The Kerr Hall occupation began on Thursday in response to a 32.5% fee hike passed by the UC Regents on the same day.

We will post updates to this story as it develops.

UPDATE 8:15am
Upon request by UC Police, the protesters have left Kerr Hall. No arrests were made.

Students remain barricaded in Kerr Hall which houses the offices of UCSC's highest administrators.

Occupants in Kerr Hall expanded their space last night after deciding to break into the Chancellor’s area of the floor.  The building has several corridors that cannot be accessed without a key.

Around 1 am, wearing bandanas and tee shirts to avoid exposure from many security cameras, over fifty students gathered around a secured corridor that leads to the Chancellor’s conference room.  Soon after students used various tools such as a hammer, machete and a crow bar to wedge open the door.

Inside the corridor there is a conference room, a kitchen and other small rooms. The Chancellor’s Office remained closed off behind another set of doors.

“It’s symbolic. We got through,” cried one student expressing his enthusiasm for the movement.

Jim Stevenson* described the condition of the door that was removed.

“The integrity of the door was not compromised,” Stevenson said.

Participant, Alexander Jacobson*described his expectation for the administration’s response.

“People feel that no matter what they do, the administration is going to say the same thing, and claim excessive damage,” said Jacobson.

When the door was thrust open, cheers broke out and the students flooded in. Once the cameras were covered, students explored the area.

“We’re doing something that has never been done before,” said Jacobson*. “That’s what is really important; when young people can take matters into their own hands.”

Leading up to the Kerr Hall occupation, UCSC Radical Student Union, the group who organized the previous occupations but have changed their name, hosted a Rally in front of occupied Kerr Hall Thursday night. Nearly 200 people showed up, including news stations and UCSC classes. At the rally, speakers addressed the fiscal state of the UC and the importance of action.

“Students have an extremely strong moral position right now; most sane people know that what is happening is wrong,” said Jacobson*.

The occupants held a press conference of their own in the Chancellor’s conference room last night, to communicate with those involved with the similar actions taking place in Europe, speaking to students at a university in Vienna, Austria.

“We have very different backgrounds in this occupation and very different options,” said the Austrian student during the Skype conversation where occupants from both universities discussed their efforts. “I think that is very important.”

A large number of students remained in the space overnight. Sleeping bags, pillows and blankets littered nearly all hall ways on the second floor and the two elevators which had been propped open.

Blumenthal and Kliger are both out of their office, doing work elsewhere. The 150 staff members who did not come in to Kerr Hall on Friday are unable work.

The administration hopes that the occupants will vacate the premises without police intervention.

“At this point we would like to avoid bring in police. We remain hopeful that they will voluntarily leave,” said University Spokesman Jim Burns. “Their presence has effectively closed a building and the sooner they leave the better.”

In an address to the campus community regarding the occupants, Executive Vice Chancellor David Kliger established the liability of the actions.

“Those still inside are trespassing and subject to arrest and/or campus sanctions that may lead to suspension or expulsion.”

Burns established the stipulation of Kliger’s statement.

“The longer they stay here the greater the risk of being arrested or sanctioned,” said Burns. “We’re still hoping that they leave and if they don’t, [Kliger’s] message makes it clear.”

*Names have been changed.

The chants and stomping of demonstrators reverberated off the cement walls of the Kerr Hall stairwell as students filed into the building that houses high-level UCSC administrators, including Chancellor George Blumenthal and Executive Vice Chancellor David Kliger.

Nearly 150 students marched across campus after a brief meeting at the Kresge Town Hall occupation, entering the Kerr from the bottom floor entrance marching to thte rhythmic beating of drums.

The occupation of Kerr Hall came a few hours after UC Regents voted to raise educational fees by 32.5 percent.  Next school year students will be required to pay over $10,302 at a system that was once free.

As students invaded the facility, they chanted “Whose university?  Our university!” and one student placed tape over a security camera. Once inside, students gathered in the hallway and lobby.

“Across the state, students are taking action to demonstrate our unwillingness to accept this state of affairs,” declared an anonymous student activist source in an email sent to members of the UCSC community.

The occupiers created a list of demands which they delivered and read to Executive Vice Chancellor David Kliger at 5:30p.m. After the list was dictated to Kliger, he shook the hand of the student who read the list aloud.

“[Kliger] took it gracefully.  He listened to every demand,” said Matthew Palm, who worked as a moderator between occupiers and administrators.

Items on their list of demands were voted on using a democratic process; each student raised a hand for the ideas they supported.

“We actually know what democracy looks like,” said an individual who spoke at the Kresge Town Hall occupation, which happened moments before the Kerr Hall occupation took place.

The demands, numbering close to thirty, were divided into two segments, long-term proposals and short-terms demands. The short-term demands are the conditions that must be met by administration for the protesters to vacate the space which range from halting construction on campus to imploring that the University not acknowledge the 32.5 percent fee increase.

“The administrators can come out publically against fee hikes,” Palm said. “I’m afraid they are not going to do that because without the fee hikes the cuts will be a lot bigger.”

Throughout the processions, over 30 staff members left the building through isle ways created by the mass of student protesters. A few students masked with bandanas barricaded the side and back doors.

Similar actions are being taken across California. At the UCLA campus, students have occupied Campbell Hall and at UC Davis students have occupied an administrative building.

Kliger, in an email sent to the UCSC community in response to the occupation, expressed his views on such actions.

“Unfortunately, occupying buildings –a library last week, an administrative building this week – does little more than divert precious resources while denying others their rightful access to campus facilities and services,” he wrote.

The email sent by occupiers echoes the sentiment that the Kerr Hall occupation is a call to action.

“Students at Kerr Hall need your support immediately,” declared the email. “We call on all students, workers, and community members to come join us. We have the power to change the university.”

UPDATE 11/20 11:52am
Protesters are now not permitting entry to administrators or workers into Kerr Hall.  Earlier, a small group of administrators were admitted entry by occupation participants in the building to “grab personal items,” including laptops.  However, occupation participants have just now decided to not allow entry to anyone after this point. -R. Matsuoka

UPDATE 12:18pm
Additional protesters are gathering to rally in front of Kerr Hall.

UPDATE 4:50pm
Kerr Hall Occupants Expand Moment. See this post for updates.

Protesters rally at UCLA on Tuesday as the Regents debate a 32.5% fee hike. Photo by Alex Zamora.

The UC Board of Regents passed a 15 percent student fee hike that goes into effect January 2010 and an additional 15 percent fee increase that takes effect in Fall 2010. The total 32.5 percent fee hike raises student fees to an unprecedented $10,302 per year.

The measure passed with the one descenting vote coming from Student Regent Jesse Bernal.

Students in UCLA continue the occupation of Campbell Hall on the UCLA campus. UC Santa Cruz students continue their occupation of the Kresge Town Hall.

Photo by Alex Zamora.

Photo by Alex Zamora.

Photo by Alex Zamora.

Photo by Alex Zamora.

Photo by Alex Zamora.

Photo by Alex Zamora.

Photo by Alex Zamora.

The windows of the Covel Commons building pounded in sync with the impassioned chanting of the crowd. Inside, 26 individuals pondered a decision that will deeply impact the lives of over two hundred thousand students in the UC system. The indirect results of the decision may ultimately affect millions of Californians.

Over 300 students, workers, faculty and community members converged in solidarity at the entrance of Covel Commons on the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) campus yesterday to make one last stand against UC Regents proposed 32 percent fee hikes. To keep the crowd from forcing entry into the Regents meeting taking place inside, UC Police Department had a strong presence in the course of events. In a police clash with the crowd, batons and Tasers were used leading to several student injuries. Fourteen arrests were made.

Imari Thomas, a third-year UCLA student, was among those arrested.

“All of us who got arrested had totally clean records, we were willing to get a police record to show the regents how serious we are,” Thomas said.

The 14 students were arrested in two phases, after they stood singing “We Shall Overcome” with linked arms. The first group was cited with Penal Code Section 409, or failure to disperse from a space deemed unlawful. The second group was cited with disturbing the peace. Both groups were later released.

Officers, who were previously providing support in the arrests during the Committee of Finance, ran down the four flights of stairs geared up in the lobby with Tasers, helmets with facemasks, and some with compressed paintball guns.

Chants of “Whose university?” were answered with a resounding “Our university!” by seas of people hoping to make their voices heard to the administrators inside of the building.

An oval barricade of fencing supported by officers equipped with riot gear who stood on the inside kept protestors from entering the building. As the time to make a final decision neared, the crowed pushed and began throwing various objects, including plastic bags filled with vinegar soaked bandanas, hot dogs, carrots, and their declarative signs.

Because students were no longer being admitted to the public session riotous activity broke out.

“When students realized that they were starting the vote and they weren’t letting students in, some students made a decision to force their way in,” said Richard Stevenson, a fifth-year UCLA student who was hit with a baton on his arm and in the chest several times, leaving a mark on his arm. “It was not the initial intent, but a reaction.”

A few students made it to the doors and were among those who felt the hand, or rather baton, of the law.

“It wasn’t pleasant,” said Stevenson of the baton usage. “But everybody was so into it, and we knew what we wanted to do, we wanted to be inside.”

Another fifth-year UCLA student, King Adjei-Frimpong, who was observing the chaos from planter boxes situated near the front of the Covel Building, described how once the batons were out, Tasering broke out as well.

“One officer had malice on his face, aimed his Taser, and went at it,” he said. To push back the imposing crowd, officers struck the individuals pushing on the barricades with batons. A number of officers stretched over the barricades, extending their Tasers to hit a few students. Some officers threw the items back at the crowd. Adjei-Frimpong stated that the girl next to him was hit in the face with a can of soda.

UC President Mark Yudof, expressed his support for the protests.

“I regret any violence, people have the right in a democracy to express their opinions,” said UC president Mark Yudof. “I don’t have any problem [with the protests].”

Soon after, officers outside announced that the protest was as of that time in violation of California law, and threatened arrest for anyone who did not disperse within five minutes.

Student organizers encouraged the group to move to a different side of the building, away from the entrance. In the new location several student and union leaders spoke out encouraging those present to continue the fight through the night and the following day, when the Regents would make the final vote on the fee increase.

People of all ages from all over the state held picket signs with messages such as “Debt: My Grad Present,” “Education, not Incarceration” and “Last generation college student” made visible above the bobbing heads of the crowd.

“My daughter won’t be able to attend a UC if this [fee increase] passes,” said Evangelina Nevarez, a representative of the American Federation of State, City and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union who attended the action.

Cindy Amobi, a third-year journalism student at UC Irvine, felt a personal motivation to oppose the fee hikes.

“I can’t afford to pay for school anymore,” she said.

UCLA fourth-year Spencer Soo attended the protest even though he will be graduating this year.

“I’m doing it for future students,” he said.

Shahida Bawa, Internal Vice President for Undergraduates at UCLA, addressed the crowd.

“We want to be able to support the student regent, who was the sole negative vote [on Wednesday’s fee vote]. This will allow students to see that this is a struggle across the state,” she said.

Although the UC community has predicted that the fee increase will pass regardless of student actions, many students felt that this was no reason to stop voicing their opinions.

“Even though they pretty much already decided on the vote, it’s important to still come and show our displeasure,” Cindy Amobi said.

Brian Malone, a Graduate Student in literature from UC Santa Cruz who traveled to UCLA yesterday, hoped that the protest would influence the bigger picture, if not the Regent’s actual vote.

“At a certain point, whether the Regents pass it or not, they’re supposed to be voting with our consent — when it becomes apparent that they are acting without our consent, they lose legitimacy with the citizens of California, and even with the state legislature, which does have some power over the Regents,” he said.

Victor Sanchez, the president of the UC student association and fourth-year student at UC Santa Cruz, was disappointed that a speech he gave on behalf of students, and the student presence outside, didn’t seem to affect the Regents when they voted to move forward the fee measure yesterday.

“For them it’s practical on paper, but for us it’s a real life experience,” he said.

Thousands more individuals gathering in protest of the decision have been predicted to arrive at UCLA today.

Photo by Alex Zamora.

UC president Mark Yudof speaks to reporters after the Finance Committee voted to increase student fees. Photo by Nita Rose-Evans.

A student is escorted out of the Regents meeting at UCLA on Wednesday. Photo by Nita Rose-Evans.

The UC Board of Regents’ Committee of Finance passed two undergraduate educational fee increases — a 15 percent mid-year increase which will take effect in January, coupled with another 15 percent increase for the 2010-2011 school year.

Student Regent Jesse Bernal, a UC Santa Barbara graduate student, was the only committee member to oppose the measure.

“Fairness seems to be highly unbalanced,” Bernal said. “In principal I oppose and will not support the fee increases.”

The proposal will go before the entire Board of Regents on Thursday, Nov. 19.

“It’s probable, but it’s not over ‘til it’s over,” said UC President Mark Yudof on the chances of the measures being passed by the entire board.

The meeting, which was held at UCLA’s Covel Commons, was temporarily adjourned three times due to singing and screaming by students inside. Expletives and screams of “vote no” and “we shall overcome” permeated throughout the meeting, which was open to the public.

Twelve students were arrested at two different points prior to the committee vote and eventually all spectators were cleared out of the room by UC police officers after numerous disruptions. The fee item was passed without any students present.

The first of the fees would begin next quarter and would consist of a system-wide fee of $585 and the second increase would begin in the 2010-11 school year, increasing student fees by $1,344. Overall, student fees will be raised to a yearly total of $10,302, or a 32.5 percent increase in current fees.

UCSC fourth-year and President of the UC Student Association Victor Sanchez spoke to the regents before the vote took place.

“I implore this committee to vote no,” Sanchez said. “If you vote yes, not only will the public perception continue to yield negativity for the UC, but the prospect of working together in a year where thousands have expressed discontent will be lost and severely damaged.”

Before the vote, some members of the finance committee stressed the need for the fee hikes.

“We will make a departure from our core values. Fee increases take us in the wrong direction, but they are necessary,” said regent and committee member Eddie Island. “There must be a limit to student fee increases … [but] I will vote yes. It is reluctant and it will be my first time. I hoped to never do so.”

The regents emphasized that most students, especially those with lower incomes, would not be affected by this fee increase, emphasizing that 33 percent of the revenue from the hikes will go to financial aid.

“We want [high school] graduates in need to know that fees are not a barrier to a UC education,” said Marsha Kelman, UC associate vice-president of policy and analysis. “[The regents] estimated 81 percent of students this year are covered by financial aid, 74 percent of students will be covered by financial aid due to the mid-year fee hikes and 53 percent of students will be covered in the 2010-11 school year.”

In a separate press briefing during lunch recess, President Yudof commented that “If you’re a family making under $70,000, you don’t have a problem, we are taking care of your fees.”

The Finance Committee also approved an expansion of the Blue and Gold Opportunity plan. Under this new plan all undergraduates whose parents make $70,000 a year or less will have their fees covered by the University. The previous threshold for the plan was $60,000.

“What’s happened this year, after a steady erosion over the past 20 years, is this year we hit the negative jackpot,” Yudof said about California’s contributions to the UC.

“The result of budget cuts [from the state] is that we are recommending a mid-year fee increase,” said Patrick Lenz, UC’s vice-president for budget, in a presentation to the regents.

The State of California, currently experiencing it’s worst fiscal crisis in years, subtracted $637.1 million in allocations to the UC in Spring 2009 — leaving the UC with only $2.6 billion in state funding for the 2009-10 fiscal year.

“I think we are doing it in a way that makes sense … [student fee revenue] will end the furlough plan and extend library hours,” Yudof said in a speech addressed to the regents.

Without revenue from fee increases, the UC would have faced a $792 million dollar budget deficit.

Along with hiking fees, the regents approved a budget that will request $913 million from the California State Legislature for the next fiscal year. This money will be requested to alleviate the financial issues that have arisen from the one-time cut of $305 million the legislature made last year. The regents also hope the money will shrink the gap between the number of students currently supported by state funds and the actual number of students attending UCs.

Even if the $913 million is granted, however, the UC will still face a $144 million gap next year.

“We have to fix this,” said John Plotts, the UC assistant vice-president of finance, about the budget deficits, “or we have no future.”

Photo by Rosario Serna.

Photo by Rosario Serna.

Photo by Morgan Grana.

Photo by Morgan Grana.

UC Santa Cruz students, workers and instructors converged by the hundreds at Quarry Plaza Wednesday afternoon. With fists raised, fire in their bellies, and homemade signs reading “Hike mountains, not fees” and “Who’s university? Our university!” the gathered crowd, estimated at 500 people, converged in front of the bookstore before marching down Hagar Drive. Their march ended at the base of campus.

Ian Steinman, one of the speakers at Quarry Plaza, articulated some of the goals of the movement. “We’re not trying to stop fee hikes today, but we hope to radicalize a new set of people who will contribute to the fight against them,” Steinman said. “We hope to encompass the student body and shake the state and shake the country.”

Students then circled the Bay and High intersection, creating a physical blockade to stop oncoming cars, which both honked in support and tried to squeeze past the protesters.

People from the crowd came up to the microphone to suggest their ideas for where to go next. Ideas included occupation of the music center, one of the administration buildings, or Classroom Unit 1. The consensus was that the Kresge Town Hall, which usually costs $400 to use overnight, was the best place to reclaim.

As this was going on, students at the West Entrance of campus had formed another blockade.  The police threatened to arrest these students. Once news of this spread to the other group of protesters, dozens of students marched up Empire Grade to reinforce the blockade.

With the group at the West entrance significantly larger in number, the police showed no interest in arresting any students. The student protesters agreed to allow parents to pick up their children from the on-campus daycare, but denied students and professors access to campus. Members of the blockade chanted, “Out of the car and into the streets!” as they moved slowly towards the cars, forcing them to turn around. Eventually, all of the remaining protesters moved to Kresge.

As CHP went to press, the student protesters remained in the Kresge Town Hall, preparing with food and blankets to stay all night.

Margaret Laffan, a speaker at the rally and an organizer of the Graduate Student Organizing Committee, objects to the fee hikes.

“Public education should be for the public good. By making it privatized, we are decreasing access and creating an elite group of students,” Laffan said. “If we’re only educating those who can afford it, then those are the ones who will have a voice and power in the future. That’s predominately the white and middle class.”

Impromptu speakers expressed their ideas and concerns into a bike-powered microphone in the center of the street. Students, faculty, community members and workers stood in solidarity. Workers expressed their concern with fewer working hours.

“We decided to rally with the students because they stand with the collation workers,” said custodian Nicolas Gutierrez. He continued to say that because of the cuts in worker’s hours, bathrooms and dining halls are not being disinfected the way they should, especially in the flu season.

“If students are paying more, they are also receiving less services,” Gutierrez said. “[The budget] affects everything — it’s even becoming a health issue.”

Despite the excitement for the cause, some students opposed some of the methods the protesters took.

Moments leading up to the walk-out, protesters stormed into Classroom Unit 1 while a Macroeconomics lecture was taking place, shouting negative remarks against the regents’ move to increase fees by a total 32 percent next year.

While some of the class chanted in support, others found the protestors disruptive. Antaeus Edelsohn, a second-year from Cowell College, yelled at the protesters to get out.

“You shouldn’t detract even further the amount of learning students do by disrupting class,” Edelsohn told CHP after the lecture ended. “Everyone in that class has already spent thousands of dollars [to attend classes]. I want to enjoy what I’ve spent my money on.”

Some participants of the walk-out agree. Tiffany Loftin, the Internal Vice Chair of the Student Union Association, spoke to the Quarry Plaza crowd through a megaphone.

After her speech, she told CHP, “Our goals are to be heard, seen and to represent. If you’re not in class, you’re supposed to be. We’re fighting against fee increases, so if you’re out here and not in class, it’s contradictory. People should be going to class.”

Many protesters at the Quarry Plaza Rally, including Loftin, planned on going to class later in the day.

UCSC fourth-year Rusty Plascencia was not about to miss class in the name of tuition hikes. “I would like it better if they changed all the classes to later [instead of striking classes],” he said.  “If you don’t do anything, you’re always going to piss some people off.”

Third-year Alexandra Bakaly participated in the walk-out, but headed back up to campus later in the day to attend class.

“I wanted to do what I could to support the rally,” said Bakaly. “This is history, now. We’re making history and I want to be a part of it. I’m not just going to stand by.”

Inviting speakers to come up to the microphone in the intersection, Chris Chitty hoped that people would miss class in support of the movement. Dressed in a red shirt emblazoned with the word ‘communist,’ Chitty said above the yells and protests, “Going to class today is complacent on a day when the university is voting on fee hikes.”

Photo by Morgan Grana

Photo by Morgan Grana

SANTA CRUZ, CA – A general assembly has amassed in Kresge Town Hall to decide the next course of action in response to a proposed 32.5 percent hike in student tuition. Currently, proposals on what will happen for the rest of the week are being discussed. There are plans to occupy Kresge Town Hall as an organizing space indefinitely.

Earlier today, approximately 500 UCSC students, workers and faculty congregated at Quarry Plaza in opposition of the regents meeting.

“The point is to make [the protest] a UC-wide action and show that we all are vigorously opposed to what’s happening,” said rally speaker and second-year Ian Steinman.

A march to the base of campus immediately commenced after the rally, where a blockade of protesters blocked off road entry into campus. Buses were turned around and cars detoured.

“Obviously we shut down campus,” said a student organizer. “If what we sought to do was to shut down campus it was a full success.”

We will continue to post updates as this story develops.

UPDATE 7:31pm
The general assembly in Kresge has agreed to discontinue blockading campus, figuring that disrupting other students and staff is not an effective means of gaining their support.

Also, the general assembly made another decision to cease striking through not going to class.

“Asking for other students to cut class alienates other student body,” said one student who spoke in the general assembly.

Student protesters have also agreed not to blockade and picket at an administrative building.

“One thing we have to realize is the school administration is not the enemy,” said a student who said she was a liaison between the school administrators and the student protesters. “They are actually in support of us.”

UPDATE 9:06pm
Protesters report they plan to occupy the Kresge Town Hall for the entire night.

Students from all 10 UC campuses flocked to UCLA to show that they do not support increased student fees. University union leaders who represent teachers, custodial and hospital workers, technical employees and graduate students were present along with workers themselves to voice their views

Chants of “They say cut backs, we say fight back” rocked the crowd as protesters raised signs in unison. Above the crowd messages such as “Last generation college student” and “Debt: My Grad Present” were seen on signs.

Cindy Amobi, a third year Journalism major from UC Irvine, traveled to UCLA to oppose the student fees.

“Even though they pretty much already decided on the vote, it’s important to still come and show our displeasure and solidarity with all students,” she said.

Students began amassing with the commencement of the regent’s meeting at 8:30 a.m. By 10 a.m., students were being escorted out of the public comments section of the meeting for disruptive behavior. Approximately 14 students were arrested for disorderly conduct.

Following a group of students’ attempt to enter the meeting by force, UC police began arriving on the scene armed with batons, pepper spray and other weapons that they aimed at the protesters.

At 12 p.m. police announced that the protest had become in violation of California law. They demanded that the protesters disassemble and informed the crowd that those who did not leave would be arrested, however no further arrests were made.

Despite the police’s actions, UC President Yudof said he could identify with the protesters.

“I feel complete empathy with them. Years ago I might have been out there with them,” Yudof said.

UC Students Association president Victor Sanchez, a fourth-year student at UC Santa Cruz who addressed the Regents on behalf of UC students, felt that the police officer’s actions were unacceptable.

“I think it’s ridiculous. I don’t think it’s warranted. It’s disrespectful to students,” Sanchez said.

Updated 9:29pm Nov 18, 2009

SANTA CRUZ, CA – Both entrances to the UC Santa Cruz campus have been blocked by protesters, causing traffic delays for those both entering and leaving the campus.

The protests are in response to a student fee increase being voted on by the UC Regents today and tomorrow. Should the measure pass tomorrow, student fees would rise 15% effective Winter Quarter 2010.

Persons traveling to and from campus should expect delays. Updated information will be available at http://www.ucsc.edu/news_events/text.asp?pid=3383 and on cityonahillpress.com as this story develops.

UPDATE 3:22pm
Empire Grade is currently blocked due to traffic delays.

UPDATE 4:51pm
The Main Entrance to campus is now clear and traffic is moving in both directions. The West Entrance is still blocked.

UPDATE 5:40pm
Both entrances to campus are now clear and traffic is moving in both directions.

The proposal goes to a  final vote before the entire Board of Regents tomorrow.

“It’s probable, but it’s not over til its over,” said UC President Mark Yudof, on the chances of the fee increases passing tomorrow.

The fee item was passed without any students present. All spectators in the open session were forced to leave by UC police officers after numerous disruptions during the 20 minute public comment period and during the committee on finance’s deliberation. Fourteen students were arrested on two different occasions in the meeting preceding the committee vote.

The first fee increase, a system wide fee of $585 dollars for every undergraduate student,  will begin next quarter.  The second increase kicks in during the 2010-11 school year and will increase student fees $1,344 dollars per undergraduate. When all is said and done, student fees will be raised to $10,302 dollars, a 32.5 percent increase from current fees.

According to the regents, 33 percent of the revenue generated by both fee increases will go to financial aid.

“The result of budget cuts [from the state of California] is that we are recommending a mid-year fee increase,” said Patrick Lenz Vice President for budget, in a presentation to the regents.

The State of California, experiencing its worst fiscal crisis in years, ­­cut $637.1 million in allocations to the UC, leaving it with $2.6 billion for the 2009-10 fiscal year, twenty percent less of what it used to receive in state funding.

In a speech addressed to a regent, UC President Yudof said, “ I think we are doing it in a way that makes sense… it will end the furlough plan and extend library hours.”

Without the fee increases the UC will fall short $792 million dollars in its budget.

Along with the fee increase, the regents will request that the California state legislature provide UC with $913 million dollars for the next fiscal year. Even if the  state legislature responds positively to this request UC, will still face a $144 million dollar gap.

“We have to fix this,” said John Plotts, the Assistant Vice President of Finance. “Or we have no future.”

Illustration by Rachel Edelstein.

The University of California (UC) Regents will vote Nov. 18 on whether or not to increase undergraduate educational fees by a total of 32 percent, or approximately $2,500, starting next school year. By raising fees, regents and the University Office of the President (UCOP) plan to make up for a loss of state funds.

For UC Santa Cruz students, this partly means paying more to support other UC institutions.

In a student media press conference held on Nov. 2, UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal told student representatives that “the last … six fee increases have generally not gone back to the campus where they’ve been collected.”

Educational fees, or base fees, are priced the same across the UC campuses by the UCOP.

Once collected, one-third of all educational fees are set aside for financial aid and the other two-thirds are used to support the operating budgets of each university. In the end, UCSC only gets back 82 percent of the income that it generates.

The remaining 18 percent is allocated to other UC campuses. The decision on where to allocate that money is made by the UCOP is based on actual enrollment levels.

“I don’t like the idea that students at UC Santa Cruz, by paying increased fees, are in fact supporting other institutions,” Blumenthal said.

Before 2007, only 67 percent of educational fees paid by UCSC undergraduates came back to the university.

That 67 percent increased to 82 percent after Blumenthal became an acting chancellor and was able to negotiate with the UC president.

If regents pass the fee hike next week, UCSC students will pay an estimated total of $10,280 annually in education and campus registration fees. After the funds are distributed, UCSC will lose approximately $1,850 per student, as opposed to the $1,400 lost now.

Out of the 10 schools within the UC system, three receive more money than they generate in educational fees. They are UC Davis, UCLA, and UCSF. Davis and UCLA receive approximately 105 percent and 110 percent respectively, while UCSF ends up with a 459 percent return.

UCSF is renowned for its medical facilities. The university’s medical school is ranked fifth in the nation and its hospital is ranked seventh, according to a 2009 US News and World Report publication. UCD and UCLA also have extensive research programs that are said to require the extra money.

One of the issues surrounding the idea of returning 100 percent of educational fees back to the UCs is that UCSF would no longer have the necessary funding to continue their high caliber research and care. President Yudof echoed this in an October press conference.

“On the one hand, grad and professional education is more expensive, so that’s a reason to claim more [fees],” Yudof said.

Chancellor Blumenthal disagrees, and has championed the idea that the UCs should get back all that they put in the pot.

“They can support themselves,” Blumenthal said. “UCSF gets … far more grant money than we do. They have hospitals, larger infrastructure and many of their faculty gets a significant fraction of their salary from clinical income. They have alternatives that we don’t have. We’re kind of wstuck with … state income.”

A budget process overview by UCSF published during the 2008-09 year said that even in these tough economic times it is important to remain a competitive institution with money to spend.

“Fee increases imposed by the UCOP have made it more cost-effective for many UCSF researchers to hire postdocs in lieu of graduate research assistants,” the overview said.

Both Yudof and Blumenthal agree that the model for how campuses are funded needs to be re-examined.

“It would go a lot better if we have more money,” Yudof said, “but we’re going to look at the formulas.”

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For corresponding audio, tune into “On What Grounds?” next Thursday from 7:30 to 8 p.m. on KZSC 88.1 FM