UC Berkeley (Audio)

The funding model for public higher education has changed dramatically in recent years, both in California and across the nation. How can we build a solid and sustainable financial model for the University of California while preserving and enhancing the most important values of our public mission? Nathan Brostrom executive Vice President-Chief Financial Officer, University of California, Office of the President, discusses the system wide budget projections for the University of California. The UC system educates approximately 250,000 students annually and has yearly budget of over $28 billion. As CFO, Brostrom oversees all aspects of financial management for the UC system which includes ten campuses, five medical centers and the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. Series: "Center for Studies in Higher Education" [Education] [Show ID: 30202]

Survey data collected from graduate students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) at Berkeley suggest that both underrepresented minority and women graduate students publish fewer papers as graduate students, on average, than majority male students. Mark Richards, a professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Science at UC Berkeley, discusses studies that indicate that performance expectations and how they are communicated in different departments might explain observed patterns of disparities in publishing. Mitigating against the effects of unclear expectations may be crucial for ensuring that minority students are fully competitive when applying for academic positions, and hence crucial to diversifying the academy. Series: "Center for Studies in Higher Education" [Education] [Show ID: 30185]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes India’s distinguished journalist Rajdeep Sardesai for a discussion of how India is changing and how a changing news media reports its story. Sardesai reflects on the evolution of his career and the lessons he has learned about covering politics in India. He describes the importance of the 2014 national elections. Sardesai also compares Modi the candidate and Modi the Prime Minister emphasizing political style, strengths and weaknesses, and the major challenges facing India. Sardesai concludes with advice to students interested in India. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 30390]

Higher education institutions are increasingly called upon to account for the value of a college degree and importance of research institutions. Pamela Brown, Vice President of Institutional Research and Academic Planning at UC Office of the President, explains that as the largest public academic research institution in the world, the University of California must lead the way in advocating the purpose and importance of public higher education. The UC Accountability Report provides the eighth annual comprehensive assessment of the University's progress in meeting key teaching, research and public service goals across its 10 campuses. Series: "Center for Studies in Higher Education" [Education] [Show ID: 30317]

In recent years, a number of colleges and universities have significantly altered the manner in which their employee retirement programs are structured and funded. Changes have included moving from defined benefit to defined contribution programs and increasing employee or employer contributions. James A. Hyatt, Associate Director of the Center For Studies in Higher Education, discusses major changes to retirement and post-retirement benefit programs at colleges and universities. Series: "Center for Studies in Higher Education" [Education] [Show ID: 30186]

Although many recent advances, such as building codes and construction techniques, have reduced some aspects of risk to natural disasters, other features of modern society— including population density and the networking of transportation, power facilities, and communications systems—have led to increased vulnerability in California and beyond. Lucy Jones, Science Advisor for Risk Reduction, U.S. Geological Survey, discusses and answers questions about interdisciplinary research to measure the vulnerabilities of modern society and ways to increase society’s ability to respond to future events. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Science] [Show ID: 30175]

The Egyptians believed Pharaoh to be a god on earth who after his death would fly up to heaven and unite with the sun, his father. After the collapse of the Old Kingdom, this idea of royal immortality became accessible for non-royal persons but dependent on justification before a divine tribunal, the judgment of the dead. Immortality became a question, not of royalty but of morals. Jan Assmann, Professor Emeritus of Egyptology, University of Heidelberg, explores the origins and evolution of these concepts. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Humanities] [Show ID: 30174]

New York Times Best Selling Author, William Deresiewicz takes a sharp look at the high-pressure conveyor belt that begins with parents and counselors who demand perfect grades and culminates in the skewed applications Deresiewicz saw firsthand as a member of Yale’s admissions committee. He explains how college should be a time for self-discovery, when students can establish their own values and measures of success, so they can forge their own path. He addresses parents, students, educators, and anyone who's interested in the direction of American society—featuring stories from real students and graduates he has corresponded with over the years—candidly exposing where the system is broken and clearly presenting solutions. Series: "Center for Studies in Higher Education" [Education] [Show ID: 30164]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes seismologist Lucy Jones for a discussion of science, natural disasters and public education. Topics covered: the trajectory of her career, attributes of a scientist, earthquake prediction, science education, and effective communication between scientists and the public. The conversation concludes with lessons learned. Series: "Conversations with History" [Science] [Show ID: 30204]

A fundamental of scientific analysis is the rejection of stories. Anecdotes can mislead you and solid analysis of the data is needed to ensure that coincidence is not mistaken for correlation. But one of the fundamentals of communication is the human need for stories to make an emotional connection to the information provided. Lucy Jones, Science Advisor for Risk Reduction, U.S. Geological Survey, explores the successes and challenges in bridging this gap between scientists and the larger public. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 30176]