In many cases, the “why” of a decision is just as important as the “what.” The UC Office of the President’s decision to allocate approximately $1 million in funding to help UCSD complete its rebuilding of University House is one of those cases.

On Jan. 24, UC President Robert C. Dynes visited campus, and in an interview with the Guardian expressed his belief that funding for the $7.2 million University House renovation should be raised from local sources. While Dynes didn’t rule out the possibility that university funds would be diverted to the project, the about-face can’t help but raise questions, regardless of what one thinks about the project’s worthiness.

When contacted by the Guardian, university spokesman Brad Hayward would not fully explain why the university came up short on funding, leaving supporters and critics alike asking the same question.

There’s no question that Dynes has been forced to make tough decisions and at times has received harsh criticism for doing just that. During his recent tour of UC campuses, Dynes did a good job giving the reasoning behind the university’s side of various issues ranging from labor practices to enrollment levels. Now he needs to step up and show that it wasn’t a one-time publicity stunt.