University of California, Los Angeles is receiving criticism after announcing it will sell the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden in Bel-Air — causing some to question the usefulness of Cal State Long Beach’s Japanese garden.
Facing steep budget cuts, UCLA is trying to use the sale to generate approximately $4.2 million in revenue to fund core educational programs and the public mission of the university, according to a Los Angeles Times article.
Hosting only 2,000 visitors per year, the $120,000 maintenance cost and $19,000 for staffing and docent expenses annually surpass the amount it makes, the article reported.
The Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden, situated on CSULB’s west campus, was founded as an academic resource for the campus and community in the spring of 1981.
Since then, the Japanese garden has accommodated several special events and festivals to benefit the university’s academic mission.
Each year, more than 6,000 school tours and educational programs for children take place, according to Jeanette Schelin, the director of the garden on campus.
“The garden is a joint effort between the university, Japanese garden and some friends, and it has been successful in attracting more than 75,000 people with our active programs,” Schelin said. “Serving as a perfect outdoor classroom setting, it enhances classroom instructions and provides inspirations both to students and faculty members from various departments.”
Schelin did not release exact figures of the garden’s operating costs and profits, but the average budget is more than $1 million.
“The biggest difference between the UCLA Japanese Garden and ours is the way it is being used,” Schelin said. “I believe low involvement of students, distant location from the main campus, inconvenience in parking and exclusive access were obstacles for the UCLA garden to flourish.”
Schelin said the university, students and community actively use the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden, and will take into consideration maintaining the Eastern tradition and fulfilling its ongoing interest of international education before the prospect of selling the garden.