December 2004

Dear Colleagues:

I would like to use this monthly letter as a venue for keeping you informed about front-burner issues at the state and local levels that have a direct impact on our campus.

Since my last message, the UC Board of Regents advanced the system’s Compact with the Governor by approving an increase in student fees for 2005-06. Fees increased by 8 percent ($457) for resident undergraduates and 10 percent ($628) for resident graduate academic students. This decision at the Regents’ November meeting was in accordance with the agreement reached between UC and the Governor, and we believe that the state will keep its promise to boost its investment in the university in years to come.

The increase in fees, while necessary for maintaining the excellence of our UC institutions, remains a concern for President Bob Dynes and all UC chancellors. I am committed to ensuring that a UC education is accessible for all who can benefit, and I have stated publicly that improving the accessibility and affordability of a UCSD education is a priority for my administration. I am determined to find new ways to hold the line on and to defray the costs of attending UCSD, especially for students from low-income families. Private support will be integral. One of the top 5 goals of “The Campaign for UCSD: Imagine What’s Next” is to raise $100 million to ensure educational opportunity and enrich student life. I hope we can surpass that goal.

Chief Diversity Officer Jorge Huerta

I hope you share my delight in the news that Jorge Huerta, a professor of Theatre, will begin his new duties as Associate Chancellor and Chief Diversity Officer on January 1. The appointment of a new CDO follows recommendations from a variety of campus reports, notably from the Chancellor’s Diversity Council and the Senate-Administration Task Force on Underrepresented Faculty. Professor Huerta is uniquely qualified to assume this important position; for more about his career, visit http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/newsrel/arts/Huerta.asp. He will be a key adviser to me and my leadership team, as he is a forceful advocate for campus diversity. I look forward to his leadership of this critical campus area.

Update on Stem Cell Research

As you may know, I have named Edward Holmes, Health Sciences Vice Chancellor and School of Medicine Dean, to represent UCSD on the Independent Citizens Oversight Commission (ICOC), the 29-member body that will govern the stem cell research institute approved with the recent passage of Proposition 71. The ballot measure earmarks $3 billion over 10 years for stem cell research, and the new Institute will provide nearly $300 million per year for stem cell studies. An early funding priority is the creation of stem cell research centers, and UCSD and our regional partners are likely contenders for such a facility, given our global renown as a leader in biomedical research and biotechnology.

In a recent interview with the Union-Tribune editorial board, I discussed the promise of stem cell research for the San Diego community and our state. The interview may be found at http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20041205/news_mz1e5qa.html.

Skaggs School of Pharmacy/Kavli Brain-Mind Institute

If you read the November 5 Union-Tribune, you probably saw side-by-side bannered articles about two major campus initiatives: the naming of the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences following a $30-million gift from the Skaggs Family Institute and the inauguration of the UCSD Kavli Brain-Mind Institute. Generous support from donors like the Skaggs family and Fred Kavli – and also from Donald and Darlene Shiley, who pledged $4 million to the Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center on November 23 – constitute a vote of confidence in our mission, and these private donations help us leverage our state funding. Private support also is a testament to UCSD’s reputation for excellence, and each member of this campus community should take pride in that, because all of you have helped achieve it.

Wanted: Your Feedback

On November 10, I shared a special breakfast with staff, and we discussed avenues to improve the workplace for all employees. Our topics ranged from suggestions to hold the Staff Association picnic in either May or September to increase staff turnout to requests for a virtual “suggestion box.” Our meeting underscored for me the many contributions our staff make each and every day. I look forward to continuing the dialogue at the next “Breakfast with the Chancellor.”

I encourage you to provide comments via my web page. Please pass along any suggestions via my chancellor@ucsd.edu email address.

I hope that you and your loved ones have the happiest holiday season, and I wish you all the best in the new year.

With warm regards,

Marye Anne Fox

For more information contact chancellor@ucsd.edu

Copyright ©2004 Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.