Everybody knows that the California budget is in the toilet and has been for some time. Sure, part of that is due to the bad economy that we’re all experiencing. But it’s also because California legislators don’t know how to compromise. I have rarely seen the affects of drastic things occurring in government in my own daily life, but here it is. I haven’t had to go into the DMV when it’s been closed to save money, but now my school is being affected. Because of a huge reduction in state funding, the UC system (one of the most prestigious state school systems in the country) must fill an $813 million budget gap. Twenty five percent of that gap is going to be filled with staff furloughs (mandatory unpaid time off), between 4 to 10 percent reductions depending on pay scale.

For regular time-sheet, clock-in/clock-out sort of staff, it’s not too difficult to figure out how to take away 7% of your time. Leave earlier on Friday or whatever, while your work piles up. What does it look like for faculty? I’m guessing in many cases, as at other institutions, this will simply mean that profs will put in the same amount of time for less money. One faculty member told me that he may just leave his class sessions 7% early as a kind of protest. The students are going to feel it one way or another. One possible response for the faculty is that they will simply leave.

I guess the UC system went through a similar sort of process in the early 90s and lots of quality faculty went seeking greener pastures. Only recently have some departments gotten themselves back up to full strength. UCLA’s student newspaper, The Daily Bruin, shares a quote from Mark Krumholz who spearheaded a letter signed by 300 UC faculty members warning of the dangers of divesting in the UC: “Krumholz added that while the amount of faculty leaving this year will only be a ‘trickle, . . . if the institution isn’t turned around, next year it’ll be a flood.’” For doctoral students who came to the school for the faculty, that’s bad news.

In addition, class sizes are larger and there are fewer Teaching Assistants. I am extremely grateful to have received a TAship for the fall, but the winter and spring quarters are a big question mark.

From where I sit, the political standoffs of Sacramento don’t seem worth the sacrifices of one of the state’s greatest public institutions.

For some additional details, see this letter released today by UCLA Chancellor Block.