Dear Editor:

We, as alumni, have full faith and confidence in Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef to provide leadership for UC Davis. Although we are all current or former members of the Board of Directors of the Cal Aggie Alumni Association, we are not speaking for the association or its leadership. However, we have a unique perspective to share because each of us has had the chance to work closely with Chancellor Vanderhoef in our roles on the board.

The recent focus on compensation practices comes at a critical juncture and has distracted the entire campus community from the tasks ahead in elevating us to the next tier of the nation's elite universities. The campus has made remarkable strides under Chancellor Vanderhoef's leadership, in spite of two economic recessions. These include:

• An invitation of membership in the Association of American Universities;
• Increased extramural awards from $169.1 million to $505 million annually;
• Expanded classroom, lab, clinical and office space by 2 million square feet, with 1 million more to be built over the next five years;
• Leveraging federal and private dollars for construction as state funds dwindled;
• Recruiting exceptional faculty and adding 206 ladder faculty positions in the last five years and increasing the proportion of women and people of color;
• Establishing "My Personal Compass" to provide a mechanism for the entire campus constituency to share individual perspectives and ideas while strengthening our Principles of Community;
• Completing the transformation of an ailing county hospital to an academically distinguished and financially sound regional medical center;
• Creating a new "front door" to the campus featuring a state-of-the-art performance hall soon to be joined by the Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, a hotel/conference center, and a museum of art;
• Strengthening K-12 outreach;
• Preparing a strategic plan that builds upon our distinctive strengths;
• Planning to embark on the campus' first comprehensive campaign to raise the resources to enhance all areas of campus.

The Chancellor has proven in his 12 years of leadership that his decisions are based upon what is good for the university. We encourage the campus community to support Chancellor Vanderhoef and reunite to continue improving our university. It is the diverse and unique campus community that makes UC Davis special and we hope you will join us in helping to move our campus forward.

Patrick Blacklock, '95

Bill Cochran, '73

Floyd Shimomura, '70, '73

and 18 other alumni

Dear Editor:

As a member of the staff that has known and interacted with three chancellors over the last 33 odd years, I am compelled to speak up in defense of that chancellor that we have today. While listening to and reading the accusations and allegations recently, I can assure you that I do not need to know the specifics behind his actions because he has always presented himself to me as forthright, unselfish and with impeccable judgment (albeit we are all human from time to time).

Although we have not always agreed, there has never been any question in my mind that what he does, always, he does with conviction and in the best interest of the campus. Chancellor Vanderhoef has never taken his responsibilities lightly.

I have not only worked on various projects with him in the interest of the campus infrastructure over the years but have also collaborated with him on a personal level on other matters affecting the campus since he became chancellor. Over the years I have become some what acquainted with the man himself and have found him to be of the utmost integrity and he always seems to base his decisions solely on what is best for the campus irrespective of how popular that decision might be (I know because some of those decisions have gone contrary to my belief).

Be that as it may, I have at times also tried to place myself in his position and found that while I wasn't pleased with his decision it was the best decision for the campus as a whole. If I had a vote then it would be of confidence.

Art Pérez

x-ray safety officer

Environmental Health and Safety