Disgraced GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum claimed earlier this week that the University of California is responsible for ruining this country because they don't teach American history. This, of course, isn't true. All UC schools offer American history courses except for UCSF, the college system's noted medical school. (They do, however, offer a History of Medicine and Health Sciences course!) Last night, Stephen Colbert took on Santorum's latest inane claim, telling us exactly from where Rick pulled his facts. Behold: more ›

Today at a campaign event in Wisconsin, Republican presidential hopeful and jellybean fan Rick Santorum attempted to demonize California for eroding the values of Heartland, America. Santorum, who also believes that Obama was effectively brainwashing kids by sending them to college, claimed today that California Universities are partially responsible for ruining this country because they don't teach American History. Which is, of course, a completely incorrect statement. more ›

Fix UC, a group of students at UC Riverside, have come up with a rather impressive proposal that would delay students' tuition until after they graduate, which they say could triple UC's revenue over 20 years. UC President Mark Yudof says the plan is "a constructive idea," and the university's best "number crunchers" are currently reviewing it. more ›

The Board of Regents for the University of California system approved another 9.6% increase to tuition at UC schools today. According to KTVU, the new cost of a year's tuition comes to a bank account-stinging $12,192 before you add in costs like room and board, campus fees and your kid's beer fund. When you add that to the previously approved 8% increase also taking effect for the 2011-2012 academic year and you've got the perfect storm for some riots in Berkeley. more ›

Did you know that several students at UC Berkeley are once again in the midst of a hunger strike? True. This time they're protesting the erosion of the school's Ethnic Studies program. According to Berkeleyside, eight people are now "entering their eighth day without eating to protest the controversial consolidation of Ethnic Studies with other social science programs, resulting in staff reductions and the demotion of faculty to half-time." And despite their efforts and demands -- which, among other things, include staff reinstatement and for Cal to "publicly acknowledge the unfulfilled promise to create a Third World College at the university" -- protesters have yet to reach a deal with school administrators. more ›

The young married couple say their friends and family in Egypt just got their Internet access restored, but they've been on the phone all week sussing out the details the best they can. Hosny explains the events of the past week, as he's heard them: more ›

After political unrest hit Egypt eight days ago (which has since turned violent), 19 UC students "and at least 13 other adults" have been evacuated. According to the UC Office of the President, "UC affiliates will remain in Barcelona until later this week when they are expected to return to California." The country's upheaval was sparked by citizens calling for the removal of president Hosni Mubarak. [Daily Cal] more ›

"The class has inspired me to be more informed, think more independently and not be afraid to ask questions," [One student in the course] said. Though his roommate had no interest in the recent election, [he] said he watched the debates, studied the issues and voted.

Here's a funny bit: Librarians at various UC schools are waging a quiet war against Nature Publishing Group, the publishers of influential journals like Nature and Scientific American who have raised the cost of institutional subscriptions as much as seven-fold in the last couple of years. A 400% increase for 2011, amounting to $1 million, was the last straw and now the librarians are calling for a UC-wide boycott of the magazines, including all those academics who serve as contributors. more ›

On Saturday night, eight protesters were arrested after breaking windows, lights and planters outside the home of University of California at Berkeley chancellor Robert Birgeneau. "University spokesman Dan Mogulof said 40 to 70 protesters also threw lighted torches at police cars and the home of ... Birgeneau late Friday," says AP. No fires or injuries were reported. more ›

The kids at UC Berkeley have even more reason to brag about their top-ranked stoner school today. Cal will be sending two research students abroad to play beer pong in more esteemed and invigorating settings via the awe-inspiring Fulbright program. The lucky students are: more ›

Oh dear. more ›

The Daily Cal reports that somewhere around 60 protesters have locked themselves inside Wheeler Hall. And...they're still there! (What happened to the crowbar, cops?) more ›

Early this morning, "dozens of student protesters" occupied UC Berkeley's Wheeler Hall. . "UCPD officers have surrounded the building, and some are inside," reports the Daily Cal. As of 9 a.m., "[p]olice are using a crowbar to open the door, according to protesters inside." more ›

During a UC Regents meeting, students reportedly "stormed" and "took over" a building at UCLA on Wednesday. SF Chronicle reports that the "[s]tudents, furious at the increase that will bring their yearly fees above $10,000 for the first time, rushed the UCLA building where the regents were meeting, throwing food, sticks and vinegar-soaked red bandannas meant to look like blood." more ›

Your Kaja Silvermans and Teresa De Laurentises aren't going to save you now, UC ilk. The economy knows no bounds, it knows no AP scores, it known no misguided acceptance of one's own body odors. Today, UC students and faculty went on strike. UC Berkeley folks "took up their signs on Sproul Plaza beginning at 5 a.m. to protest an expected 32 percent student fee hike at today's UC Board of Regents meeting." more ›

Oliver Williamson, a professor at UC Berkeley, won the Nobel economics prize on today. Along with Elinor Ostrom, Williamson nabbed the award "for their analyses of economic governance - the way authority is exercised in companies and economic systems." more ›

Ah, yes, this is what we like: people apologizing for football games. So scary and confusing and lacking climactic eleventh-hour numbers, they are. What are we talking about? Well, actually, it seems Sandy Barbour, Berkeley’s Director of Athletics, sent out a letter, dolling out a huge mea culpa for Saturday's big homecoming game against (the vile) USC. Crowd control was lacking, rendering the game an uncomfortable one for fans. more ›

Whenever we had walkouts at our protest-happy alma mater, more often than not we would press our lips to a bong and head to the beach and/or a bar for the day. But today's student is a concerned one. That said, the fine folks over at the Daily Clog have an events guide of smartypants things you can do today if you're part of the walkout. more ›

In response to the UC President Mark Yudof's bizarre yet timely budget cut/fee increase plan, the UC-wide walkout date has been set for for this Thursday, 9/24. According to the terse press release on tis week's mass protest, "hundreds of UC Berkeley graduate students from disciplines as varied as Physics, Comparative Literature, Geography, and French will join UC faculty from all campuses in a planned rally and walkout.l ... The rally will take place in UC Berkeley’s famed Sproul Plaza from noon until two o'clock." Visit gradstudentstoppage.com for more details. more ›

Aside from a freshly-packed bong and high-sodium meals, college students love nothing more than to protest something bad. The most recent something bad to move the UC system to protest is, of course, the severe budget cuts affecting the quality of education. But this protest will be done walkout-style. According to SF Chronicle, "What began in recent weeks as a proposed faculty walkout coinciding with the first day of school next Thursday at some campuses - including UCSF, UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz - has grown to include graduate and undergraduate student groups, and labor unions representing thousands of employees." Combine the recent budget cuts and forced furlough days with the fee increase and we will (hopefully) see an explosive mass walkout of indignation and righteousness. In related news, everybody else is poor and/or losing their jobs too. more ›

In addition to the now paltry 9.3% fee hike approved back in May, the University of California is discussing raising student fees an additional 32%, which would make "annual undergraduate tuition over the $10,000 level for the first time ever." more ›