In an effort to increase communication with the campus community, Chancellor Robert C. Dynes discussed campus growth issues last Friday at the Hillcrest Medical Center. Dynes gave a similar speech on the La Jolla campus on March 22.

Over the next decade, UCSD will grow by approximately 10,000 students and 450 faculty members. This growth is due to state mandates which require the UC system to serve the top 12.5 percent of graduating high school seniors and maintain an 18.7-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio. The UC system as a whole will take on 60,000 students over the next 10 years.

“”I know a lot of people have mixed feelings about this,”” Dynes said. “”I know I have mixed feelings about this. Sometimes it terrifies me. But sometimes I lie awake at night and my mind races thinking of all the possibilities.

“”I can’t say it’s going to be wonderful,”” he continued. “”But I can say it will be inevitable.””

Dynes said UCSD plans to open a new school of pharmacy, which will accept its first incoming class in September of 2002. The school will eventually be housed in a 75,000 square-foot building that will be completed in 2005.

Dynes stressed the fact that the campus, as a public university, needs to serve the community as a whole.

“”It isn’t just our campus — UCSD belongs to the citizens of San Diego and the citizens of California,”” he said. “”It’s their campus as well.””

The La Jolla and Hillcrest medical centers, the new John and Becky Moores Cancer Center, and a world-class child care facility are ways in which UCSD has and will reach out to the community.

Dynes pointed out that UCSD teams also helped in the recent Santana and Granite Hills high school shootings.

Dozens of union members, clad in green T-shirts, called upon Dynes during the question-and-answer period to address staff issues such as the lack of pay raises and a shortage of employees.

Dynes said that he has already set up a committee to look into issues of staff expansion.

“”Yes, we are going to hire new staff, of course we are,”” he said. “”But we don’t know how and where we are going to do that.

“”I have appointed a committee to work on these figures,”” he added. “”I have said to this committee, ‘I don’t want a series of recommendations, I want changes.'””

When members of the audience pressed Dynes to include staff members on this committee, he said that the committee would set up focus groups consisting of staff members so that it can properly understand and address the issues facing UCSD staff.

To continue the dialogue begun by these state of the campus addresses, Dynes has set up an Office of the Chancellor Web site.

Part of the Web site will show letters sent to the chancellor via e-mail.

“”I cannot respond to every one,”” he said. “”But I assure you that I read every one and I learn something from every one.””

He said he hopes letters on the Web site will serve as an ongoing town forum.

“”Some of it will drive you crazy, some of it you’ll agree with and some of it will be stimulating,”” he said.

Dynes is scheduled to address the campus again Tuesday for a Diversity Council Town Hall Meeting.