After ten years of service Brian Copenhaver, the head of
UCLA’s largest college, will step down from his role in
administration to return to teaching this June.
Copenhaver, provost of the College of Letters & Sciences,
made his decision public last Friday, to the surprise of some and
disappointment of many. In a letter to the campus he attributed his
choice to a personal desire to “attend more to teaching and
learning.”
“A big piece of me loves (being provost), another piece of
me wants solitude … that side of me doesn’t get as much
attention anymore,” Copenhaver said.
This summer, after 26 years in academic leadership at four
universities, Copenhaver said he began to think about attending
more to the side of him that wants solitude.
The College of Letters & Science is the largest single
academic unit in the entire University of California, with an
enrollment of more than 23,000. The College is made of five
divisions ““Â humanities, life sciences, physical
sciences, social sciences and honors.
During Copenhaver’s two terms as provost the College has
seen many changes.
Copenhaver helped in the areas of undergraduate education,
fundraising, and fostering relationships with the School of
Medicine, but added “there is still room for
improvement.”
Many average undergraduate students at UCLA, whether they know
it or not, benefit from Copenhaver’s initiatives every day.
He introduced general education clusters, fiat lux seminars, Sept.
11 seminars and a more stringent writing requirement to the college
during his terms.
Copenhaver said since he has been at UCLA, technology has had
the largest impact on education, noting a shift from a time when
most students didn’t have personal computers to recent years
when they have become a “part and parcel of life.”
Copenhaver incorporated this change into university life by
helping UCLA become the first major university to have a separate
course Web page for every class, said press aid Harlan Lebo.
John Sandbrook, assistant provost in the College of Letters
& Sciences, said Copenhaver has faced many challenges
successfully such as rebuilding the faculty in the early 1990s and
rescheduling classes after the Northridge earthquake put Haines and
Royce Halls out of commission.
“He is the glue that holds it all together,”
Sandbrook said.
Overall Copenhaver said he is leaving the college in a strong
position, with the exception of some financial problems. Funding
graduate education, improving the quality of the library, and
increasing space for faculty are three challenges he said the
college will face in the near future.
Chancellor Albert Carnesale said the provost’s
“ability to forge a strong leadership team,” was one of
his primary strengths.
Carnesale said he and others admire the way the provost, vice
provosts and deans of the College of Letters & Science work
together to advance common interests of the faculty and students
rather than focus on bureaucratic issues. Copenhaver deserves
principle credit for the teamwork, Carnesale said.
When asked if this new change in administration would lead to
any other changes in the college, Carnesale said there may be minor
organizational changes, but he sees no reason for major changes in
the college.
“We’re proud of it,” Carnesale said.
A search committee will be put together to look for
Copenhaver’s replacement. The committee will try to find the
best peron for the position and will report to the chancellor with
their recommendations, Carnesale said.
According to Carnesale a successor should look for a person of
outstanding academic leadership, individual accomplishment, and who
has vision along with the ability to care about the vision of
others.
This position is very important to students and UCLA population
in general because it is essential to have a strong college as a
foundation for the university, Carnesale said.
As far as Copenhaver’s future, he has already started on
his seventh book, “Magic and the Dignity of Man: Pico’s
Oration in Cultural Memory.”
He need not worry about his career in teaching ““ Teofilio
Ruiz, the chair of the history department at UCLA, said “We
will welcome him with open arms.”
While Ruiz said he is sad to see a successful career come to an
end, as the history department chair he is delighted to see a
scholar of Copenhaver’s standing return to teaching.
Sandbrook enjoyed working with Copenhaver and is pleased he is
doing something for himself and his family ““ wife Kathleen
and children Rebecca and Gregory.