Campus rally against hate draws hundreds, Chico Enterprise-Record
Against a backdrop of recent hate crimes, about 300 people gathered Tuesday on the Chico State University campus to say bigotry and hatred are not welcome there.

CSUS president hires a familiar vice president, Sacramento Bee
President Alexander Gonzalez said this week that he has hired a new vice president for administration at California State University, Sacramento.

News Briefs, San Diego Union-Tribune/AP
Cal Poly's agriculture department is no longer just about cows.

Foes no more, debate team dominates, Long Beach Press-Telegram
Pair from CSULB are among best after they joined forces.

Clearing the Air on Campus, Monterey Herald
A new CSUMB policy requires smokers to stay at least 25 feet away from any building, window or door.

CSUSM club to raise funds for suicide prevention, North County Times
"Our mission is to encourage the prevention of suicide on campus," Crhis Sanchez said. "It's not a subject that is often talked about because it's so sensitive.

Cadaver Inquiry Stirs Concerns at Medical Schools, Los Angeles Times
Some fear UCLA probe may hurt other programs' ability to procure bodies.

UCI Still Troubled by Cadaver Scandal, Los Angeles Times
Irvine program was rocked by '99 problems similar to UCLA's. It made reforms, but fallout continues.

Body-Donor Chief at UCLA Misstated Credentials, Los Angeles Times
The director of UCLA's body-donor program, suspected of illegally selling hundreds of cadavers donated to the medical school, lied in a deposition in 2002 about his professional and academic background, according to a review by The Times.

Regent seeks new application box, Hayward Review
Connerly wants 'multi-racial' category added to students' choices.

Lab, security officers settle, Contra Costa Times
The University of California has reached a settlement with one current and one former Lawrence Livermore Laboratory security officer, who claimed they were fired because they were whistle-blowers.

Acclaimed photos lay bare UC Berkeley fraternity life, Hayward Review
Three-year project earns photographer a coveted fellowship.

Board's quest: Pay for UC Merced, Modesto Bee
A tax increase "could mean the difference between life or death for UC Merced," state Controller Steve Westly told about 50 members of the UC Merced Foundation Board of Trustees Wednesday.

Bill would give universities role in charter schools, Sacramento Bee
A nascent bill in the California Legislature would allow public colleges and universities to authorize and oversee charter schools, and advocates hope that bipartisan support will buoy this second attempt to expand the charter movement.

Entire district faculty to get pink slips, Contra Costa Times
Every faculty member in the Contra Costa Community College District will receive a pink slip as the administration struggles with how to close a $8.9 million shortfall in a district reeling from fiscal troubles.

College Classes Canceled to Protest Hate Crime, Los Angeles Times
Officials and students at five Claremont campuses react after vandals trash a professor's car and spray-paint it with slurs.

LAUSD looking to erase extra $61 million, Los Angeles Daily News
Hoping to avert a downgrade in the Los Angeles Unified School District's financial rating from the county's Office of Education, school board trustees are expected to ask Superintendent Roy Romer today to come up with an additional $61 million in budget cuts by the end of March.

What will they do now?, San Francisco Chronicle
West Contra Costa students face a future with no school libraries, no counselors and no sports Parents, banks and the Oakland A's quickly scramble to close huge funding gap, save programs and staff.

Jay Mathews: Examining No Child Left Behind, Washington Post
More than a month ago I asked for stories about how the new federal No Child Left Behind law is affecting children in our public school classrooms. I was unhappy about the lack of specifics in most of the published attacks on the law, and I begged for some concrete examples of harm.

Donated Bodies Used in Land Mine Tests, New York Times/AP
Tulane University has suspended its dealings with a distributor of donated bodies after finding out seven cadavers had been sold to the Army and blown up in Texas to test protective footwear against land mines.

Giving to Colleges in 2003 Remained at Previous Year's Level, Survey Finds, Chronicle of Higher Education
Giving to colleges and universities was flat in the 2003 fiscal year, according to the results of an annual survey scheduled for release today.

Judge Sets Oracle Antitrust Trial, Los Angeles Times
A federal judge on Wednesday set a June 7 trial date for the U.S. Justice Department's attempt to block Oracle Corp.'s $9.4-billion effort to buy PeopleSoft Inc., giving the two sides three months to prepare for a case that could reshape the market for business-management software.

Opinion: CSU freshmen had better know the basics -- or else, Daily Breeze
For many years, the majority of arriving freshmen at the 23 California State University campuses have lacked at least some basic skills any respectable college should expect them to have.

Daniel Weintraub: The story behind the Democrats losing streak, Sacramento Bee
For as long as Gray Davis was governor, his top political adviser, Garry South, preached to fellow Democrats not to take the state's electorate for granted.

Opinion: Commerce in Cadavers Is an Open Secret, Los Angeles Times
Are we shocked that a University of California official has been caught allegedly trading in body parts? We shouldn't be.

Opinion: Body of Knowledge Bound by Sacred Trust, Los Angeles Times
At institutions like UCLA, where authorities now say they've uncovered the sale of cadavers and body parts, I believe such disrespectful, immoral behavior is also an anomaly.

Legislators wrangle over workers' compensation, San Francisco Chronicle
GOP lawmakers sign petition for ballot measure.

NOTE: For additional political coverage, visit the Rough & Tumble website.

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