August 2006
 Dear UC San Diego Community Members:
Summer is such a terrific time of year. For recent graduates, it represents a new beginning; for undergraduates, it’s a chance to catch their breath and enjoy a reprieve from classes and study groups; and for faculty and staff, it’s a time to take vacations and plan for the next year.
And, it’s a time to reflect on the previous academic year and assess what worked, and what we can do better.
Town Hall Meetings
I am pleased that I had the opportunity to speak directly with faculty, staff and students about campus progress and the challenges we all face on a daily basis. Your opinions matter and I appreciate that hundreds of people attended the three town hall meetings to share their views and concerns. This is a chance for me to hear what is on your mind, and to learn from these gatherings. Thank you for your participation and honesty.
In response to requests from staff at the June 22 Town Hall, we will hold additional town hall meetings at both Hillcrest Medical Center and Thornton Medical Center. In the meantime, I encourage you to sign up online at http://www-chancellor.ucsd.edu/ for my walk-in hours. This is a great opportunity for us to discuss issues in a smaller, informal setting.
Among the top issues raised during the three meetings were child care needs, environmental sustainability, fair trade, parking dilemmas, pension concerns and campus diversity. I have heard your concerns and my leadership team has started to study and address them. A work group is looking into the need for child care on campus, we’re adding parking spaces near RIMAC, and we’re working with the van pool group to ensure the flexibility and viability of the program.
We are quite fortunate to have a healthy pension system. Even though the UC pension plan is in good shape now, there are a lot of expected retirements on the horizon so the UC Board of Regents plans to have us all start contributing to our pension plans. This is quite common in most organizations and we will do our best to minimize the impact.
I share your concerns about campus diversity and, in December 2004, asked Jorge Huerta to serve as Associate Chancellor and Chief Diversity Officer to promote inclusiveness and provide a framework of values that support diversity. It’s important for everyone to feel a part of this university, whether you’re a new freshman, transfer student, staff or faculty member, or one of our 100,000+ alumni. I encourage you to get involved in campus activities by taking a class, joining a group that shares your interests or creating a new group.
Former President Carter visit
We were honored to have former President
Jimmy Carter visit our campus in June
to talk about the mission of the Carter
Center and appreciate John Moores’
role in facilitating the visit.
Moores is not only a UC Regent and strong
supporter of UCSD, he’s also Chair
of the Board of Trustees for the Carter
Center. Nearly 400 people attended
Carter’s presentation at the La
Jolla Playhouse. He shared several
of the public service objectives of the
Carter Center, which align with the work
and research here at UCSD. The Carter
Center works to eradicate disease, build
hope and create leaders, all of which
happen here in our classrooms, in our
research labs and on our campus.
Carter also works to solve the world’s
problems, and does not just focus on local
problems. By thinking globally and
improving the quality of life for all
people, the Carter Center has changed
this world and shown us that we really
can make a difference. Read
more about Carter's visit
Trip to Colombia
In mid-July, I traveled to Bogota, Colombia, to meet with ministers of education and communication, presidents of universities and chief executive officers of Colombian companies. I also spoke at a seminar at Rosario University about the role of research universities in developing regional and global innovation systems. This was the fifth in a series of seminars on science, technology and innovation management. Research universities provide cutting-edge knowledge, science and technology, which produce new products, businesses and jobs, all of which spur economic development. UCSD has a strong role in regional economic development. Between 1995 and 2005, UCSD generated 466 active U.S. patents, 435 active license agreements and 89 start-up companies using UCSD technology. Furthermore, approximately 40 percent of San Diego’s biotech and high-tech companies can trace their roots to UCSD. The San Diego economy has become a knowledge-based economy, and an example to our national and global counterparts. Sharing our success story helps build strong relationships and partnerships, and fuels new education, research and economic growth opportunities. We hope to continue to build stronger relationships with Colombian universities and industries, and also to serve as host for future visits to San Diego so Colombian leaders can better understand the role the university plays in fostering regional innovation.
Katie Couric visit
Katie Couric, one of television’s most popular journalists, was on our campus in July to raise money and awareness for cancer research. She toured the Moores UCSD Cancer Center, meeting with doctors, staff and patients, before speaking to a crowd of nearly 500 people at a fundraising luncheon. Couric praised the doctors and staff at the Center, calling them real heroes. The Center is one of just 39 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the United States. In 2006, U.S. News and World Report ranked the UCSD Medical Center 33rd in the nation for cancer treatment. Couric lost her husband to colon cancer and her sister to pancreatic cancer. She’s made a personal commitment to fight this disease and raise money for cancer research.
I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their summer. I’m already looking forward to seeing all of our returning students, as well as new freshmen faces in the fall.
With warm regards,
Marye Anne Fox
Chancellor
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