Cal Athletics Cuts Two Sports - Chancellor: Donations Came Up Short

In a statement today, UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert J. Birgeneau said that "Regrettably, in spite of the best efforts of a number of their key supporters, Men’s Baseball and Men’s Gymnastics fell far short of raising the necessary philanthropic support."

From sources, the "Save Cal Sports" effort netted just over $1 million in hard cash donations, versus over $11 million in pledged donations. That wasn't good enough to even come close to the total of $25 million needed and to sustain all of the five sports set for the chopping block, yet meet Title IX requirements, so Women's Gymnastics, Women's Lacrosse and Men's Rugby will remain.

But no Cal Baseball or Men's Gymnastics? Shocking.

Here's Chancellor Birgeneau's entire statement to the Cal Community, courtesy of the UC Berkeley News Center:

Dear Campus Community:

We are very pleased to announce today that Men’s Rugby, Women’s Gymnastics and Women’s Lacrosse will continue as Intercollegiate Varsity sports at Cal. Thanks to the efforts, commitment and generosity of our donors, we are able to retain these sports at the Varsity level while still meeting our goal of reducing annual support to Intercollegiate Athletics to $5 million or less by 2014.

The continuing financial challenges facing the University of California have led us to make a number of very difficult decisions, including planning to eliminate five Intercollegiate Athletics sports by the end of this academic year. Because of the strong response of team supporters, we agreed to keep open the possibility of reviewing this decision to the end of January 31, 2011, if additional philanthropy could be found to make the programs self-supporting over the long term. The requirements for continuation called for philanthropic commitments to ensure that the teams would be self-funding for seven to 10 years while a plan is built to secure long term funding that would fund expenses, both direct and indirect, in perpetuity. These commitments would be incremental to goals currently in place for the major campaign to retrofit Memorial Stadium.

A number of donors have come forward to help sustain the costs of Women’s Gymnastics and Women’s Lacrosse. These are net costs which take into account the difference in the number of scholarships required depending upon how Title IX is satisfied. By offering all of our women’s sports, we can meet the requirements of Title IX in a way that will allow the return of men’s sports, provided that the returned sports can cover all direct and indirect costs, including those of support programs and use of facilities. Rugby has raised significant funds providing a clear pathway to covering its own full costs as well as contributing to the stabilization of the women’s programs. In the best of Cal sports tradition, with this solution, we have a win for both our men and women student-athletes.

Regrettably, in spite of the best efforts of a number of their key supporters, Men’s Baseball and Men’s Gymnastics fell far short of raising the necessary philanthropic support. Accordingly, students and staff associated with these teams must now be allowed to move forward to make other plans as these teams will cease competition as intercollegiate Varsity sports for the university at the end of this academic year.

Robert J. Birgeneau
Chancellor

As you might guess, there's a lot of alumni buzz about this action.  More on that in the next blog post.  

But.  

With that, it's time to move forward.  The overall issue is the long-term decline in State of California support for U.C. Berkeley.   The Great Recession added to the problem, and forced this zero-sum decision that the Chancellor and the Athletic Director were forced to make.   

A lot of people, including me, have been critical of their decisions.  But frankly they didn't create the environment around the problem and I'm certain would love to be in a place where they didn't have to make the cuts that were done today.  

Still, GO BEARS!

Stay tuned. 

Oakland Zoo Names New Board Members Including Mark McClure

Just got this press release announcing the Oakland Zoo's new board members: Sebastian DiGrande, Daniel Boggan, Jr., Cassady Hudson, Mark McClure, Lora Tabor and Jim Wunderman. To them all, and to one of them, I say congratulations. To my friend amoung, them, Mark McClure (pictured in an Oakland Chamber photo), let me say not only congrats, but maybe this is a good time to get off the Ron Paul bandwagon, eh?

Just kidding, sorta.

But back to the Oakland Zoo.

The rep for the Board of the East Bay Zoological Society (EBZS) was good enough to send over full bios of all of the new board members, so here they are:

Jim Wunderman is the President and CEO of the Bay Area Council, a business-backed public policy organization. Since becoming CEO in 2004, Wunderman has significantly helped increase the council’s advocacy efforts. A couple of the accomplishments under his leadership include: expanding the reach of the Bay Area Council with the opening of its first overseas office in Shanghai, leading the coalition that passed SB 375, a comprehensive law that binds transportation and housing planning, and passing legislation to establish a statewide education data system, a crucial step in fixing education in California.

Prior to his work at the Bay Area Council, Wunderman’s career from 1984 to 2004 was split between both the private and public sectors. In addition to serving on the EBZS’s Foundation Board, Wunderman also serves on the boards of the Bridge Housing Corporation, Fisher Center for Real Estate & Urban Economics, The Keston Institute for Public Finance and Infrastructure, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Sierra Energy, and TMG Partners. Jim was a member of the Governor’s Adaptation Task Force and currently serves on the Transit Sustainability Project Steering Committee.

Sebastian DiGrande is a Partner and Managing Director at the Boston Consulting Group, a global management consulting firm and the world’s leading advisor on business strategy. DiGrande, who joined the group in 1996, is BGC Americas’ leader of the Technology, Media and Telecommunications Practice. He partners with clients in all sectors and regions to address their most critical challenges. In 2009, he provided pro bono services to the Zoo.

Before joining BGC, DiGrande worked as a product manager and major account executive for GTE. He earned his MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a BS in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Daniel Boggan, Jr. most recently served as Chief of Staff for Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums in 2007. Prior to working for Mayor Dellums, Boggan assisted the municipal firm of Siebert, Branford & Shank Co. in business development from 2003 to 2006. He acted as Senior Vice President and COO for the NCAA from 1994 to 2003. He has also served as Vice Chancellor for Business Administration at the University of California, Berkeley and as Berkeley’s City Manager. Boggan is deeply committed to public service, and has served on the boards of many local and national organizations. He has been involved with the National Writing Project, the East Oakland Youth Development Foundation, the African American Experience Fund, the California Endowment, and is a lifetime member of both the NAACP and Black Coaches Association. In addition, Boggan serves on the board of directors for Clorox, Collective Brands, Inc. and Viad Corp. Boggan earned his BA at Albion College and his M.S.W. at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Cassady Hudson is a Senior Revenue and Royalty Analyst at Hands-On Mobile. She has been volunteering as a docent at the Oakland Zoo for the past ten years and recently completed two years as President of the Zoo’s Docent Council. She joins the EBZS as a Docent Representative. During her tenure as President of the Docent Council, Hudson has ensured council stayed within budget, mentored new docents, developed an annual docent evaluation program in compliance with Association of Zoos and Aquariums standards, and updated by-laws to improve tracking docent commitment.

Mark McClure is a partner at California Capital and Investment Group, a real estate brokerage and development firm based in Oakland, CA. He has worked on both residential and commercial development projects primarily in the City of Oakland.

Mark is proud to be a native Oaklander and has served the public both in appointed positions and on various public boards and community organizations of personal interest. His appointed positions include four years on the Oakland Planning Commission, which he chaired from 2004 to 2005. In September of 2005 Mark was appointed to the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC). Finally, He was appointed to the Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners in December of 2006 where he served as the First Vice-President until March of 2009.

Mark has also served on the Board of The Crucible, a non-profit educational collaboration of art, industry and community in West Oakland. Mark has supported Children's Fairyland by serving on their annual fundraising gala committee. Mark also served a member of the OakPAC Board, an organization that functions as the political action committee for the Oakland Chamber of Commerce. Additional, in February 2006, Mark was nominated to the Oakland 100 Club, a philanthropic organization that benefits the Oakland Boys and Girls Club. Currently Mark serves on the Board of the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and on the Board of the Oakland Police Foundation.

Lora Tabor joined the East Bay Zoological Society Board in June 2010. Ms. Tabor is the General Manager, Corporate & Services HR, for Chevron Corporation in San Ramon, where she provides Human Resources support to Chevron’s Executives and Corporate staffs. She also manages the Human Resources Development Program for Chevron world-wide. In 2006, she returned to the Bay Area headquarters after two years in Cape Town, South Africa where she served Chevron Corporation as the Manager, Internal Total Remuneration. In that capacity, Ms. Tabor managed a global team of professionals developing policies, processes and tools for world-wide use, and coordinated benefit and compensation plans for over 100 countries. Ms. Tabor began her career as a Production Engineer with Gulf Oil & Chevron USA.

Tabor takes an active role with her children in Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, and has coordinated the Chevron United Way Campaign. She holds a Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Pittsburgh, and lives in Oakland with her husband and children.

If you're wondering how one becomes a board member, the Oakland Zoo's Development Director, Emma Lee Twitchell explains that "Individuals interested in joining the Board may contact the Zoo or a Board member directly, or be recommended by one of the Board members. The process then involves meeting with the Nominating Committee, which makes recommendations to the Executive Committee, then a final confirmation/vote by Board members. The Nominating Committee looks closely at diversity and other criteria to help fill any specific needs of the Zoo based on skills, experience, community representation, etc."

On Jerry Jones, The Super Bowl Ticket Issue, And Other NFL Notes

On Jerry Jones, The Super Bowl Ticket Issue, And Other NFL Notes: the “what do we do now that the seasons’s really over” edition:

By Dr. Bill Chachkes-Executive Editor-Football Reporters Online

So what are you supposed to do now that the season’s really over? Count the days to the Lockout? (18 after today)…It Didn’t take too long for the seating mess at the taj McJerry (Cowboys stadium) to boil over post super bowl. The Question is ”why “was it so important for Mr. Jerruh Jones to have the attendance record? To put it in one word: MONEY! I guess it’ll be awhile before he gets another SB there again,..like maybe SB 60,..if he is still running the team in 15 years, Jones should be glad that Roger Goodell came to his rescue by offering MOST of those effected a ticket to next years or any game of their choice,..plus three times the face of those bleacher seats..Oh yeah,..Al Davis is 80’something,..Jerry wants that record too, Oldest living active owner….Give the UFL credit for making a smart move by keeping the franchises limited to sustainable cities and the number down to 5 teams until they figure out what happened in Florida. If the NFL has not solved it’s labor issues by August, the UFL might be the only game in town, since they moved upo the start of their season to the first weekend of that month.…Congrats to our pal Jim Fassel, who is now also the Team President of the Las Vegas Locos as well as Head Coach & GM….Congrats to Jay Gruden for getting the DC job in Cincy…Our Heart goes out to poor Demaryius Thomas, he was working out in Atlanta and tore his Achilles Tendon, he could be out up to 8 months….I tore mine in a pick up Basketball game in 1990 and it’s never been the same…Thomas’ Bronco receiving mate Eddie Royal also just had hip surgery, so maybe another wide out is in the Broncos’ cards for the draft…Or will new Head coach John Fox switch the team to the 4-3 defense and draft 2 or 3 “Stud” defenders?....With Oakland on the rise and drafting in the middle of the pack, could they be planning some moves besides giving DE Richard Seymour the Franchise tag?...One good move was for New Head Man Hue Jackson to Hire Ex-Raiders LB Greg Biekert as that unit’s coach. Biekert was a defensive assistant for the raiders last season and spent nine of his eleven season playing as a Raider linebacker….meanwhile that hapless franchise known as the San Deigo(super) Chargers have to deal with losing Darren Sproles, franchising Vince Jackson(which would make him happy because it would still be a raise) the continued mediocre play of Phillip Rivers and dropping the price on some 6000+ seats for the 2011 season….It’s ok if they stink next season, the folks in SD will just go surfing….My Dear late mother used to say if you can say anything nice don’t say anything, but it doesn’t mean you can’t think it…..So can you guess what I’m thinking about those Pats fans who are still whining about not being in the SB this year, and how they would have beaten the Packers(I doubt it) or any other NFC team(yeah,..ok)….Hey at least your coach got the Coach of the year award….someone get me some pepto…That award should have gone to the SB winning Coach Mike McCarthy…So what if Jets QB Mark Sanchez has poor judgement? The Girl is clearly a “serial Star-dater, as evidenced by her retaining a Los Angeles lawyer who’s writing nasty letters to Deadspin’s Editor…Sure “E.K.” we got ya covered…we know what your up to…..I‘ve been hearing some unsavory things about a certain College all-star game…but I think it’s wise to heed mother’s advice on that one, but I will say this,…how can you claim to be a scout and offer player management services at the same time?? I keep hearing about all these “NEW” pro football leagues starting up, but when we dug into one of the “supposed” new start-ups, they hadn’t even rented a facility to run a combine….shame on them for deceiving the poor unsuspecting players…I am hearing some good things coming out of Canada about a new tv network that’s hiring a certain football writer you all know for a segment each week…and last but not least, I found some vintage football cards in my collection, one of which will go to the lucky winner of a contest we did on a collectable’s radio show last week…

Between my trip to the combine and the Draft I have 2 speaking engagements, so I’ll have to brush up on my stand up so when I sit down they’ll be laughing so hard they will forget what I say….see you all next week.

Mubarak Stepping Down: Congrats Twitter, Facebook, YouTube & Blogs

That dramatic video was uploaded just minutes ago by AlJazeeraEnglish on YouTube and from a camcorder used just over an hour ago. Twitter's Top Trends list "Congrats Egypt" among the list as this is written. And again and again, Eqyptian protest groups were organized using the social network called Facebook as a base. And when that wasn't the case, the focal point was a blog, most notably, the Young Leaders Social Media Cafe.

The dramatic announcement that after three-decades of rule, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarek (really a dictator more than what we think of when the title "President" is used) has stepped down and given way to a new, free Egypt, is both pleasing and shocking. It gives us pause and causes us to look back at what we've created: this giant and growing "digital mirror" on World industrial society. And we're asking ourselves "Do we like we see," and in many cases, we're saying "NO!"

The fall of a dictatorship in Egypt is perhaps the best example of our desire to change ourselves to date. But we can't ignore the impact of digital communications and social media: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, blogs on Blogger, Wordpress, and Tumblr (to name some of the platforms), and photo sharing sites like Flickr.

Wow, what a day.  What a time to be alive!

Mubarak Steps Down Giving Power to Military

President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt is stepping down after holding office for 30 years, and now all the power will be left in the hands of the military, reports ABC News.

The news of his resignation has made the Egyptians feel as though they are now free - which is quite odd, because if the military was given all the power of the government within the United States we would be not be singing the same tune. But ABC News reports:


"Men, women and children alike -- many with tears in their eyes -- flooded into Cairo's streets as the atmosphere turned from one of determination to pure ecstasy. People streamed into Tahrir Square dancing, honking their car horns and waving flags. Fireworks were later held in the square that has become the heart of the uprising."


The Christian Science Monitor reports that many people in Egypt trust that the military will "play a caretaker role and ensure a democratic transition."

Kraft, Mars, Nestle, Hershey - think before you buy that Valentine

The folks at GreenAmerica.org are determined to to promote green and Fair Trade business practices and end corporate abuse -- to make you aware before you buy chocolate and without realizing you might be supporting a company that exploits children, for instance.
♥ You can visit their website, or check out the chart (below) to compare the performance of brands you may or may not know. Of course, as chocolate buying peaks over the next few days...

"More than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold on February 14th, adding to the total 58 million pounds of chocolate to will be sold during the week of the most romantic holiday of the year.

Consumers are expected to purchase more than $345 million on chocolate treats for their beloveds."

Brigid Darragh
Green Chip Stocks
Friday, 11 Feb 2011

...it helps to understand just what the different certifications mean, and to do more than merely making deliberate choices. You can also spread the word, and communicate directly with companies such as Hershey to let them know you consider their business practices before you make your purchases.

"...every time a consumer purchases non-Fair Trade chocolate, they are putting money in the pockets of people who run a system based largely on forced child labor.

The U.S. State Department estimates more than 15,000 child slaves work on plantations in the Ivory Coast. Children are taken from their homes by traffickers for the very purpose of supporting the country's largest export crop: cocoa."

Brigid Darragh
Green Chip Stocks
Friday, 11 Feb 2011

Here are some basic definitions, courtesy of GreenAmerica.org:

Organic certification does not include labor rights standards. The program does not address wages, prices to producers, or management of cooperatives. Organic means 100% of the ingredients of a product be certified organic to earn the label.

Fair Trade prohibits forced labor, child labor, and discrimination, and protects freedom of association and collective bargaining rights. Fair Trade certified farmers are guaranteed a "floor price" for their cocoa beans, as well as a social premium. Fair Trade producers are required to form democratic cooperatives.

The IMO Fair for Life certification guarantees that human rights are protected at all stages of production, with a strong focus on hired laborers, as they are often the most marginalized in the supply chain. Fair for Life guarantees that smallholder farmers receive fair payment and that workers enjoy good and fair working conditions. The Fair for Life system prevents forced and child labor and also includes detailed environmental criteria. Fair For Life certified products must use Fair Trade ingredients if available, and regardless, 50% of all ingredients must be Fair Trade in order for a product to bear the seal.

The Rainforest Alliance (RA) standards prohibit the use of forced labor, child labor, and discrimination. The right to organize on RA-certified farms is not a critical criteria. RA does not require buyers to pay a specific minimum floor price for cocoa beans. Only 30% of the primary ingredient needs to be certified in order to earn an RA label.

And what about Nestle's UTZ Certification? UTZ was founded by Guatemalan coffee producers and the Ahold Coffee Company in 1997 and launched a cocoa plan 10 years later; it prohibits forced labor, however no organizations with a specific expertise in labor rights are included on the Board of Directors. So, while it protects the right to organize and bargain collectively, the price is solely based on negotiations between the buyers and farmers. Paying the legal minimum wage is required only after the first year of certification.

Now, what label is on your chocolate? ♥

Thomas Hayes is an entrepreneur, former Democratic Campaign Manager, strategist, journalist, and photographer who contributes regularly to a host of web sites on topics ranging from economics and politics to culture and community.
You can follow him as @kabiu on twitter.

Super Bowl XLV Ticket Fiasco: Bleachers Under Construction

, originally uploaded by DCVBphotos.

This photo shows the temporary seats installed at the 400 level of Cowboys Stadium that, in some cases, were not signed off by the Arlington Fire Marshall in time for Super Bowl XLV. The photo was taken by DCVBphotos on January 19th, and using an using an Apple iPhone 3G.

As you can see, the temporary seats are metal bleachers and were in the middle of being built. (Notice the back seat stand fence that was placed on the seat in the middle ground.) From experience in heading the Oakland bid for the 2005 Super Bowl that Jacksonville won, I can say they were really playing with some access issues with those seats.

First, the area that the seats were installed in is a corridor; thus the space between the bleacher seats and the blue permanent seats is really narrow. This is what Stu Guskind was referring to in my video interview.

You can see from the photo that each of the sections going down was "filled in" with these bleacher seats. I'd love to see a photo of what it looked like during the Super Bowl game. I'll bet it was chaotic for those people able to even get in the stadium to get to their seats.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell issued a plan to compensate Super Bowl patrons who never got to their seats because the fire marshall didn't approve them. Click here for info on his plan.

Stay tuned.