Dive Brief:
- University of California President Janet Napolitano is at odds with Gov. Jerry Brown over proposed tuition increases.
- Napolitano is calling for annual 5% tuition increases for five years, unless Brown and the state's legislature produce funding to make those increases unnecessary, Inside Higher Ed reports.
- Brown says the UC system should instead look at cutting costs through expanded online education, three-year degrees, and competency-based learning.
Dive Insight:
The system’s board of regents is scheduled to vote today on Napolitano’s proposed tuition increase, and the proposal was approved by a committee of the board on Wednesday. The president says the tuition increases are needed to bring predictability and fairness to the university’s pricing, make academic improvements, and allow 5,000 more California residents to enroll in the system, which now has 244,000 students at 10 campuses. The plan would also cover tuition and fees for half of UC's undergraduate students. Students have protested the proposed tuition hikes, and opponents say Napolitano is using students as hostages in a standoff with California politicians over state funding for the university.