by Jaclyn Roco
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Concerns over further spending on the University of La Verne College of Law in Ontario sparked heated debate in a university-wide forum last month.
Faculty had been growing increasingly concerned as to just what funds would be put into the law school for its second costly bid in as many years for American Bar Association accreditation. Some wanted to know which university programs might be short-changed in the process.
A few faculty members said they feared their salaries could be affected, although university officials said this would not happen.
Claudio Muñoz, the local chapter President of the American Association of University Professors, called the March meeting where he spoke alongside ULV Provost Dick McDowell and Law School Dean Kenneth Held.
Muñoz said he invited the faculty to the informal session to share their concerns and hopefully have their questions answered.
AAUP concerns revolved around last year’s unsuccessful bid for ABA accreditation for the law school. This was actually the university’s second attempt. The first was during the academic year 1977-1978. At that time, faculty feared the whole university would close down because of the financial strain of upgrading facilities to meet ABA standards.
Today administrators are continuing with the process because they believe ABA accreditation will bring prestige and profits to the law school and the university.
Having an accredited law school would be an asset, not a financial drain, McDowell said.
Graduates from an ABA accredited law school would be able to practice law in any state. Currently, ULV Law School graduates may only practice law in California.
“Most of the major (law) schools in the country are accredited with ABA,” McDowell said. “We have a strong tradition of graduates who have had successful careers. We are built from a strong base.”
The process of gaining accreditation, however, which started with the purchase of the Ontario facility, has proven expensive. The university expects to spend about $8 million for ABA approval.
Held said this week the dollar amount was still pending, but he added that many adjustments had to be made.
“You have to have them. A school seeking ABA approval will be spending money to do all these things prior to enrollment going up with the belief that the money will come back later,” Held said.
ULV Treasurer Avo Kechichian said, however, that most of the funds being used for the new facility and other expenses associated with the quest for ABA accreditation come from what is being referred to as the “quasi-endowment,” a funding source made independent from general operations funds generally used for other university programs such as faculty salaries.
“When the law school (opted) for ABA accreditation, we were required to invest a substantial amount of money,” Kechichian said. “We wanted to fund the law school and invest without affecting the general operations of the university. The only alternative at the time was to get funds from the quasi-endowment.”
The quasi-endowment, he explained, is money designated by the board of trustees from restricted gifts and year-end donations.
“It is a savings account for the university to tap into in case of emergency,” Kechichian said.
Still some faculty members said they are uncomfortable with the idea that such a fund would be going to the law school as opposed to other programs. They are particularly concerned about whether the use of this fund will affect current and future raises.
But Deborah Mandabach, director of public relations, said that while the true endowment funds are donor-designated and are never touched by other programs, the quasi-endowment is board-designated. A portion, she said, was loaned to the College of Law so the rest of the university programs, including faculty salaries, would not be affected.
No quasi-endowment funds are allocated unless there is a promise that they will be paid back, Held added.
McDowell said the confusion over the use of the quasi-endowment caused the accreditation process to be met with negativity by the university community.
“Some people thought that it was going to affect salaries. But historically if someone said, ‘let’s develop a new program,’ it would have to have been paid back,” McDowell said.
Such funds for the law school are currently being used to improve the library and invest in technology with upgrades needed to bring the facility to ABA level, McDowell said.
Still some AAUP and community members expressed dissatisfaction with this reasoning. They are concerned that the university officials may have no contingency plan in the event that the law school does not prove profitable.
McDowell pushed away doubts and said the university is bound to profit in the end because of its overall strength.
“People are watching this very closely,” he said. “It is a big, bold step and I think it tends to be very challenging. We are trying to get through the challenges as they develop and we are trying to have a plan to respond (with) answers as they become clearer.”
In the event that the university would continue to fail, then the law school would be examined, ULV President Stephen Morgan said.
Muñoz said that it is AAUP’s duty to assure that the faculty and community is privy to such financial information. Last month’s forum, he said, was necessary to open the lines of communication on this issue so that they would not feel threatened of they held different points of view.
