Dive Brief:
- California Assemblyman Mike Gatto introduced a bill this week that would allocate $50 million as seed money for a new University of California campus he is calling UC-Tech, the Sacramento Bee reports.
- The money would cover a feasibility study, the land purchase, and a portion of building costs to create a new school focused on STEM fields and the arts.
- According to Gatto, the state’s budget surpluses provide an opportunity for “bold moves,” even though Gov. Jerry Brown is locked in a tough fight with UC President Janet Napolitano over higher education funding.
Dive Insight:
Gatto’s proposal comes the same week Napolitano threatened to limit enrollment offers for in-state students because of budget constraints. The Sacramento Bee has been covering the University of California system’s approval of 5% annual tuition increases over the next five years, which put Brown’s proposed budget increase in jeopardy. Brown had said a 4% funding increase was dependent on a tuition freeze. The likelihood of expanding the UC system to include an 11th school is slim, but Gatto argues it would give the state a chance to compete with Cal Tech and train students for the state’s tech industry. The governor’s revised budget is due mid-May, when the UC funding fight should be resolved.