UC SYSTEM UNDERGOING EXODUS OF CHANCELLORS.Byline: James Richardson There have been a number of notable people named James Richardson:
In July 1995, the nine chancellors of the University of California The University of California has a combined student body of more than 191,000 students, over 1,340,000 living alumni, and a combined systemwide and campus endowment of just over $7.3 billion (8th largest in the United States). openly expressed their opposition to the vote of the Board of Regents An independent governing body that oversees a state's public Colleges and Universities. All 50 states have governing bodies that oversee the administration of public education. to dismantle racial- and gender-based affirmative action affirmative action, in the United States, programs to overcome the effects of past societal discrimination by allocating jobs and resources to members of specific groups, such as minorities and women. . Karl Pister, chancellor at UC Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, city, United States Santa Cruz (săn`tə kr  z), city (1990 pop. 49,040), seat of Santa Cruz co., W Calif., on the north shore of Monterey Bay; inc. 1866. , said he felt like he had been ``kicked in the teeth.'' UCLA UCLA University of California at Los AngelesUCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX Chancellor Charles Young
Since then, five of the nine chancellors - including Pister and Young - have announced their retirements or have taken other jobs. The latest to announce his exit is Joseph Martin, chancellor at UC San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden , departing to become head of the Harvard University Harvard University, mainly at Cambridge, Mass., including Harvard College, the oldest American college. Harvard College Harvard College, originally for men, was founded in 1636 with a grant from the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Medical School. Each departing chancellor has cited his own reason for leaving, and none have pinned it directly on the affirmative action vote. But many of those inside and outside the university maintain that the political rancor on the board, culminating with that vote, has lowered morale among the chancellors and taken a toll. ``The situation is not as conducive to people wanting to stay on as it has been in the past,'' said Young, who is leaving his UCLA post after 27 years. ``The environment is not as good, and that's also true nationally.'' Not in the memory of anyone in the UC system have so many top positions been open in such a short period of time. ``They've never had this situation before with this much turnover,'' said Patrick Callan, executive director of the independent Higher Education higher education Study beyond the level of secondary education. Institutions of higher education include not only colleges and universities but also professional schools in such fields as law, theology, medicine, business, music, and art. Policy Center in San Jose and the former head of the California Postsecondary Education Commission. ``There isn't any one pattern that explains why they are leaving. But it presents a tremendous problem for the institution.'' The first chancellor post opened when UC San Diego Chancellor Richard Atkinson became UC president. The next to go was Pister at Santa Cruz. He was possibly the most outspoken critic of the regents' affirmative action vote and he announced his retirement soon after. He was replaced by M.R.C. Greenwood, a former administrator from UC Davis. The two biggest losses have been Chang-Lin Tien, chancellor of UC Berkeley, and Young at UCLA. The two campuses are considered the flagships of the system. Tien and Young were highly critical of the regents' affirmative action vote and more recently took a public stance against Proposition 209, which repealed racial and gender preferences in public education and state and local government - a campaign that was chaired by UC Regent Ward Connerly of Sacramento. Tien and Young will leave in June. Tien's resignation has been the most enigmatic. After six years as chancellor, he has said that he wants to return to the classroom and his engineering laboratory. However, Tien is known to have felt embarrassed at how some regents, against his will, proposed him for system president. For several months, rumors have swirled that Tien is under consideration for a cabinet position in the Clinton administration, possibly secretary of energy. Tien declined last week to comment. ``Those are only rumors,'' he said. A sixth top job also has opened: Siegfried Hecker, director of UC's national laboratory in Los Alamos, N.M., a facility akin in size and budget to a university campus. ``This has not been an easy time in the University of California for any of us,'' said Raymond Orbach, chancellor at UC Riverside, among the four who are staying. ``When times are tough, tension rise.'' Davis's Vanderhoef, who only two years ago was the junior-most chancellor, is remaining in his job. But it is known that several Midwestern universities have wooed him for their top jobs and he has, so far, turned them down. California is not alone enduring the exits of top college and university chiefs. Nationally, tight budgets, rancorous ran·cor n. Bitter, long-lasting resentment; deep-seated ill will. See Synonyms at enmity. [Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin, rancid smell, from Latin boards and intensive pressure to raise money have made such jobs more demanding and less satisfying. ``This is a general trend of the country,'' said Tien. ``In the country the average tenure for chancellors and presidents has dropped.'' |
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