCFA is represented in Sacramento by James W. Bruner of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP. Current Council contacts are listed on the letterhead above. We welcome the opportunity to meet with you from time to time, and welcome your comments and questions