Dear Colleagues:
The academic year is finally over, culminating in the annual commencement exercise that celebrates the academic achievements of our students. Over the years, each one of you contributed in a multitude of different ways to making that special moment possible for UC Merced students and families. Thank you!
The summer months take us in different directions — vacations, research projects, summer session teaching, etc. For me, summer will include a trip in July to Israel with about 10 other chancellors and university presidents from across the United States to learn more about Israeli culture, higher education, government, politics, business and the daily lives of the diverse populations who live there. I plan to write a weblog while I am there to share my experiences and observations with anyone on campus who might be interested. The trip is sponsored and paid for by Project Interchange, and I was nominated to participate by UC President Mark Yudof.
In early August, I will also take my first extended vacation since coming to UC Merced. I will be joining my sisters in southern Mexico for 10 days of conversation, family reunions and relaxation.
Progress on Search for Senior Leadership Positions
As I've reported in previous campus updates, we have been actively engaged in nationwide searches for two senior leadership positions over the last few months. I was very pleased to announce last month the culmination of one of those searches. Kyle Hoffman joined us on May 21 as our new vice chancellor for Development and Alumni Relations. A 28-year veteran of the UC system, Kyle served most recently as assistant vice chancellor for Alumni and Constituent Relations at UC Riverside. He is off to a strong start at UC Merced, and I welcome him to our campus and community.
We are also nearing the end of our search for the next UC Merced provost. Although I had hoped to provide you with the name of the incoming provost by now, the process is complex in that President Yudof and then the UC Board of Regents must approve appointments to this position. This will occur in either July or August. Meanwhile, I can confirm that the provost-designate, whose anticipated start date will be in December 2012, will likely visit campus several times beginning in the fall. I will provide you with additional information as soon as I am allowed to do so.
In the meantime, I would like to extend my thanks to Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Keith Alley for his extraordinary service to UC Merced throughout its formative years. Keith will officially retire on June 30 after a long and distinguished career in higher education. Please stop by Keith's farewell reception on Wednesday, June 27, between 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. in the Green Room (KL 355) of the Kolligian Library. At Keith’s request, this will be a low-key event, with no formal program.
Keith's departure and the timeframe for making a permanent appointment for his position mean that someone needs to step into his shoes in the interim. I have identified a strong, widely respected UC Merced faculty member and administrator who is willing to accept this responsibility, and I look forward to making an official announcement as soon as I receive approval for the appointment from UCOP.
State and Federal Budget and Advocacy
It is no secret that California still faces a significant structural budget deficit. Revenues have not picked up sufficiently in the state to support projected levels of state expenditures for the next fiscal year. This means that legislators must either create a viable strategy to grow revenues or enact additional and very painful budget reductions. The current estimate of the gap between projected revenues and expenditures is a staggering $15.7 billion.
Although the revised budget recommendation issued by Gov. Jerry Brown last month spared the University of California from immediate drastic cuts, it includes a "trigger" mechanism that would result in a $250 million cut to UC in January 2013, if voters fail to pass his tax initiative this November.
While we are grateful for the support the governor and others on both sides of the political aisle have expressed for public higher education, the fiscal challenges faced by the state mean that public funding for the University of California remains in peril. Given the massive budget cuts already sustained by UC, the mid-year $250 million trigger cut, if implemented, would severely and negatively impact UC campuses and their students.
As the annual budget process plays out, UC continues to tell its story and demonstrate the invaluable purpose it serves to the state as an economic engine, a hub of research and innovation, and an institution of higher learning, educating future entrepreneurs and leaders. System-wide and campus leadership have met regularly with state leaders over the past few months to discuss how important it is for the state to reprioritize higher education, continue to ensure access to the support of Cal Grants and recognize the importance of stable funding levels to planning not only for the campuses but for our students and parents.
In Washington, D.C., the legislation that keeps the interest rate at 3.4 percent on federal loans received by more than 76,300 UC undergraduate students is set to expire July 1, thereby doubling the interest rate. Congress is currently debating legislation to keep that from happening. UC has advocated strongly for the need to keep interest rates low and a university education accessible to all those who want one.
During the next month or so, President Yudof and I may call upon you to reach out to your elected leaders in Sacramento and Washington and ask them to support the University of California when voting on legislation that impacts higher education. You can also sign up to receive alerts and calls to action at UCforCalifornia.org.
Campus Budget
As you may recall from past campus updates, this year we implemented a modified process for considering requests for new funding (exclusive of instruction and auxiliary enterprises) for the next fiscal year. Rather than moving forward with traditional incremental unit budgeting, the 2012-13 Call for Budget Requests highlighted six strategic funding priorities aimed at helping the campus focus on its most critical needs.
The good news is that we anticipate having some additional funding to allocate — unlike many of our sister UC campuses. The bad news is that campus critical needs far outstrip available resources. Forty-four comprehensive proposals were submitted to the budget committee by the schools and divisions, for a total of over $9 million. Given current budget projections, we anticipate being able to fund only some of these proposals.
While we do not have sufficient resources to fund all worthy and critical proposals during the upcoming fiscal year, my hope is to create a longer-range funding plan that includes some of the requests not funded in 2012-13. This will create a more stable planning horizon for units and divisions. The budget committee, which includes vice chancellors, deans and two representatives each from the Academic Senate, Staff Assembly and student government, is hard at work ranking proposals. Once their work is completed, I will make final decisions and report back to the campus community.
Faculty Awards
On a celebratory note, I hope you will join me in congratulating this year's faculty award winners of the Academic Senate.
Chris Kello
Dr. Fred Spiess Award for Distinguished Senate Service — In recognition of outstanding service to the Academic Senate and contributions that have had a major impact on faculty governance.
Marcos García-Ojeda
Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching — In recognition of excellence in undergraduate teaching and mentoring.
Jessica Trounstine
Award for Distinguished Early Career Research — In recognition of outstanding early career research.
Thomas Hansford
Award for Distinction in Research — In recognition of research that has had a major impact on the field through a sustained record of contributions.
Jennifer Manilay
Award for Distinguished Graduate Teaching — In recognition of excellence in graduate teaching and mentoring.
Jan Wallander
Award for Distinguished Scholarly Public Service — To recognize a faculty member who has energetically and creatively applied his or her professional expertise and scholarship to benefit the local, regional, national, or international community.
Jon D. Carlson
Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching by a Non-Senate Lecturer — To encourage and recognize the outstanding work of a non-Senate lecturer in teaching undergraduates at UC Merced.
I look forward to announcing the winners of the 2012 Staff Excellence Awards soon.
Finally, now that the campus has completed its seventh academic year, I would like to remind everyone that the challenges we face as a growing institution pale in comparison to the incalculable value you are creating here every day. The work you do really matters to the future of this region and state. I thank and congratulate all of you for another year of impressive growth and progress.
I hope you enjoy a pleasant and productive summer season and very much look forward to welcoming everyone back in August.
Sincerely,
Dorothy Leland
Chancellor
