Yudof’s announcement, which came by way of a UCOP-issued statement Jan. 18, came only one day after a UC Regents meeting where the Board of Regents determined that a tuition increase is unlikely for 2013-2014.
“Now, it appears the storm has been weathered,” Yudof, 68, said in the statement. “We are not fully in the clear, but we are much closer than we were even a few months ago.
Yudof’s resignation, which he said is due to “taxing” health issues, is effective August 31, 2013. He will join three UC chancellors in a year marked by resignations and retirements across the nine undergraduate-campus system. Chancellors at UCSD, UC Berkeley and UC Riverside have all been replaced in 2012-2013.
Formerly a professor of law, Yudof was appointed UC President in 2008 after serving at the helm at the University of Texas system since 2002 and before that as the head of the University of Minnesota.
During his tenure as the head of the UC system, Yudof oversaw a nearly $7,000 rise in in-state tuition levels since 2008 and presided over a period when the Great Recession cost California universities millions of dollars in budget cuts. As President, Yudof enacted the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan which exempts eligible students with household incomes below $80,000 from paying tuition or system wide fees. Yudof also oversaw the formation of Project You Can, a fundraising campaign with a long-term goal of raising $1 billion to support UC students.
More recently, Yudof oversaw the launch of the systemwide Campus Climate survey, a campaign seeking input from 430,000 University of California students’ faculty and staff to asses the needs of the UC community.
Yudof had come under fire during his tenure for the size of his and other UC leaders’ sizable compensation packages while the system raised student fees and cut spending. However, according to the UC Office of the President, Yudof’s annual base salary of around $591,000 was below the base salary recommended by the UC Regents and is lower than comparable positions at other University systems.
The UC Board of Regents policy toward replacing the UC president requires that a national search committee be formed by sitting members of the Board of Regents. Additionally, at least one student from each UC campus will serve as part of an advisory committee on potential replacements for Yudof. There has yet to be an announcement regarding the formation of such a committee.
Yudof said he tried to utilize his tenure to secure the future of California higher education.
“I will leave it to others to judge what difference my leadership made, if any,” he said in the statement. “But I will say that I entered each day with a laser focus on preserving this great public treasure, not just in the present day, but for generations of Californians to come.”
UCSD Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla released a statement Jan 18. praising Yudof for his work and commitment to the UC system.
“President Mark Yudof has been the right leader at the right time for the University of California,” Khosla said. “He is a tireless supporter of the University and higher education, and today remains our strongest, most enduring advocate. I have been inspired by Mark’s passion for education, and his dedication to serving our students and our state.”
