February 14, 2005

To: Campus Colleagues
From: Denice D. Denton, Chancellor

I’m writing to express my delight at the arrival of my first day as your chancellor. I greatly appreciate the many notes and personal expressions of welcome that I’ve already received, and I want to thank most sincerely all of you who have extended generous support and advice to date.

Diversity and excellence are great strengths of our campus, and together we will continue to seek and celebrate these two distinctions.

Beginning immediately, I am initiating a “listening tour” of the campus and UCSC’s extended community. My goals are to get to know you and to increase my understanding of our opportunities and challenges.

Even before my official arrival, I have benefited from several illuminating briefings with Martin Chemers. We all owe him thanks for his excellent leadership over the past months, and I am particularly grateful for his assistance and welcome to me.

I have also enjoyed meeting with Senate leadership and representative groups of faculty; my transition team that includes students, staff, and faculty; and several local elected leaders. I also was a guest at a small dinner hosted by Silicon Valley CEOs and another hosted by the Korean consul general to discuss our upcoming Pacific Rim Music Festival to be held in April-May 2005.

As I expand my campus and community contacts to broaden my perspective, I look forward to several activities over the next few days. I will:

• Host a “media availability” for UCSC student reporters
• Commence regular meetings with the Staff Advisory Board
• Participate in the quarterly Academic Senate meeting
• Advocate for UC Santa Cruz with elected officials in Sacramento
• Address members of the Sacramento alumni chapter at their annual dinner
• Speak with UC Santa Cruz Foundation trustees and Alumni Association leaders
• Advance campus fundraising by meeting with prospective donors
• Host visiting scholars and attend campus events

So that the wider campus community can view highlights of these activities in these first few weeks, we are creating a web site on which photos and summaries will be posted regularly. I invite you to visit the site, which also includes in the left column a button with which you can contact me via e-mail. I am interested in your thoughts, and I will value your suggestions and ideas.

In closing, I’d like to share with you a story that I also included in my first-day e-mail to our region’s alumni and community leaders. Last Saturday, while out enjoying a beautiful day with my brother who was visiting from Texas, I was struck by a sign posted at a local beach. Describing the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, a section of the sign read, “The challenge is to balance recreation, education, research, and commercial uses with preservation of this national treasure.”

This statement truly reflects the key challenge that we face. I am inspired and delighted to join a community that so clearly articulates this goal. It is one that we can achieve together, as we build our shared future.

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