Wednesday, April 10, 1996
Dynes, Greenwood occupy helm at UCSD and UCSCBy Michael
Howerton
Daily Bruin Staff
Concluding an extensive nationwide search that considered more
than 100 candidates, the University of California Board of Regents
selected the next chancellors for the Santa Cruz and San Diego
campuses yesterday in a special phone meeting.
Robert Dynes, a physics professor at UC San Diego, was chosen to
take the helm at San Diego as the campus’ sixth chancellor and
M.R.C. Greenwood, dean of graduate studies at UC Davis, was named
as Santa Cruz’s seventh chancellor.
"The candidates were all outstanding," said Regent Chair Claire
Burgener of the extensive search. A special committee, consisting
of regents, faculty, staff, students and alumni representatives,
interviewed candidates across the nation.
"Both insiders ended up with the job. They will have a big
advantage since they already clearly understand the university
system," he said.
Dynes, who will fill the gap left after Richard Atkinson was
named UC president last year after 15 years as San Diego’s
chancellor, is a nationally renowned researcher in physics. He
brings extensive connections to national corporations and research
institutes, Burgener said, which will serve to strengthen the
university’s growing trend of teaming up with private industry.
"Bob Dynes brings to UCSD an excellent balance of teaching and
scholarly research, as well as managing experience in academia and
private industry," Atkinson said in a statement.
"I am flattered and honored to serve as chancellor of UC San
Diego," Dynes said in a statement after his selection. "I can only
hope that my tenure as chancellor of this great university will
reflect the quality and esteem of its faculty and students. Working
together, we will continue to build one of the finest research
universities in the world."
Greenwood brings to her appointment at Santa Cruz extensive
teaching and administrative experience. A dean of graduate studies
at UC Davis since 1989, Greenwood took two years off from 1993 to
1995 to serve as the associate director for science in the White
House Office of Science and Technology.
"With her expertise and insight into the importance of federal
funding for research and her skills as a campus leader and
strategic thinker, M.R.C. Greenwood is uniquely suited to lead the
Santa Cruz campus," Atkinson said of her appointment in a
statement.
"The University of California at Santa Cruz is a jewel in the
finest university system in the world," Greenwood said in her
statement. "I am greatly honored to be named its seventh
chancellor."
Along with the selection of the chancellors, the regents decided
the salaries the new appointees will receive. Dynes will be paid
$186,800 and Greenwood $173,200 annually.
Although there was no opposition to Atkinson’s recommendations
of Dynes and Greenwood for the chancellor positions, student Regent
Ed Gomez voted against the proposed salaries.
The vote to reform the pay scale was an attempt to address
criticism that salaries for the university’s top positions are
often exorbitant and that they drain the university’s resources,
Burgener said. But he admitted that the salaries approved yesterday
were almost exactly identical to the ones they replaced.
"The reason why (the salaries are similar) is that we are three
or four points behind the national average," Burgener said, "and we
have to remain competitive. I feel (the salaries) are
appropriate."
Gomez said he voted against the pay rates for various reasons.
He added that the continued abuse of university finances sends the
wrong message to people throughout the university system and the
state.
"Both of the appointees appear to be very well qualified and I
am hopeful that they will do a wonderful job in leading those
campuses to great achievements," Gomez said in a statement released
just after the vote. But said that the approved salaries show "a
lack of consideration" to the officials in the university and
taxpayers across the state.
"I don’t believe that someone who has worked in the system for
years, like Chancellor Pister (the outgoing chancellor at UC Santa
Cruz), should leave their position and the next person immediately
receives the same compensation," Gomez said. "What ever happened to
the idea of merit?"
This sends a bad message to people who have worked in the system
and risen up the pay scale over a number of years to then have new
hires starting at an equal salary, Gomez argued. It sends a
dangerous message to the legislature who the university is telling
that it is financially strapped, he added.
The compensation package included no retirement bonuses,
commonly referred to as "golden parachutes," that have raised
criticism in recent years.
Last month, it was disclosed that UCLA Chancellor Charles Young
will receive between $150,000 and $250,000 as a retirement bonus on
top of his regular pension when he steps down next year. At the
same time that Young was promised his bonuses by the regents in
1992, then current UC President Jack Peltason was also promised
more than $230,000 in retirement bonuses.
Peltason retired last year, but refused to accept the bonuses,
citing the university’s financial difficulties as an indication
that the bonuses would be better spent on the students. The
university has set up a scholarship fund in his and his wife’s
names.
Since the regents approved those bonuses for Young and Peltason,
retirement bonuses have disappeared from compensation agreements as
the university has come into tighter economic times, Burgener
said.