LOOKING INTO THE UC BUDGET  --  Report #1     (e-mail version)


by Charles Schwartz, Department of Physics, University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720.    510-642-4427		December 10, 1992


     In the current climate of severe budget reductions at the University of 
California, many people have called for major cuts in the university's top 
management bureaucracy.  In response, UC's new President Jack W. Peltason 
has announced a 10% cutback in spending by the Office of the President.  I ask, 
Is this cutback just tokenism ?  

     The general question I ask is whether there has been unnecessary long term 
growth in the UC administration - bureaucratic bloat - sapping resources into 
self-serving management structures that ought instead to be directed toward the 
university's primary functions and needs.
   
   One office of the UC statewide administration which shows a striking history 
of growth is the Office of the General Counsel of the Regents. This office 
has 37 attorneys, plus staff, and spent  $9,174,000  in fiscal year 1991-92. 
These are all "unrestricted funds."  The growth of this office in recent years  
may be assessed with the following data, which makes comparisons with the  
primary function of the university (Instruction) and its primary personnel  
(faculty, staff & students.)

Over the past 5 years (FY1987 to FY1992), 
spending by Regents' Counsel has increased by	  62%
while spending for Instruction has increased by	  32% 

Over the past 10 years (FY1982 to FY1992), 
spending by Regents' Counsel has increased by	 189% 
while spending for Instruction has increased by	 111% 

Over the past 15 years (FY1977 to FY1992), 
spending by Regents' Counsel has increased by	 735% 
while spending for Instruction has increased by	 269% 


     If we count people instead of dollars, we find a similar picture.  

Over the past 15 years  (FY1977 to FY1992),
the number of attorneys in Regents' Counsel has increased by	106%
the number of UC faculty and staff has increased by 		 41%
the number of students at UC has increased by 			 30%


     From this data we see that the Regents' Counsel has grown two to three 
times more than the clientele it is presumed to serve, over this period of time.

     In addition, 7 out of the 12 campuses and major laboratories run by UC now 
have their own legal officer(s) as Assistant Chancellors, etc., while there was 
only one such officer 15 years ago. This would suggest a reduced, rather than 
an increased need for central legal services by the office of the Regents' 
Counsel.

     I also note that a majority of the members of the Board of Regents are, or 
have been, lawyers themselves, and are thus perhaps professionally prone to 
promote and protect this form of bureaucratic bloat.


     At today's meeting of the Board of Regents, President Peltason has 
scheduled a discussion of his plan for the Administrative Reorganization of his 
office.  One detail of this new plan is to bring the Office of the General  
Counsel of the Regents into the Office of the President; and the General Counsel
himself will be given the additional title of Vice President for Legal Affairs. 
Does this shift signify even more clout and budget for these lawyers in the  
university's administration ?



Sources of Data:

 "The University of California Campus Financial Schedules 1991-1992"  and 
prior years, for Current Funds Expenditures; See Schedules 10-C and 11-E.

"The University of California Financial Report 1991-1992" and prior years, for 
faculty & staff and student numbers.

"University of California Directory 1991-92," and prior years, for listing of 
Regents' Counsel and principal campus administration officers.