SB 724 calls for independent CSU doctorate...

A bill that is moving through the state Assembly authorizes the CSU to independently award a Doctor of Education degree. Currently, UC is the only segment of public higher education in California authorized to offer independent doctorates.

SB 724 — introduced by Sen. Jack Scott, D-Altadena — is designed to meet state needs for training current and future K-12 and community college administrators. The degree will enable professionals to earn the degree while working full-time.

The agreement grants an exception to the state's Master Plan for Higher Education. That plan delineates the functions among the three segments of California higher education, which also includes the California Community Colleges.

UC will continue to offer its own doctoral degrees in education, and both systems will continue to offer a wide variety of degree and non-degree training and professional development programs for teachers and administrators.

SB 724 still must be approved by the full Assembly and then go back to the Senate for consent before being sent to the governor for final approval. The first students would likely be admitted to the Ed.D. programs at CSU in the fall of 2007.

OP acts on extensions for military pay, START

Comments are requested as the UC Office of the President considers extending the supplement to military pay for another year, with a new limitation on benefits of two years.

Comments are due by July 29. Staff should comment to bmwilcox@ucdavis.edu, and academic employees should send comments to jfdixon@ucdavis.edu.

Details are posted online at http://www.hr.ucdavis.edu/Policy/Development/Military5.

In addition, UCOP recently announced it was extending the Staff and Academic Reduction in Time (START) Program for one year. The extension allows current participants in the program to voluntarily reduce their working time from 10 to 50 percent until no later than June 30, 2006.

For more information, see http://www.hr.ucdavis.edu/Policy/Start.

Options for downloading music considered

Music and movies will be on the mind of a group of campus officials meeting this summer.

Student Affairs will work with other campus groups to discuss bringing to campus legal options for downloading copyrighted entertainment after the University of California recently signed agreements with service providers.

"Having legal options available for downloading music and movies keeps pace with student interests while supporting the campus's historical commitment to upholding the letter and spirit of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act," said Janet Gong, associate vice chancellor for Student Affairs.

Ideally, she said, the services will be available to the campus sometime in the fall quarter.

Systemwide agreements have been signed with Cdigix and Mindawn for providing services to students and employees. The university is still in negotiations with Sony and Napster. It is up to individual campuses to decide whether to offer the services and with which vendor.

David Walker, director of advanced technology for UC and chair of the systemwide committee, said streaming services could be available for as low as $3.50 a month for students and about $6 for employees. Options for downloading music or movies would start at about $1 an item.