Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef said that wisdom counts and boundaries are subjective when it comes to problems like the budget situation and student alcohol use.

Speaking to an audience of about 90 campus community members over a Brown Bag lunch session Oct. 27, Vanderhoef and other campus leaders touched on a range of issues, including the budget, salaries, student enrollment, the upcoming comprehensive campaign and Division I athletics.

"These boundaries needn't be boundaries," said Vanderhoef, noting that the 2004 Convocation theme of "Crossing Boundaries" was still fresh in his mind after the late September event. "They can be transformed into bridges."

Though the UC budget is headed into the fourth year of cutbacks, the future looks more promising, Vanderhoef said. The compact signed by the UC system and the governor this year offers funding for faculty and staff salary increases beginning in 2005-06.

"It looks like the compact will hold," Vanderhoef said. He also said salaries have been one of the biggest problems. "We've fallen behind nationally in salaries." Toward this, he noted that the UC system is offering employees a two-day bonus leave this holiday season in lieu of salary increases. On health care, Vanderhoef said that UC has established some mechanisms, such as the salary-tier approach, to blunt the impact of rising costs on lower-paid employees.

With the state mired in a budget crisis, one solution is a successful comprehensive campaign, he said. "The time is long gone that the state alone can support this institution."

He noted that several new recruitments are aimed at bolstering the resources necessary for conducting the estimated $900 million campaign. The campaign tentatively launches in a "planning phase" in 2005 and wraps up seven to 10 years later.

One area that has taken a setback is outreach education. Originally "zeroed out" in the original proposal from the Governor's Office, UC outreach programs were salvaged in the state Legislature with partial funding. "These programs work," said Vanderhoef. "The idea is to keep the kids on track to a college education."

But in the context of state budget cuts, he said, critics told the UC system that it wasn't their "job" to offer outreach. Still, with the available funding, the chancellor said, "we're going to keep these programs alive as best we can."

Alcohol use troubling

Vanderhoef expressed concern about students over-indulging in alcohol. Rowdy student parties off campus and traffic accidents have put a spotlight on the issue in recent months.

"It is unfortunate but true that the campus has an increased alcohol problem with students," he said. "I grieve every time I hear of another incident."

He noted that UC Davis is working with students, campus and community police, as well as local leaders and officials, to educate young people about the risks of alcohol.

Judy Sakaki, vice chancellor for student affairs, told the audience that the campus is focusing on alcohol education programs as one way to curb alcohol usage. The problem is that students are deluged with "cultural messages" in ads that brand drinking as "cool." There needs to be a counterbalanced effort against this, she said. "You can never do enough. There's no such thing as too much alcohol education."

Too many students, however, will not be an issue at UC Davis, Vanderhoef said. He noted that while the campus has experienced an extraordinary level of enrollment growth in recent years, averaging a 7.7 percent annual increase over the past five years, that figure will "stabilize" in the years ahead as the "babies of the Baby Boomer" generation level off.

"We are plateauing right now," said Vanderhoef. "Most UC campuses don't grow beyond 30,000 students. There's a small amount of growth ahead, but this is a good size for us and it gives us a chance to catch our breath and plan accordingly."

Planning is a critical aspect of the Division I transition in athletics, said Greg Warzecka, director of athletics. UC Davis is in the second year of the transition to NCAA Division I athletics. "We're making some wonderful adjustments," he said, "and hope to get through this year without too many bumps in the road."

Warzecka said that recent changes in what the NCAA requires of student athletes will only serve the cause of higher graduation rates and better academic performance -- something that UC Davis has historically done well, he noted. "We recruit great students who are athletes, too," he said.

As an example, Warzecka noted that lacrosse player Kelly Albin was among a handful of athlete scholars nominated this year for the prestigious NCAA Women of the Year Award. (See story on Page 3.) This year's finalists had an average grade-point average of 3.81 on a 4.0 scale, Warzecka noted.