Too Many in the UC Lifeboat?

Mike Lofchie pointed me to this article which questions theone-system view of UC and, in particular, UC-Merced, in a period of budget stringency.

February 12, 2012,Chronicle of Higher Education

Fault Lines Form Among Campuses as Finances Strain U. of California(excerpt):

By Eric Kelderman

President Mark G.Yudof of the University of California often says that the system he oversees isone university with 10 campuses.  Butsome higher-education experts say the economic strains and budget cuts of thepast three years are fraying the ties that hold the system together. Severalcampus leaders have proposed measures to increase their financial independencefrom the system, in some cases at the cost of the other campuses.

…Meanwhile, thesystem's youngest campus, at Merced, was shielded from the latest round ofbudget cuts, causing some people on other campuses to grumble that it is notfinancially viable and is weighing the system down.  None of the institutions openly suggests thatit would leave the system, says David L. Kirp, a professor of public policy atthe University of California at Berkeley. But if the state's budget situationcontinues to force cuts, there could be "more drastic proposals fordisentanglement," he says.

…While six of theinstitutions are members of the Association of American Universities­—aselective group of research institutions—the Merced campus is still strugglingfor a perception of legitimacy.

…Because it is stillso young, system officials spared Merced from the most recent budget cuts,which caused some in the state to gripe about whether it should remain a partof the system or even remain open…

Full article at http://chronicle.com/article/Fault-Lines-Form-as-Finances/130742/

Always room for debate: