(Editor’s note: Before retiring Oct. 1, UC President Richard Atkinson took the following questions from editors of UC publications about his views on a variety of issues facing UC.)
What are your thoughts about how the university is going to weather these tough times and go about preserving quality?
Atkinson: If you look at the history of UC, we have always managed to survive (these cycles) and usually come out much stronger as we enter a period with better budgets.
The current year’s budget is based on the state borrowing $10 billion. We can’t re-create that again next year. The Legis-lature is going to have to deal with some very tough issues. There are going to have be some tax increases, in my judgment, along with further reductions in the budget. But I do believe the economy is coming back and that, in three to four years, it will once again become vibrant. In the interim, we have to worry that we don’t do any deep damage to the university.
Are enrollments going to be cut, given that the Legislature has said it will not provide more money for enrollment growth next year? What kind of public reaction do you foresee?
Atkinson: If we really had to cut enrollments, it would be very disturbing to me. These are young people preparing for college for three to four years, and to break that promise to them would be terrible.
There are very serious budget problems ahead of us, but we have some flexibility in terms of options — fees, for example. We are at least $1,800 to $2,000 behind our competitor institutions in the fees we charge. And UC has the best financial aid program of any public university in the nation. The Legislature will probably protest fee increases, as they do every time. But, in the end, if it comes to denying students access instead, the choice may well be a fee increase.
Why was outreach so hard hit in the budget? What will that mean for diversity at UC?
Atkinson: Well, I don’t think the budget process this last year really represented a full consensus in the Legislature. The Senate dominated the process and was very firm that they were going to make cuts everywhere — and big cuts in outreach because there had been increases in outreach over the past five to six years. The Assembly would have protected the outreach funds, but they were not part of the discussion.
The issue of diversity is central to the future of UC. If we are not viewed as serving a full diversity of the state, support for UC will diminish. We need to convey to all the people of the state that UC serves them — not just in terms of research and medical services, but in the access their children have.
As the gap between UC wages and pay at comparable institutions continues to widen, what’s the argument for staying with UC?
Atkinson: Employees of the university have been really quite remarkable. They are very dedicated, and they work very hard — and I say that with no reservations. I think that they believe in the university and recognize that in many ways we are a great employer. Our salaries have lagged, as they have for state employees. I hope that can be turned around — I know it is a high priority for the university, but we need the proper financial support from the state.
I think you also have to take into account that no one has had to contribute to the retirement plan in years. ...(and) we’ve maintained excellent health benefits and professional development opportunities.
What is key to successfully running a university?
Atkinson: One really needs experience in the university world — the teaching programs and research programs of a university. One has to have an appreciation for how important the university experience is for young people — both from their personal experience and their long-term future. But you also need a background in business affairs, because there are financial and management issues that have to be dealt with and you can’t be naïve about that.
How do you see UC’s management of the national laboratories evolving?
Atkinson: Historically the position has been that we manage these labs at the request of the federal government, but I have always had a slightly different view of the matter. We manage them because we at the university believe that is in the best interests of the nation and that we have an opportunity to make a dramatic contribution to the well-being of the nation. So in my view, I am quite prepared to compete for the labs. We have to wait to see the terms of the competition and ensure they are in the university’s interest, of course.
I suspect there will be some consideration of joining with some contractor in the private sector so that they would take on some of the managerial aspects of the lab. But I would compete with the understanding that the university is key to decisions on scientific matters.
What are you going to do now?
Atkinson: Well, I am going to be retired, obviously. But I will have an office at UC San Diego, and will go to seminars and hopefully get back to teaching a course on occasion – if the faculty there will let me! I plan to resume my life in the academic world, and sometimes I will have comments on higher education issues, but I don’t plan to spend the rest of my life critiquing higher education or UC.