Education focus of effort to curb college drinking, Fresno Bee
On a campus where 10% to 15% of the students are considered problem drinkers, officials at California State University, Fresno, are struggling with ways to reduce alcohol abuse. It's a battle that's being fought on campuses across the nation, often with little success.

University honors legendary educator, Daily Bulletin
Dorothy Inghram has had a life of firsts. On Saturday, the 97-year-old San Bernardino resident received a personal first - an honorary doctorate presented to her at Cal State San Bernardino's commencement ceremonies.

Students find out what it takes to get access to movers, shakers, San Jose Mercury-News
For two years, Professor Rona Halualani has challenged a communications class to try to interview people on San Jose magazine's annual ``Power 100'' list.

Fitness center gives finals week relief, Daily Bulletin
As finals week winds down at Cal Poly Pomona, hundreds of students have been using the university's 11,000 square-foot, membership-based fitness center to help ease exam jitters.

Bridges leaving Cal Poly, Daily Bulletin
Dan Bridges, the man who helped Cal Poly Pomona regain its place in national prominence on the Division II level, resigned unexpectedly Thursday.

Football player makes another goal, San Luis Obispo Tribune
Thomas is the proud owner of one of the most coveted pieces of jewelry in the sports world -- a Super Bowl ring, earned with the St. Louis Rams. But on Saturday, he earned something even more important to him--his degree in English from Cal Pol.

Welty leaves hearing with hope of NCAA leniency, Fresno Bee
Fresno State president John Welty was optimistic Saturday there would not be additional severe sanctions imposed on the men's basketball team after a hearing before the NCAA Infractions Committee.

Rhetoric, inaction mark initial deadline for state budget, San Diego Union-Tribune/AP
With California's Legislature still deadlocked over tax increases and spending cuts, prospects for passing a state budget by today's constitutional deadline remained almost nonexistent.

Davis: Schools will suffer if new budget is delayed, Contra Costa Times/AP
Gov. Gray Davis warned Friday that progress made in California's public schools over the past several years will be jeopardized if the Legislature does not pass his revised budget soon.

States of crisis, Long Beach Press-Telegram/AP
Fines, fees, surcharges, taxes: Whatever you call it, the bottom line is that cash-strapped states are seeking billions of new dollars from their citizens, enough to potentially double the load of new taxes this year and erase much of the windfall American taxpayers enjoyed in the 1990s.

Budget deadline's here -- deal's not, Sacramento Bee
Partisan rancor cuts the chances for a compromise.

If state workers are stranded, loans abound, Sacramento Bee
California's budget mess is spawning a personal financial crisis for legislative aide Bill Bird. With his savings running as dry as the state treasury and a "massive" mortgage to shoulder, Bird faces a cash crunch come July if a budget isn't in place.

Brulte's Hard Line Sharpens Budget Divide, Los Angeles Times
GOP leader strengthens his party's hand with a vow to punish colleagues who back a tax hike.

Deadlock at Budget Deadline, Los Angeles Times
Legislature fails to pass a plan on time, with Davis recall bid complicating the impasse. 'The town is totally dysfunctional,' one observer says.

Deficit imperils UC's mandate, San Francisco Chronicle
The state's economic plight has become so dire that University of California officials say they are forced to think about the unthinkable -- breaking UC's long-standing pledge to admit all eligible students in the state.

Dynes well suited to make weapons-labs decisions, San Francisco Chronicle
One of the first reactions many had to the announcement last week that Robert Dynes had been named president of the University of California was that he is ideally equipped to lead UC in one of its most urgent tasks: competing to retain the prestigious contract to manage the nation's nuclear weapons design labs.

UC green building policy gets preliminary approval, Oakland Tribune
All new sites would have to adhere to environmentally sound guidelines.

UCD housing may go to town, Sacramento Bee
UC Davis' proposed on-campus housing development could one day be annexed to the city of Davis.

Teacher rules toughen, Stockton Record
Finding and keeping qualified middle school and special-education teachers will prove difficult under new, more-stringent state credential requirements for teachers.

Push mounts to stem quitters, Los Angeles Daily News
With 22 percent of the LAUSD's high school students quitting before graduation -- enough to nearly fill Dodger Stadium every four years -- school officials are coming under increasing pressure to resolve the dropout crisis.

Schools chief cancels July test, Sacramento Bee
The state schools chief canceled July's High School Exit Exam and announced Friday that he would recommend that the state Board of Education delay requiring students to pass the test until 2006.

State's spending fails to keep pace, Oakland Tribune
Public schools were supposed to be the great equalizer -- the one place where kids got an equal shot at a future regardless of what life is like on the streets outside. But public schools have never been equal. California's schools -- like those across the country -- typically reflect the condition of their communities.

Bond system has many schools stuck in a rut, Oakland Tribune
Across California, the most dilapidated buildings that leak, reek of mold or lack heat for winter-chilled classrooms aren't necessarily the first in line to get money to fix them.

Some Backers of Racial Preference Take Diversity Rationale Further, Wall St. Journal
Is the University of Michigan making the best case for affirmative action? Some of its own supporters doubt it.

Colleges Tap Kiddie Set To Fill Summer Spots, Wall St. Journal
In the latest twist on summer school, universities are offering an ever-younger group of kids an early shot at college life.

Latino dropout picture brighter, Sacramento Bee
Latino students are sticking with school more than many experts have presumed, a new study says.

Tight times for summer school, Christian Science Monitor
In recent years, America's education reforms have given summer school a new purpose and importance. This summer, however, budget deficits are leading educators to roll back or even eliminate programs.

Better educated find jobs faster, USA Today
Since January, the job market has been largely static for workers with at least some college credits, but unemployment has risen for those with a high school degree or less.

The 'Silent Killer' of Minority Enrollments, Chronicle of Higher Education
The Michigan court cases are getting all the attention, but the bigger threat to campus diversity is state budget cuts, especially for community colleges.

Change in Federal Formula for Assessing Need Could Cost Students Billions in Financial Aid, Chronicle of Higher Education
A routine update of the formula the federal government uses to calculate a student's need for aid apparently will shift more of the financial burden of college onto students.

Battle Over PeopleSoft Leaves College Officials in the Dark, Chronicle of Higher Education
Hostilities between Oracle Corporation and PeopleSoft Inc. continue to escalate over Oracle's unsolicited bid for PeopleSoft, leaving PeopleSoft's higher-education customers in the dark about what the rival software companies might do next.

Democrats Want to Suspend a Change in Student Aid Rule, New York Times
Several Democratic members of Congress yesterday called for the suspension of a bureaucratic adjustment that will likely increase college costs for millions of families.

Harvard Law School Seeks $400 Million, New York Times
Harvard Law School announced today that it was starting a $400 million capital campaign, the largest fund-raising effort undertaken by a law school.

Washington allocates less than promised to educate disabled, San Diego Union-Tribune
For decades, Washington has told the nation's public schools that they must educate every child with a learning disability – whether that means something as simple as a mild speech impediment or something as severe as autism.

SUNY Tuition Will Rise, but How Much?, New York Times
The trustees of the State University of New York are scheduled to meet on Tuesday, but students should not expect to find out how much tuition will rise at SUNY's four-year colleges beginning this fall.

PeopleSoft Adds to Suits Against Oracle Takeover, Los Angeles Times
The latest action accuses CEO Ellison of making an insincere bid in an attempt to disrupt business relationships.

Opinion: The Biggest Barrier to College Isn't Race, Chronicle of Higher Education
The legal challenges to affirmative action now before the Supreme Court have received unprecedented public attention and taken on enormous symbolic importance for colleges. Yet what is rarely, if ever, acknowledged is the whiff of elitism that pervades the current debate.

Editorial: Budget meltdown in Capitol, Daily Breeze
As Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson, D-Los Angeles, now concedes, the Legislature will not meet its constitutional deadline of today to get a budget to Gov. Gray Davis. What’s more, a spending plan may not even be approved by Aug. 31, when the state will run out of money and may start issuing IOUs to pay its workers and vendors.

Editorial: Regents make right choice for UC chief, Daily Breeze
The selection of Robert C. Dynes, chancellor of the University of California, San Diego, as the new president of the prestigious UC system is welcome news.

Editorial: Exit Exam Fails the Test, Los Angeles Times
California has a lot of homework to do on the high school exit exam before requiring teenagers to pass it before graduating.

Dan Walters: Tax-hike advocates are pushing public opinion ball uphill, Sacramento Bee
There's some disagreement among politicians and academicians over the level of Californians' tax burden because there are different ways of measuring it.

Editorial: Gong show, Sacramento Bee
It's budget time. Where's the budget?

George Skelton: A Davis Recall Election Would Shake Up Political Landscape, Los Angeles Times
Recall sponsors are pushing for a fall special election when the turnout is likely to be dominated by voters who are passionately anti-Davis.

Dan Walters: Ross incident underscores how Capitol's politics have evolved, Sacramento Bee
The Capitol is atwitter over a confrontation between Richie Ross, an influential lobbyist and campaign consultant, and the aides to two legislators.

Opinion: Smoke mixed with mirrors is how Davis crafts budget, Ventura County Star
Gov. Gray Davis' May budget revision at least answers one question: What ever happened to Enron's accountants? By every indication, they're alive and well and hard at work on California's budget crisis.

Dan Walters: Lawyers go on offensive as 'tort war' enters new phase, Sacramento Bee
Each year, personal injury attorneys, business and professional groups and insurance companies joust over bills that would either expand or restrict opportunities to sue and collect damages, spending millions of dollars in lobbying fees and campaign contributions.

 

Retaliation Alleged on Opposition to Recall, Los Angeles Times
Californians seeking the ouster of Gov. Gray Davis barraged some of the state's biggest corporations this week with hundreds of e-mails to protest the companies' involvement in a group that opposes the recall campaign.

Issa Banking on Big Payoff in Recall Drive, Los Angeles Times
The GOP congressman has given $700,000 to the campaign and hopes to replace Davis. But he may face difficulty in broadening his appeal.

Davis policies buffeted by recall, Sacramento Bee
The first sign a recall campaign against Gov. Gray Davis could affect California public policy came last month, when the term-limited Democrat dramatically adjusted his budget plan.