Chancellor Gene Block is a sophisticated and charismatic leader who has made it his mission to redefine the role of UCLA as a public university.
His plans to move UCLA into the future include increasing diversity and fostering interdisciplinary research ““ all while reaching out to the various constituencies on campus and in the Los Angeles community.
Block has been described by colleagues as an excellent leader and a superb listener.
Maybe it is his slight accent and Southern charm, or maybe it is because when he talks he is genuinely interested in the conversation and willing to be open about his thoughts and ideas ““ not the typical “administrator speak.”
Even his wife, Carol Block, called him an excellent listener and commented on his ability to always offer their children keen advice in times of need.
Listening is something the new chancellor has done a lot of over the past few months.
He’s met with student leaders, administrators, faculty, staff and every other conceivable constituency. But he doesn’t just have the conversations, he pays attention, and a large part of his leadership style is actually taking the ideas he has heard and incorporating them into his plans.
“We are very fortunate to have him at UCLA. He is an accomplished scientist whose ascension to provost at (the University of Virginia) and chancellor at UCLA manifests to me his desire to contribute and shape scholarship and discovery in a much broader way,” said Vivek Shetty, the outgoing chairman of the Academic Senate.
Shetty was impressed by the chancellor and emphasized how important it is that Block will maintain a lab on campus, continuing his research into biological clocks in addition to filling the role of chief administrator of the university.
“I think the very fact that he continues to function as a scientist with his own lab and postdoc students gives him that added insight and perspective that other faculty share,” Shetty said. “This will keep him very close to the pulse of the faculty.”
To keep a pulse on the students, Block is looking to change the way chancellors have traditionally interacted with them.
Instead of having quarterly office hours, where a select group of people would get 10 minutes with the chancellor, Block plans to give a larger group of students the opportunity to have breakfast with him in the dorms.
He has also challenged student leaders to bring him a proposal for one of their most sought-after campaign goals ““ increasing student representation on campus governance committees.
“That’s really refreshing … it’s not often that administrators are willing to work on student voice,” said Undergraduate Students Association Council President Gabe Rose.
“We would like to work with him to make mutually beneficial policy,” he added. “It’s good that he can be a partner and not an adversary.”
Block has three overarching plans for UCLA, including working on diversity, fostering interdisciplinary research and reexamining how UCLA interacts with the surrounding Los Angeles community.
He has also been careful to not make promises he can’t keep. For instance, he said student fees are only going to continue to rise ““ both because state support will probably not increase in the near future and UCLA needs money to continue to offer a “dazzling product” to students.
Many of his ideas for the campus also overlap, forming a cohesive vision for moving the university forward. For example, his ideas to improve diversity among the student body include using the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies to reach out to the community and work toward improving the education students in the LAUSD receive.
“A public university should reflect the population around it. That just makes sense to me,” he said.
He also wants to work on faculty diversity and even jokingly said he would resign immediately in order to increase the chances of having a female chancellor sooner.
His ideas about interdisciplinary research bleed into his ideas about reexamining UCLA’s status as a public university.
And he said, quite seriously, that the Southern California weather ““ along with the close proximity of all of the campus departments ““ has undoubtedly led to an already burgeoning interdisciplinary attitude here.
He said he will work on providing medical care to Los Angeles through expanding services through the UCLA Medical Center, and at the same time the university will work on research that can be quickly applied to patients.
“Public universities have a special mission. … Publics often help solve problems in communities, and I’m looking forward to having a conversation with the deans about how we can recommit ourselves and define ourselves as a public university,” he said.
Shetty, who had the opportunity to discuss the chancellor’s plans in depth at a recent retreat, said he was excited by Block’s ideas.
“One of the things that the chancellor does is articulate this unifying vision of what UCLA is and should be and how it relates to the community and to society,” Shetty said. “Not only has he given this mission, but he has started articulating these details, as he did at the retreat.”
Shetty also said he was impressed by the chancellor’s ability to embrace one of the things that makes the UC system so unique ““ the idea that the faculty should have control of their curricula and departments, also known as shared governance.
But there are still issues that Rose, who has not yet had an opportunity to personally meet with the chancellor, said he would like to see addressed by Block and his administrators.
Rose said that as the chancellor takes the time to learn about student issues and the intricacies of the campus, he should take the time to address everyday student concerns ““ and not just for those groups that are loudest.
Rose said one of the things Block should take on is making a real effort toward improving campus safety and working on mental health issues.
He also said the chancellor could help make strides to increase a community feeling on campus, adding that students can often feel divided unnecessarily.
“How can we work on diversity when students from different groups don’t interact?” Rose asked. “I think we’ve moved to a place where our leader can begin to focus on the students and the campus.”
Block said that it was “obvious” he would be meeting with student leaders, as well as everyday students, in an effort to understand the relevant issues.
Ultimately, Mrs. Block said that, with her husband, “what you see is what you get.”
With reports from Robert Faturechi, Bruin senior staff.