Opening Remarks Part 1

[danthro]

the man is lying through his teeth... but don't take my word for it check out the facts at universityprobe (dot) org -- that's the blog of a Berkeley physics professor who retired to study the UC budget for the last ~15 years.

[HAMMYsammich]

yeah the UNIVERSITY may get through it ......but the students WILL NOT .....uh will someone shut him up

[mtrav95]

It's very simple. Mark Yudoff should step down. He has proven that they cannot tackle these budgetary matters with any sense of imagination or innovation. Yudoff arrived since the UC caved to Schwarzenegger on funding, but he since he's arrived he's hired administrators at higher salaries than their predecessors. He has signaled that he is out of touch with even basic notions of fairness. It's time for Yudoff to be dismissed and a more innovative governing body brought in.

[jmk2119]

The UC President and Regents, who have otherwise been conducting themselves in a way that indicates a clear alienation from the daily realities of the university. The video is a positive step in the right direction, but it does not point to any newly opened channels for communication of ideas, suggestions, or questions. It was rather poor form of the UC President to criticize "misinformation" without taking a proactive step to remedy the lack of information that is coming from his office.

[jmk2119]

Yudof challenged "anyone" to come up with a better budget plan than his. If he is serious about this, he should consider putting together a task force that broadly represents the student and employee population of the university with the sole mandate of reviewing the proposed budget, the current state of financial affairs, and "coming up with a better budget plan." This would harness the peerless talent and energy among the students, faculty, administrators, unions, and service workers.

[Coretana]

It seems to me that, despite his position, the situation is still out of his hands. The state only allots a certain amount of money and he didn't really have a say in the state legislature's determinations. I think we have a tendency to focus blame on one figurehead while the problem arised from the combined failures of hundreds of people. Anyone?

[flash3389]

Bah we've always had this problem. Just last year the English department lost it's number 1 slot to Havard.

[andreweasykeel]

It is really hard trying to refrain my dislike for Mark Yudof. He talks about dealing with a broken system, (which it is), but with no plan to attempt to reform the broken system. He complains about a 10% pay cut from his 828,00 salary, and how it is comparable to a 4% pay cut for others that make a thirtieth of what you make. You're kidding me, right?

Talk about a fat cat...I don't think Mark Yudof will ever go hungry.

[benegeseritwhore]

Some people commenting do not understand the concept of public education or the mission of the UC system.

Upper management in the university system has exploded in recent decades, far outreaching the growth of the UC system. We have more managers and less to manage- we need to correct the imbalance.

These claims about shutting down hospitals are ridiculous- scare tactics, mr. yudolf, will not get you anywhere.

[panamaicanalian]

...we might as well be going to private schools.

[Coretana]

yeah. seriously.

[sunjanlotion]

no wonder we cannot afford greatness ... we're paying guys like you enough to provide for a small country

[sunjanlotion]

We can't afford greatness because you have to pay you.

[therevolt1210]

If there is anything that he is right about, its that California has been spending less and less on education. Seriously its like government officials dont even care about the student anymore.

[mattaphore]

Let's cut funding from everything that doesn't come up on the High School Exit Exam... If it's not on the exam, students won't need to know about it...

*sigh* The system as a whole needs some re-working...

[breakinguy]

I'm shocked that the UC Board of Regents is now increasing the students fee's that already at an all time high. I agree with the stability and making a sound foundation for the UC. What happen to pay cuts on the UC board of Regents? They did just give themselves a raise within the last year. Students of the UC system foot half the bill for tuition; despite grants and scholarships coming into play. The result is that I hope the UC Regents make this a  good decision.

[flippyrocker]

Let's point fingers at the state instead of dealing with our own mistakes, shall we?

[chrispychips]

Let's cut your salary in half, Mark!

[virtualgraham]

He makes it clear that he is choosing between either raising student fees or losing the best professors and sacrificing quality of the medical centers. I suspect however in the end, all of these will happen.

[eddiejamesv]

This guy is way overpayed! No wonder we are having budget cuts.

[lopside0]

You'd think we were paying this guy by the word.

Glossing for a moment any nuance in his argument, he seems willfully blind to the fact that the students are offended largely by his idiotic salary.

[citrusvanilla]

hisssssssss

[abaterer]

UC has almost 5 billion dollars in reserve funds but THIS GUY wants to raise the frickin tuition by 32% by next year. Wth is that, might as well go to a private university!

[superbunion]

And what private university might that be?

[citrusvanilla]

booooo why dont you petition the state, take a stance dude

[rceasara]

a little sfgate article on "Execs still get raises as UC cuts staffing, pay" says otherwise...

[amariek2]

Nice to blame the system and the state government. "That's not the world that I live in. That's not the world that the Regents live in." Be the change you want to see in the world, President Yudof. Is it true that there are emergency funds in reserve available? Have read Prof Emeritus Schwartz in the theoretical physics dept who discussed how it is a matter of Regents' will, not legality, to use these funds.

[mezbaker]

is he talking about taking a pay cut to his bloated salary?

[SweetheartKat89]

exactly.... he can tell me that the people "arent" broken when he gives himself and all the other selfish administrators a pay cut!

[raceyjones]

Soooooo, its time to pull out my 401?????

[voiceofrae]

I really don't feel like he actually answered the questions about the budget. He essentially said "I don't want to blame the state, but... it's the state's fault." He used metaphors and analogies and sort of took it off topic, and attempted to sound like he understood or stands at all 'with the people.'  Which he does not, he is an administrator and does not understand this crisis.

[whufc4vida]

Some students will probably transfer out if the financial burden is too much. Losing 'value of education' is just harmful as stooping to mediocrity. Why don't they bring in some private money? Its not like 'corporations are going to corrupt our values' which is pretty much unsubstantiated gibberish

[Crackerboy10]

Scholars of UC Berkeley, unleash thy fury and rhetoric on thee!

[selfishsetta]

"tollroads to education," huh?

Pretty unconvincing explanation coming from a man who makes over $800,000 per year, and who hasn't had to skip his yearly salary increase.

[taraphiz]

I heard it from a long time professor at UC Berkeley, that the quality of the education is worse now at the university than it has ever been, and that students must work harder now than ever to fill in the gap. We cannot stand for the budget cuts that hurt students, faculty, and workers, and that slowly deteriorate our university system, hurting the quality and competitiveness of our public education system, the gem of California.

[Kronovet]

I have that tie!

[jesca215]

"we cannot afford greatnest anymore because it costs to much" ooooooh, noooooooo!!

[fionamcampbell]

Lies!! He started to look more like Rush Limbaugh.

[shackycarmine]

i knew this video was gonna be crap since before i saw it. how can the state have more money to invest over $40,000 per inmate a YEAR, but not have enough to cover us students?

these people sold their soul for the devil at a high price.

yudof makes about a million dollars a year

chancellor of berkeley.. close to $800,000.

priorities need to be sorted straight.

[rockierockpen]

Why don't you cut your salary or donate part of it to the UCs???

And, do you really NEED that extra bonus or vacation?

[somethingsal]

After the "stabalization" will student fees go back down? Of course not! Does our "fair" governator unsterstand higher education? Of course not! Is the football coach's multi-million dollar contract worth more than keeping education affordable? Of course not! Do Yudof's remarks help anyone in any way, shape or form? Of course not!

[jonathanbeard]

President Mark G. Yudof's salary is $828,000, hmmf!

[gravegoods]

"We got through the Great Depression and the Red Scare . . . we cannot submit to mediocrity . . . " Waiting for part 4: Yudof offers protection from boogyman through faith and nonsense. Thanks, Mark, for the most uninspired solution in the history of nonsense and boogymen. Maybe not a total failure, but certainly uninspired. Hope you enjoy that "quiet time" during this week's walk-outs. Love, Cal Student 16412549.

[Luckygamester2]

in the words of joe wilson: YOU LIE

[ZachAJ]

The only thing that would satisfy you crazies is him draining the endowment and destroying the UC system for the future. The admins are doing the best they can with the situation the state left them....higher paid people getting the most furlough days, everyone sharing in the pain. There is no easy way to fix this, but he and the rest of the regents have my confidence as a grad student.

[jenyabehemoth]

"It's the system that's broke, not the people"

Correction: the students are broke. The "people" (in charge) are making hundreds and thousands of dollars a year.

[hagured]

President Yudof: stop whining and man up.

[rainbowdeathstar]

What exactly are the lies?

[asiangirl52789]

why should students pay more and receive less?

[arielhud]

I'm not against fees getting raised. I understand the "reasons" behind it. But our fee increases should not be going towards bonus packages for ANYONE. In a failing economy, bonuses should be cut, not people's jobs. (also, how can the Yudof not know how many people are on the board?!)

[hagured]

I actually went into this with an open mind--but honestly he just comes off sounding whiny. I mean this is the president of the UC, and all he does is spend 10 minutes pointing fingers and telling us what he can't do. Is this what goes for leadership these days?

[pandasmoogle]

Why aren't the people who run the system changing the system if it is broken?

[castmay]

The thing is that the politicians lie and this especially includes Obama. Only the "too good to fail" are not suffering. All I know is that their mom is not better than my mom.

[superbunion]

Not that I support everything he's saying, but say he made the same amount of money as his predecessor and the VC's made somewhat less as well, how much would that actually change the budget situation?....I don't think it would be that much compared to the amount of money that has been cut. You could save a few jobs here and there, but that's about it.

[rara88]

Mediocrity is where we are going: if you lay off all of the lecturers, who will teach the classes? Tenured faculty are researching, writing books, leading small seminars, but what about the rest of the classes? Hiking up student fees means less socioeconomic diversity in the students, fewer perspectives from people of every background. Pretty words, Mr. Yudolf, but you're just blaming someone else. How about coming up with a real solution without hurting those who you're supposed to educate?

[fionamcampbell]

Robert J. Birgeneau, Chancellor of UC Berkeley, gets paid $417,843 a year. Those who are on top needs big salary cuts, i would say at least by half, if they are really feeling the pain of the students and those employees who are affected by this administrative mishandling.

[golfmarshall]

Quite right... its the system thats broke not the people, because people like him break the system

[guschiggins3]

you sir are surrendering to the big bad monster that is mediocrity

[Nestorini1]

Wow! What a performance; he should go into acting because he obviously can't run the UC system. Worst president we could have ever had, and this on top of the worst governor ever.

[sarlokk]

#YearCampus Name  Title Gross Pay

1.2008BERKELEYBRESLAUER , GEORGE WPROV $318,015.96

2.2007BERKELEYBRESLAUER , GEORGE WPROV $305,491.02

3.2006BERKELEYBRESLAUER , GEORGE WDEAN $209,929.36

[letranger1217]

In 2008-2009, Yudof recieved a compensation package valued at $828,000.

No shame from this creature.

[ramonquintero1]

yes,

[SandPirateGuy]

mediocre.

[punchyR]

You guys are naive idiots, even if you cut his salary, you are still in the red. Everyone is suffering, deal with it. Get your education and then run for office to fix the problem! There is no such thing as a free meal!

[dreamexecution]

get this guy out of there! epic fail

[peapodfontaine]

He is only in place to destroy the University and make way for privatization. He has taken all the voting power away from faculty and, like Bush at the beginning of the Iraq War, had the Regents declare him the sole "Decider". We need to get rid of him and his evil corporate backers.

[kstaros]

Glib, but not convincing. His salary is two and a half times larger than his predecessor's. UC has hired a bunch of VCs with exorbitant salaries just in the last few years. We are witnessing the privatization of public education. Only people who want to serve should be hired into these positions, and not people who are in it because of huge salaries.

[upandopen]

Maybe higher salaries result in more competent people?

[upandopen]

1. Maybe higher salaries attract more competent people?

2. The salaries of a few people high up correspond to the tuitions of about 30 students at most. That's not an issue even worth discussing at a university with 30,000 students.

[zellerback]

Generally, people who so-called "want to serve" aren't not very good at it. Look at chancellor Dynes. Secondarily, compared to other university officials around the country, he's actually quite underpaid. I completely, agree that the State of California has completely abandoned education as a whole.

[rainbowdeathstar]

His salary is competitive with those of his peers: look at the president of University of Michigan or any of a number of other top Universities.

He was paid 730K at Texas before he came became president of UC... You have to be realistic.

If you want a competitive administration, a competent administration, AND it takes a competent administration to run such a large organization... then you have to pay competitive salaries.

[faerthen]

You are absolutely right about the privatization of the university, & it sucks that admin sucks up so much of what's left. But who's to blame?

The UC has been squeezed so hard by the state that they are forced to look to private money instead. I think Berkeley only gets about 25% of it's funds from the government at this point. Probably only a matter of time before it becomes another Harvard.

Still want lower taxes?

[raceyjones]

AMEN

[caseyjlaw]

Is hiring smart people supposed to be a bad thing? Running the best public university in the world is not cheap. Can't do it with charity...

[abaterer]

I completely agree, the same day that they cut jobs, they increased the pays of people how were already making 300 grand to half a mil

[SmartObservation]

Can the same thing be said about the professors?

[traviecyco1226]

Lies!

[7docdoc]

you are right!! He should fire himself.

[rceasara]

a little article on "Execs still get raises as UC cuts staffing, pay" says otherwise, yudof.