SAN FRANCISCO “”mdash; It was business as usual for University of
California President Richard Atkinson as he said his farewells
Sept. 18 at his final Board of Regents meeting.
“Serving as your president has been an incredible
experience ““ invigorating, humbling, occasionally
frustrating, but always rewarding. I want to thank you ““ all
of you ““ for everything you do to make the University of
California great,” Atkinson said.
Atkinson, 73, announced his retirement in November 2002 and will
pass on the presidency to UC San Diego Chancellor Robert Dynes on
Oct. 1. Dynes, Atkinson’s good friend, said the friendship
will continue as he begins his own term as president.
“I have the highest regard for him,” Dynes said.
“I cannot replace the man.”
The meeting was not without incident, as a group of
demonstrators shouted and refused to leave in protest of
Proposition 54, prompting Chairman John Moores to call a recess.
The protestors left at the request of the university police and the
meeting resumed.
Proposition 54, a controversial initiative authored by Regent
Ward Connerly, would prevent the state from collecting information
on a person’s race or ethnicity.
Atkinson, the 17th UC president, ended the meeting with a
statement thanking the board, university staff and his family, and
commended the university’s hard work and progress during his
term. He was received by the third standing ovation of the morning
as he humbly pleaded for the applause to stop.
Many of his fellow board members, friends and family were sad to
see him go. Regent Barbara Bodine said although she had served on
the board for just over a year, Atkinson had “always been
very gracious.”
“He treats alumni regents as he treats all the other
regents. That is deeply appreciated,” Bodine said.
Moores called Atkinson an “extraordinary man for
education” in a speech to the board.
“He will be sorely missed, and American higher education
is obviously better for his role in changing the American
landscape,” Moores said.
During his closing remarks, Atkinson gave thanks to his wife
Rita and daughter Lynne, who were acknowledged with a standing
ovation from the board and the audience.
Though Atkinson has cited his desire to spend more time with his
family as one of the main reasons for his retirement, his wife
expressed sadness that his involvement in the university had come
to a close.
“I’m really very sorry to leave, and I was happy to
be part of the University of California,” said Rita Atkinson.
“And we will miss it.”
Atkinson’s term of eight years, the fifth-longest term by
any UC president, was one of change for many different aspects of
higher education.
Atkinson began his term at the birth of the post-affirmative
action era as voters passed Proposition 209, effectively barring
state organizations from considering race or ethnicity in hiring or
admissions practices.
Later, his call for the higher education community to rethink
how standardized tests are factored into the admissions process
prompted the College Board to pledge a revision to the SAT exams by
2005.
His tenure had its share of crises, as in the last eight months
he has worked to maintain the UC’s quality and accessibility
amid unprecedented enrollment growth and deep cuts in state
funding. Matt Kaczmarek, chairman of the UC Student Association,
expressed appreciation for Atkinson’s efforts on behalf of
students.
“He’s been a wonderful president in that he’s
been very accountable to students and very accessible to
students,” Kaczmarek said, who also praised Atkinson’s
efforts to maintain diversity on UC campuses.
With more budget cuts predicted in the future and thousands of
additional students expected to come into the university, Dynes
will have his work cut out for him. Despite these daunting
challenges, Atkinson considers the university in good hands.
“My successor, Bob Dynes, is superbly qualified to lead
the university, and I know the regents will play a firm role in
supporting him,” Atkinson said.
During the meeting, Atkinson proposed that the UC accept more
nonresident students and possibly increase their fees to generate
more revenue. If implemented, this strategy could help Dynes deal
with the critical budget situation he inherits.
Some in the audience were crying, but the president was all
smiles as he got up from his seat, hugging friends, shaking hands,
and posing for pictures before walking out of the large double
doors one last time.