Mar 27, 2008 7:05 PM

Regents appoint Mark G. Yudof new University of California president

The UC Board of Regents voted unanimously today (March 27) to appoint Mark G. Yudof, current head of the University of Texas system and a recognized leader in American higher education, the 19th president of the UC system.

Yudof, 63, will succeed Robert C. Dynes, who announced last August his intention to step down by June 2008 after nearly five years in the position. Yudof's appointment will become effective June 16. He will also hold a faculty position at UC Berkeley.

"I want to tell you how enthusiastic I am about the opportunity to join the University of California and how optimistic I am about the future," Yudof said. "The campuses of the University of California comprise the premiere public university system in the world. It's an institution of extraordinary academic stature. It has a tremendous faculty, which I think in some ways is its greatest asset. And it offers tremendous opportunity and service in this great diverse state."

Yudof has served as chancellor of the UT system since 2002. He heads one of the largest university systems in the country with 15 campuses, 194,000 students and an annual operating budget of $10.7 billion. Yudof previously was president of the University of Minnesota and a longtime faculty member, dean and provost at the University of Texas at Austin.

"Mark Yudof is an excellent choice as the next UC president," said Dynes. "I say that as a departing president who is thankful to entrust the university to an outstanding successor, and also as a member of the UC faculty who is overjoyed that we will have a leader of such high caliber. He is a passionate and able champion of public higher education, and I believe he has the vision and skill necessary to not only sustain but strengthen the University of California's tradition of excellence and public service."

Richard C. Blum, chairman of the Board of Regents, said that Yudof is one of the nation's most sought-after university leaders. "I think that candidates Clinton, Obama and McCain should be happy that he only wants to be president of UC. I don't imagine that we could have found one person that is better suited for the job than Mark Yudof."

New leadership crucial to restructuring

Blum said securing a new leader was critical to the regents' efforts to restructure the administration of the university and make it more efficient. "Mark Yudof brings a strong commitment to academic values and also a strong record of performance as a manager," he said. "I am certain that under his direction, the UC system will continue to thrive as the world's preeminent public university system."

This restructuring has already begun under the leadership of Provost and Executive Vice President Wyatt. R. Hume, whose work Blum praised. Yudof said continuing the effort to review and refine the roles and responsibilities of systemwide administration will be one of his priorities.

"A system office exists to facilitate the work of the campuses and add value to the campuses — to ensure that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts," Yudof said. "It should facilitate collaboration and cost savings among the campuses, not erect obstacles in their quest for excellence. The University of California already is looking intensively at these issues at the Office of the President, and I intend to continue that restructuring effort as president."

Facing budget crisis, other challenges

Yudof is taking over at a time when a state budget crisis threatens to leave UC weakened by deep cuts in 2008-09. Faced with a $417-million gap between UC's proposed budget and that of the governor’s own budget plan, university leaders are looking at raising student fees, cutting funding for core academic support and taking other drastic measures. Recently, university leaders decided against limiting enrollment and committed to offering admission to all eligible students this fall. This will cost UC an additional $102.1 million, money the governor has not included in his plan.

"We face many challenges in higher education nationally," said Yudof during a press conference following the meeting. "I accepted this job because I think there's no better job in public higher education in America than here and because I think you're going to solve [these challenges]. It’s going to require a lot of work, but I think it is possible to sustain this great university. It's my strong feeling is that it will all work out."

Yudof also emphasized the importance of accountability mechanisms at the systemwide and campus levels to demonstrate the return on the public's investment in the university. Likewise, he said he will place a priority on communicating with Californians and building greater understanding of how the university contributes to their daily lives.

"The University of California is important to every family in California," Yudof said. "We must earn the confidence of the people of California every day, and part of that effort involves demonstrating how our work is solving problems that are important in their lives — in health, in the environment, in agriculture and nutrition, and in countless other areas."

A native of Philadelphia, Yudof earned a bachelor's degree and an L.L.B. degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He began his academic career at UT Austin in 1971 as an assistant professor of law and later became dean of the School of Law from 1984 to 1994 and executive vice president and provost from 1994 to 1997, when he left for the University of Minnesota.

He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a member of the American Law Institute and a member of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, an appointment President George W. Bush made in 2006.

His wife, Judy, is the immediate past international president of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. She also serves on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Council in Washington, D.C., and on the international board of Hillel. The Yudofs have two grown children — a son, Seth, and a daughter, Samara.

As UC president, Yudof will receive compensation valued at $828,000 in the 2008-09 year. That figure includes pension funds, an automobile allowance, university-provided housing as a condition of employment, relocation reimbursement and standard health, pension and senior management benefits.

He currently receives an estimated $790,000 in total compensation from the University of Texas. His new UC annual base salary will be $591,084 (compared to $528,860 at the University of Texas).

His UC salary falls below the midpoint salary ($606,200) set for this position by the Board of Regents and below the median salary ($644,900) of leaders of similar public and private universities used by the California Postsecondary Education Commission for comparison purposes.

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