Chancellor, thy name is Fox.
UCSD’s next chancellor, Marye Anne Fox, spoke at a press conference on April 12. Some of her remarks hold promise for UCSD, while others leave a sour taste in the mouths of undergraduates.
UCSD alumni “occupy positions of importance” in the world, Fox explained. But, she said, “we have not come close to fully integrating” them into UCSD’s “skill set.” It’s common knowledge that our alumni giving rate is atrocious, but what is Fox’s plan to improve it? Alumni invest in their alma maters only when they have pride in those schools. It’s not enough to simply reach out and ask them for contributions.
We have to work on improving the lives of undergraduates now, so when UCSD solicitors come calling in the future, alumni will look back on their lives at UCSD with fond memories, not bitterness. When students take pride in their experience at UCSD, they will also take pride in giving back to the school. Fox must recognize the importance of student life — both to the current campus climate and to the future success of the university.
Indeed, Fox’s speech almost completely ignored the average student — not once did she even mention the word “undergraduate.” Her tunnel-vision focus on research and “collaboration” with corporations is troubling. There is a point at which corporate partnerships become not a sign of synergy, but a sign of selling out; and naming engineering buildings after CEOs is less about philanthropy and more about getting a headstart on harvesting the latest crop of young minds to work at Qualcomm.
The new chancellor would do well to remember that, at the end of the day, this is a public university — not a high-tech trade school. There’s nothing wrong with accepting corporate donations, of course, but that should not be Fox’s foremost priority as chancellor.
Another unsettling facet of Fox’s appointment is her salary: $350,000 per year — a 24.7 percent increase over the previous chancellor and $59,500 more than the average UC chancellor. Coupled with her $87,500 “relocation allowance,” this extravagance is unnecessary in a time of budget cuts elsewhere in the university. Contrast this with the salary of Robert Dynes — UCSD chancellor-turned-UC President — who makes $395,000 per year, 18 percent less than the national average for his position.
But Dynes wasn’t a perfect chancellor, and Fox implicitly acknowledged this.
With the UC president at her side, Fox promised to “do a better job of integrating students of diverse backgrounds” into the university. Outreach programs have been nearly obliterated this year, and such programs need all the help they can get. Fox wants the “circle of opportunity” to be “as wide as possible.” She will not just double our efforts to bring in new students — she will “redouble” them.
Fox won’t take office until August, but in the interim she should take some time to explore the campus and talk to undergraduates.
If she’s concerned about building better relationships with alumni, she might as well start with the 19,000 future alumni wandering around UCSD every day.
