The Need for an Accessible University of California.

UC’s Regents even made drastic moves to slash admissions as a way to address decreases in state funding, voting to cut enrollment for both 2009-10 and 2010-11 incoming freshman by 2,300 admissions per year for an estimated savings of about $40 million. While the cutbacks could possibly be reduced for the 2010-11 academic year due to a slated state increase in funding, UC’s Regents have already set a bad precedent by further limiting access and continuing to force public sacrifice as a way to deal with its deepening financial crisis.

As a result of the University and Regent’s actions, the promise of access to an affordable, quality education at UC is proving to be an empty one for more and more Californians. In fact, some families are now faced with the hard reality that increases in fees and cuts in enrollment pose a real threat to the chances of their children attending a UC school.

UC President Mark Yudof brags that the University is the envy of the world. We urge President Yudof to remember that this prestige comes in part because of the California Master Plan for Higher Education and its positive effects on the development of our state’s universities, which in turn have helped elevate California’s place in the world economy. Threats to the spirit of the Master Plan are essentially threats to the University itself.