Chancellor to field questions from panel of students, faculty
By Constance Dillon
May 1, 2008 12:55 a.m.
Chancellor Gene Block will participate in a student panel tonight to discuss the role of UCLA in the Los Angeles community.
Block will answer questions from the panel ““ made up of members of the student government and UCLA professors ““ and then accept questions from the audience.
Panelists will discuss research projects sponsored by the university and the school’s relationships with its employees, although no set structure will be enforced, said Gabe Rose, Undergraduate Students Association Council president.
The event marks the first time Block has been a member of a formal student panel since taking over as chancellor this past August, said Jesse Melgar, the USAC external vice president and a member of the panel.
Melgar said he the thinks the event is a rare opportunity for students to speak one-on-one with the head of their university, since currently such conversations only occur once each quarter during the chancellor’s office hours.
He added that the Hill is an ideal location for the panel since a large number of students live in on-campus housing and can easily attend the event.
Rose said he hopes the panel will question “how much of our focus should be on fixing the community around us as opposed to addressing concerns on campus.”
Some panel members said they believe UCLA’s involvement with the outside community should be a top priority.
Melgar said UCLA officials must be concerned with its impact on Los Angeles because its policies already affect a variety of groups, particularly those employed by the university, such as dining hall workers and faculty members.
“A huge range of individuals are affected by the decisions made here at UCLA,” he said.
The panel is being held on May 1, which is celebrated as International Workers’ Day, a date with particular significance since UCLA has faced controversy over workers’ salaries in the past, Rose said.
Representatives from the student government expressed concern over the accessibility of UCLA for individuals from underprivileged neighborhoods in Los Angeles.
Melgar said he wants to ask Chancellor Block how he plans to keep UCLA affordable so any student can receive an education and not be held back by financial cost.
History professor Norton Wise, a faculty member of the panel, said he thinks the increasingly limited access to UCLA will be one of the first issues to be raised.
“A lot of students need to be concerned with (access) because it costs more and more to go to UCLA,” he said.
Panel members said that while they think discussion will focus on future plans, they do expect some criticism of past university policies.
“I’m sure there will be some (criticism). If we were already doing everything (right), there wouldn’t be much to talk about,” Rose said.
