BERKELEY (KPIX 5) Thousands upon thousands of potential UC Berkeley students have discovered that their chances of being admitted to the university are greatly reduced by a continuing battle between Berkeley and Berkeley.
Tuesday’s letter warned that the school might lose 3,000 spaces due to the environmental impact of increasing enrollment.
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This court ruling asks the university to treat enrollment growth as a construction project. Dan Mogulof, a university spokesperson, stated that we have been asked to study the environmental effects of enrollment increases. For example, the court asks the university to examine how an increase in enrollment impacts homelessness. It has never been done. There are no tools and processes.
The problem dates back as far as 2005, when UC Berkeley submitted a long range campus plan with projected enrollment numbers. CEQA was used to study the effects on CEQA.
According to Prof. Dave Owen of UC Hastings College of the Law, the actual enrollment levels are much higher that what Berkeley had anticipated in 2005 and studied.
Neighbors such as Phil Bokovoy of Save Berkeley Neighborhoods claim that the 2005 enrollment plan was not followed. They obtained a court order to reduce enrollment this year in Berkeley to address the housing crisis.
It’s a huge, massive problem, said Bokovoy. Berkeley has seen homeless encampments. The judge found that the university’s growth in enrollment had contributed to the problems of housing and displacement. Our problem is that the university should not be increasing its student population unless it is also increasing housing.
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According to the university, the ruling could reduce acceptance rates to the single digits.
Bokovoy stated that just because there are no seats at Berkeley does not mean there aren’t other places for them at other UC campuses. Other UC campuses are more capable of housing than UC Berkeley.
Owen, who is a professor of environmental law, said that there are no winners in this field.
Owen stated that the university should not have been placed in a position to defend this lawsuit. Owen said that Owen was wrong.
The university appealed the order to the California Supreme Court. If they accept the case, the court could grant the school some relief from the enrollment cap.
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Admission letters for incoming freshmen will be sent in late March and for community college transfer students by April.
