UC Davis law student Rebecca Gardner says it’s all about making the case — to state legislators.

“Public education is extremely important to young people,” said Gardner, a third-year student. “It’s accessible and affordable, and that’s why it’s more vital than ever.”

Gardner was one of hundreds of alumni, students and other “friends” of the UC campuses who gathered Monday and Tuesday at the Sacramento Sheraton Grand Hotel to discuss the UC system with state legislators at the capitol and browse student research projects. The conference’s theme — “It starts here” — focused on UC’s impact in California. Figures such as the university’s 192,000 students and spending that created $14 billion for the state’s economy last year received top billing.

This year, the stakes at UC Day were higher than usual.

State budget cutbacks have come at a time of rapid student enrollment increases throughout the UC system.

UC president Richard Atkinson noted in a speech that the UC system will likely receive about $3 billion in state funding compared to about $4 billion in normal years. “We’re about a billion short in the level of funding received from the state,” he said.

Atkinson described the current situation as “an extremely important moment” in UC’s history. The university system is in the midst of a 16-year period of adding 100,000 students, he said. However, under the 2003-04 budget proposal, UC’s state-funded budget declines almost 6 percent while enrollments have increased by 18 percent.

“We need to explain our situation more than ever,” Atkinson said, adding that term limits have resulted in significant legislative turnover and an increasing need to re-educate new members on UC’s impact.

The UC system made its case with legislators this week by enlisting the help of alumni and friends it has made all over the state. Roughly 360 UC representatives overall participated in UC Day festivities.

Volunteers like Beatrice Collins of Westwood showed up committed to work hard. Retired, she lives a few blocks away from UCLA. “I feel it’s important for people to give back to their community,” Collins said. “The university brings so many good things to us — education, movies, theater and music.”

UC’s newest campus, UC Merced, is especially eager to highlight its forthcoming campus. “This is a chance to get together with our nine sister campuses,” said Larry Salinas, director of governmental affairs for Merced. “We’re being helped by a lot of our delegates who are from all over the Central Valley.”

Salinas said that showing legislators what the UC system is doing is the best approach. Information conveyed to legislators and their staff during UC Day included facts like the university system has the nation’s largest medical training program, with more than 12,000 students enrolled. Its hospitals and clinics account for more than 3.3 million visits a year. Nearly 370,000 jobs were dependent on UC expenditures last year — about 2 percent of the state’s total employment. And UC will generate 2 million new jobs in the coming decade.

Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw told the UC Davis delegation that she is an “eternal optimist” and believes that California has an “enormous capacity” to rebound. “We do have rough times ahead, but UC Davis is loaded with folks who have a ‘can-do’ attitude,” Hinshaw said, noting that Davis is the major growth campus in the system.

Hinshaw emphasized the academic mission above all — “Our biggest concern on campus is with our student activity.”

Hinshaw said UC Davis is in a very “healthy trajectory” as far as research funding, despite budget uncertainties. “Research universities are the economic engines for our state, nation and world.”

In the agricultural sector, research funding is at a crossroads.

Agricultural concerns

James MacDonald, executive associate dean in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, said “crippling” budget decreases in the state-funded Agricultural Experiment Station will result in possibly 72 fewer faculty positions in the years ahead. The aftermath will be a lack of student access to college courses, a weakened ability to help the state respond to agricultural and environmental crises and problems, and a revenue loss in grant funds.

“We’re facing very serious challenges,” MacDonald said.

George Tibbits, a farmer and UC Davis alumnus, agreed. He was happy to have the opportunity to meet with legislators and to voice his concern that the current budget cuts “are going too far.”

The state budget situation will have a very serious impact on the UC Davis Health System, said Barbara Ross, assistant director of government and community relations.

“It’s a great opportunity to be here today” and make our case to legislators, she said.

The medical center plays a huge role in providing treatment to some of Sacramento’s poorest people. Indigent patients make up 42 percent of the medical center’s patients, Ross said.

Gage Dungy, a third-year UC Davis law student, said: “It’s critical that we actually talk about these issues with the people who make the budget decisions and show them how and why the UC system makes a difference. Because it makes a big difference.”

President Atkinson, others lauded

UC Regent Fred Sainick offered a welcome at Tuesday’s luncheon.“Research shows that alumni are UC’s most credible advocates,” he said. 

At the luncheon, Atkinson was honored for eight years of service as UC president. Also recognized were three who earned Legislator of the Year accolades. Honored were: Assemblyman Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento; Assemblywoman Carol Liu, D-La Cañada Flintridge; and Sen. John Vasconcellos, D-San Jose.

Gov. Gray Davis was among the luncheon attendees. He thanked Atkinson, who has announced his plans to retire Oct. 1. “Every great cause requires a leader,” Davis said. Atkinson also received a bundle of logo shirts and sweatshirts from each UC campus.

Legislators of the Year each talked about their commitment to the impacts of higher education on the welfare of the state. 

 

UC Davis News Service intern Megan Gywnne contributed to this story.