Dean Claudia Mitchell-Kernan Speaks at Pacifica Institute’s Luncheon Forum
Professor Claudia Mitchell-Kernan has served as Vice Chancellor for Graduate Studies and Dean of the Graduate Division at UCLA for 14 years. She also formerly served as Director of UCLA’s Center for Afro-American Studies. Professor Mitchell-Kernan is an anthropologist by discipline and has a joint academic appointment in the departments of Anthropology, and Psychiatry and Biobehavorial Sciences. She currently conducts research on marriage and family formation patterns in the United States. Dr. Mitchell-Kernan served on the the Graduate Record Examination Board from 1994 to 2000 and as chair from 1999 to 2000. She also served on the National Science Board from 1994 to 2000 and chaired the Science and Engineering Indicators Subcommittee from 1996 to 2000. She also served in Washington, D.C. as the Dean in Residence for the Council of Graduate Schools/National Science Foundation.
Dean Mitchell-Kernan started off by noting, UCLA is an exemption of poorly run public entities in California. The graduate education here at UCLA is the best in the USA. Elected officials are avoiding to increase taxes for better education. What is causing the elected officials to avoid raising taxes can only be the immediate gains. Approximately, UCLA receives $1 million in grants each year and it is the top employer of the state. Education is private good this is a wrong idea; it is for the public good. Universities provide the public employees needed for the private sector and state. UCLA and the UC system in general has hope of ideas of the governor and the governor proposed constitutional amendment to always spend more on education than prison systems. Now state government is spending 11 percent to prisons and 7 percent to higher education. Prisons should not take priority. America is incarcerating the highest number of people in the world, approximately 2 million people right now. Private resources can not take the burden of higher education. Increased tuition does not buy a better education. State budgets should meet a wide variety of needs.