Classifieds

November 28, 2005

Campus provost outlines his office's priorities

By Jim Burns

In his opening remarks at the fall-quarter meeting of UCSC's Academic Senate, Campus Provost David Kliger described six operational areas of the campus that he considers priorities for the current year.

The six are:

Increase the rate of faculty hiring. While the campus already has projections for the ultimate size of each Academic Division, Kliger said he will make short-term investments that will "increase the rate" of faculty hiring in the near future.

Provide additional support to units and/or activities that generate money for the campus. UCSC, he said, should "invest in those areas of campus that will generate more revenue," he said, citing University Relations, the Office of Research, and Graduate Studies as examples of such areas.

Replenish UCSC's leadership team. Kliger noted that the campus is engaged in three searches for deans and a number of other senior-level posts. "These are all going to be critical positions for us," he said.

Make additional progress consolidating UCSC's information technology and business processes. Kliger described himself as "surprised and pleased" by how smoothly the consolidations have gone to date, but said a tremendous amount of work remains to be done to ensure optimal service to campus units.

Improve employee compensation. Kliger said the state budget and UC Office of the President are significant drivers of this, but added that "the chancellor and I have it as a high priority to push this issue at a systemwide level."

Look for additional solutions to UCSC's faculty housing difficulties. In addition to getting construction started on Ranch View Terrace, Kliger said he will seek to "maximize affordability" by exploring possibilities on a number of fronts--including support for new Office of the President loan programs and funding, an augmentation of campus financing, and a modification of resale policies for existing units.

"We have a lot of challenges ahead of us," Kliger concluded. "But challenges are what keep life interesting."

 

Email this story
Printer-friendly version
Return to Front Page