We Support AB 1901's Reaffirmation of the Essential Tenets of the Master Plan
June 8, 2010
Assemblymember Ira Ruskin
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0021
Fax: (916) 319-2121
Re: AB 1901, Support
Dear Assemblymember Ruskin,
The Council of UC Faculty Associations (CUCFA) is please to support AB 1901 as amended May 20, 2010.
This bill reaffirms the essential tenets of the Master Plan: universal access, affordability and high quality. We are particularly supportive of the view that higher education for California students is a public good that must be realized through public investment.
AB 1901 emphasizes the importance of a quality education for students. Even as we struggle with the present period of sharply reduced support, the University of California and its faculty are firmly committed to the preservation of quality in all aspects of the University. This includes the quality of both undergraduate and graduate education, the quality of research that expands knowledge and drives the innovative California economy, and quality of the faculty that is key to both. The expression of quality in the bill as "those capacities and skills that are essential for preparing Californians to live and work constructively in this 21st century" highlights the importance of graduate education in a global environment where California's greatest advantage is in creativity, innovation, and advanced technology.
We also strongly support the legislation's call for clearly articulating the correlation between public investment and public benefit. Thank you for your ongoing work in continuing the Master Plan for Higher Education.
Sincerely,
Joe Kiskis
CUCFA Vice President for External Relations,
and Professor of Physics, UC Davis