<p>After California voters passed Proposition 1D earlier this month, the University of California will receive funding to improve campus structures as well as telemedicine at five UC campuses. Of the $890 million the UC will receive, at least $73 million will come to UCLA.
<br/>The monies awarded to UCLA will work toward constructing the Life Sciences Replacement Building and improving UCLA?s telemedicine facilities. UCLA will be using $38 million to fund the Life Sciences Replacement Building that will replace the Hershey Annex and $35 million to refurbish telecommunication technology for the Medical Center.
<br/>The Life Science building is set to be completed in fall 2009.
<br/>There is little objection to building a new, updated research facility on campus. But there is some debate over whether it will be useful to UCLA?s undergraduate population, as it will house research labs rather than classrooms.
<br/>The current Life Sciences building was constructed between 1954 and 1964, and, because it was never remodeled, has become outdated, said UCLA Vice Chancellor Steven Olsen.
<br/>?It?s obsolete and there are safety concerns in terms of handling chemicals and equipment,? he said.
<br/>The new building will contain up-to-date lab facilities for researchers and graduate students.
<br/>But since the building is intended for research, it will contain no classrooms or teaching labs, so many undergraduates will never use the building, which is projected to cost $138 million.
<br/>The building had already been approved and was set to receive $100 million in previous bond measures and state monies. Proposition 1D will provide the extra $38 million for expected costs.
<br/>Olsen said he acknowledges that the Life Sciences Replacement Building is not focused at undergraduates but still believes that the building is relevant to the UCLA campus because it will further UCLA?s main goal.
<br/>?The primary focus at UCLA is a close integration of research and teaching,? he said.
<br/>Sona Doshi, a third-year biology student, said that while she wishes more money could be put into programs helping undergraduates find research opportunities, she understands why the new building would be research-oriented.
<br/>?UCLA isn?t just for undergrads. It?s a school based on research,? she said. ?Besides, plenty of undergraduate students are working in labs doing research. The building will still be useful to them.?
<br/>The Life Sciences Replacement Building has already been designed, and UCLA will be reviewing construction companies in the near future, Olsen said.
<br/>Construction is expected to begin in April 2007 and is targeted for completion in fall 2009, UCLA spokeswoman Lauren Bartlett said.
<br/>The $35 million slated for improvements in UCLA?s telemedicine facilities will provide doctors with teleconferencing technology so they can consult on cases at hospitals in underserved communities, Olsen said.
<br/>The new equipment would reduce the cost of treatment and prevent sick patients from having to leave their communities for medical care.
<br/>UC officials said that passing Proposition 1D will provide greater access and higher quality health care for many Californians.
<br/>?Through the expansion of telemedicine and other innovative efforts, the funding in Proposition 1D will make a real difference for Californians who need better access to health care,? UC President Robert C. Dynes said in a press release shortly after the proposition passed.
<br/>UCLA has yet to determine the specific allocation of funds within the telemedicine budget, Olsen said.</p><br><br><a href='http://www.dailybruin.com/news/articles.asp?id=39128&#039; target='_blank'>http://www.dailybruin.com/news/articles.asp?id=39128&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br>